BMG is currently holding a pretty good sale on Robert Shaw CDs.  I've
made no secret of the fact that I've found his Telarc recordings variable
- that is, the great appears cheek by jowl with the bland and the downright
terrible.  Since I've bought most of his CDs, I'll list my favorites and
less-than-favorites:

Absolute Heaven:  Basically, a compilation of other CDs.  You'd do better
to buy those rather than this.

Adams:  Harmonium; Rachmaninoff:  The Bells - A stunning Harmonium; an OK
Bells (I prefer my Melodiya performance)

Amazing Grace:  Undoubtedly one of the best of the Robert Shaw Festival
Singer CDs.  Quite fine performances of Shaw-Parker (mostly Parker)
arrangements of white and black "spirituals," among the greatest takes
of this literature ever done.

Appear and Inspire:  Great repertoire.  Horrible performance.  It never
should have been released.

Bach:  Magnificat; Vivaldi:  Gloria - In its energy and joy, recalls Shaw's
glory days in the Sixties.  Not HIP (my normal preference), but beautiful,
exciting readings nevertheless.

Bach:  Mass in b - Less intense than Shaw's RCA recording with the RS
Chorale of the same work, but it still retains enough of its edge.  A fine
performance, and a completely individual view of the work.  The movements
become choral concerti grossi.

Barber:  Prayers of Kierkegaard; Vaughan Williams:  Dona nobis pacem;
Bartok:  Cantata profana - a great Barber.  The Vaughan Williams lacks
Hickox and Boult's intensity.  The Bartok not as exciting as Fricsay's.
Another mixed bag.

Brahms:  Liebeslieder Waltzes - Again, not up to Shaw's RCA recording, but
quite fine.  I always thought Shaw's Brahms (although he wasn't
particularly known for it) got to the heart of that composer.

Christmas with the Robert Shaw Chorale - BUY THIS!!!  In addition to the
classic Shaw-Parker carol arrangments, you also get his first (and slightly
better) Britten Ceremony of Carols.

Evocation of the Spirit:  Great repertoire in performances that should
never have been released.

Faure:  Requiem/Durufle:  Requiem - One of his best CDs.  I quibble only
with the tempo of the opening movement of the Faure.  Others may also find
fault with the version of the Durufle (all choral, no solos), though I
don't.  Gorgeous performances of gorgeous works.

Handel:  Messiah Choruses and Arias - 16 selections.  Shaw probably could
have conducted this in his sleep, given all his years with it.  It's a good
performance, but not wonderful.

Mendelssohn:  Elijah.  Horrible.  The best thing about it is Thomas
Hampson's Elijah, the finest I've heard, including Fisher-Dieskau's.
But Shaw hasn't a clue to most of the music.  The hell of it is that I've
heard him do it splendidly live.

Poulenc:  Mass in g, etc.  Poulenc himself considered Shaw his best
interpreter.  It's easy to see why.  The RS Festival Singers are a tad
rough, but Poulenc can take it.  Monumental.

Rachmaninoff:  Vespers.  A good, first-rate recording, but I believe real
aficionados of the work would prefer the Russian chorus on EMI.

Songs of Angels/Bright Day Star - Christmas carol arrangments by the entity
known as Shaw-Parker (mostly Parker).  Glorious.

Stephen Foster Songbook:  With the Robert Shaw Chorale in Shaw-Parker
arrangements.  A classic performance.  I'm not a Stephen Foster fan, but
this is a favorite CD.

Steve Schwartz