David Starkey's Music and Monarchy - Music featured in the BBC TV series

This review is mainly to immediately point out to Amazon customers that although the cover of this official companion cd of music from the fine David Starkey tv series "MUSIC & MONARCHY" clearly has a photograph representative of the tv series, and is clearly marked "BBC" - only in very small print on the reverse of the cd case(at present not shown on the Amazon site) -as also in the accompanying booklet- are potential purchasers informed that "these are not the performances heard in the tv series."That is most disappointing -as the tv series has featured very fine performances by specialist artists in the fields covered in the programmes -including such emminent choirs as those of Westminter Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral, as also equally notable soloists and ensembles.That said, for any viewer/listener who does not already have the music featured in their own libraries, the performances and recordings on these two generously-filled discs are very often notable in themselves.There are exceptions (such as 'Rule Britania' -given here in a recording of the Malcolm Sargent arrangement as used at the "Last Night of the Proms"- in a recording itself over forty years old, rather than the original Thomas Arne version far more authentically performed in the tv series.)The recordings feautured include many from such performers as King's College,Cambridge (with their successive directors Willcocks, Ledger and Cloebury) the London Classical Players(Norrington) and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.Many purchasers will therefore doubtless be perfectly happy when receive the discs.However, others -like myself- will doubtlessly be equally disappointed in purchasing what they thought was genuinely as performed in the series - hence the 3-star rating due to the misleading packaging.

Firstly, I must thank afficianado who correctly points out that this double CD does not contain the original recordingsas seen and heard on Dr. Starkey's, Music & Monarchy series as shown on the BBC. What we do have here is olderarchived material from the Warner Classics back catalogue that tries to approximate the music from the tv series.Sometimes, contractual and copyright issues prevent the release of original recordings or it could simply be a caseof opportunistic salesmanship here. Either way, what we do have is a relatively pleasing amount of musical treatsthat approximate those shown in David Starkey's broadcast.I particularly like the inclusions from the Choir of Kings College, Cambridge under their successive Musical Directors,and that the music on the CD follows the TV series exactly, with music from the Tudor era through to William Walton.Several of the recordings here have been re-mastered some range from the 1960's to 2009. Despite not being the genuine article, I quite like this compilation of music associated with the monarchy.Released in 2013 by Warner ClassicsCD 1 approximately 79 minutesCD 2 approximately 74 minutesSome tracks re-mastered.

Superb DVD and very informative. The music was sublime, well done BBC and David Starkey. I had no idea Henry V111 so talented musically

No doubt there are some fine performances on this double CD set with some going back over forty years, however the fact that none of them actually featured on the TV series or that none of the superb recordings featured in the series made it onto this collection really is the most disappointing.Save you money and go elsewhere