Certainly, the 'quietest time of year' is also the time when music is to be most frequently heard - not only in public, in shops or markets, but also in the countryside, where Christmas is the time when perhaps the most singing is done. The music author Marius Schneider once underlined this fact by writing:"God hungers for songs." And thus the time which celebrates the symbolic birth of the Lord is a great time for music - even for people who may have no direct religious beliefs. With this 5CD-Set Capriccio presents in total 100 Classical Christmas titles, sung by most famous choruses and soloists. And draws a bow from the high classical Christmas Oratorio by Bach to more simple songs from the country side. And of course the most famous song can't be missed: "Silent Night, Holy Night."

And another exciting debut on MDG: Caterva musica has committed itself entirely to early music. What makes it special: Each member is a gifted soloist, but knows how to fit into the accompanying orchestra when needed. Five remarkable solo concertos of the 18th century show once the stupendous virtuosity of the individual, but also but also the harmonically colorfully coordinated ensemble performance of the top-class group.

It is the otherwise little-noticed instruments that stand out soloistically on this first set: Graun's Viola Concerto presents the viola both cantabile-sonorous and surprisingly virtuosic in the lively final movement; Johann Joachim Quantz's Horn Concerto is scored in the astonishing key of D-sharp major; Molter's Sinfonia gives the timpani, of all things, an almost concertante solo part – above which the trumpets blossom splendidly. The Cello Concerto by the today almost unknown Nicola Fiorenza effectively combines the Neapolitan stile antico with breakneck acrobatics. In doing so, Fiorenza blithely plays with the expectations of the audience, which gets its money's worth, not least with Vivaldi's Concerto for alto recorder with lively trills and fragrant garlands.

With Caterva musica, all of this comes across as immensely fresh and unspent, and the unbridled joy of music-making is immediately transferred to the listeners. The natural recording technique has its share in this: unfiltered and if necessary in 3D - so this baroque bouquet of flowers is delivered as a sounding business card with unclouded listening pleasure!