This compilation of re-issues, originally recorded in the 1990s and 2001 features music, by Bach, Charpentier, Gabrieli, Schütz, Corelli (the famous beloved "Pastorale") and Praetorius, all of it beautiful and just right for celebrating a festival of light, hope, worshipful praise, and jubilation. It is performed to perfection by several period vocal and instrumental groups, the latter tuned to various "authentic" pitches. Some of the pieces are excerpts from longer works, some are arrangements, such as four lovely French Christmas carols in an instrumental version by Charpentier, whose harmonic and contrapuntal complexity makes the simplicity of the melodies all the more touching. There are also two reconstructions by Paul McCreesh of Christmas services as they might have been heard during Gabrieli's lifetime at Saint Mark's in Venice and during Schütz's lifetime at the Dresden Hofkapelle. The program is arranged for utmost contrast between vocal and instrumental textures, speed, length, mood and character. Among the highlights are the devout, fervent, quite melancholy "O Jesu me dulcissime" by Gabrieli, who wrote for voices with the same luminous brilliance as for brasses, and Praetorius' "In dulce jubilo," which, with fanfares of trumpets and drums, makes a fittingly triumphant, glorious ending. --Edith Eisler
The Baroque Christmas Album,Johann Sebastian Bach,Marc-Antoine Charpentier,Arcangelo Corelli,Giovanni Gabrieli,Michael Praetorius,Heinrich Schutz,John Eliot Gardiner,Marc Minkowski,Paul McCreesh,Trevor Pinnock,English Baroque Soloists,English Concert,Gabrieli Consort,Gabrieli Consort and Players,Les Musiciens du Louvre,Mirella Giardelli,Timothy Roberts,Micaela Comberti,Simon Standage,Archiv Produktion,Baroque Mass,Cantata,Choral,Choral Music,Christmas / Chanukkah,Christmas Music,Classical,Concerto,Concerto Grosso,Keyboard,Miscellaneous,Music for Keyboard,Oratorio,Renaissance Motet,Sacred Choral Music with keyboard (or continuo),Vocal,Xmas Vocal Collections
Music Review:
- Beethoven Masterpieces (Box Set) [Box set]
- Beethoven: Notturno, Op. 42; Mendelssohn: Viola Sonata in C minor; Schumann: Märchenbilder, Op. 113
- Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1
- Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas, Vol. 3
- Berwald: Piano Quintet No. 1; Piano Trio in C; Duo in D
- Bolcom & Adler: Music for Piano & Flute
- Boughton: String Quartet in F, et al
- Christmas Around the World
- Dido & Aeneas
- Dvorák/Brahms: New World Symphony/Academic Festival Overture
Music Review
Rejoice, O Indestructible Fortress and Stronghold of Orthodoxy
The Return of the 5000 Lb. Man
Soon There Will Be Shooting at Unarmed Men [Import]
Sings Country & Classics [Import] [CD-single]