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Heiligste Nacht: Choral Music for Advent and Christmas
Choral Music for Christmas
“Choral Music for Christmas” presents the very best of Advent and Christmas choral music from the Carus catalog. Contemporary arrangements of popular Christmas carols by composers such as Fredo Jung and Giacomo Mezallira feature alongside works by well-known composers including Handel, Bach, Heinichen, and Mendelssohn Bartholdy. The performers, including the Calmus Ensemble, the Kammerchor Stuttgart conducted by Frieder Bernius, the Dresdner Kammerchor conducted by Hans-Christoph Rademann, and the ensemble L’arpa festante, guarantee an absolute choral treat.
C.P.E. Bach: Die Israeliten in der Wüste, Wq. 238, BR-CPEB D
Luther Collage / Calmus Ensemble
Calmus is a vocal ensemble with one soprano and four guys who cover the rest of the parts (countertenor, tenor, baritone, bass). Together they take on everything from cantata movements by Bach, motets by numerous composers (from Praetorius and Schütz to Mendelssohn and Brahms), and even organ chorale preludes, the latter sung in a cool, sensuous Swingle Singers style, enlivened by impeccably tuned, complementary vocal timbres. Notable among these are a couple by Bach–BWV 599 and 659 (sound clip)–and several by Carl Piutti, a 19th-century German composer/organist, who wrote more than 200 organ preludes and did serious time at the Leipzig Thomaskirche, beginning in 1880.
Although this program is very thoughtfully based on Luther’s hymns–beginning with settings of the classic Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott and proceeding through Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, Christ lag in Todesbanden, and several others, all arranged in neatly flowing sections, following the church year from Advent through Pentecost, it’s really about excellent ensemble singing, the art of coordinating and balancing voices, developing and shaping musical interpretations, and using the unique aspects and qualities of the voice to illuminate and give life to words and music. And these singers demonstrate this at every turn and phrase, capturing the glory and grandeur of all manner of musical conceptions–and they do endings in a manner that makes you just want to savor every last note and chord.
It takes a very accomplished ensemble to successfully juxtapose so many styles and settings of these great hymns, and the Calmus Ensemble does it with world-class expertise and just the right amount of charm–yet I have to say, that although every one of these singers is excellent, soprano Anja Pöche, with her seemingly effortless technique and gorgeous sound (not to mention a true, untempered sense of intonation) is a particular treasure. Enthusiastically recommended.
– ClassicsToday (David Vernier)
Kayser: Magnificat & Missa VI
Hallelujah: Gospels & Spirituals for Mixed Choir
Luthers Lieder / Berniu, Bresgott, Kammerchor Stuttgart, Athesinus Consort Berlin
For the 500th anniversary of the Reformation a collection of all 35 hymns by Luther is being released on a double CD for the first time. The Lutheran hymns in choral settings and chorale cantatas from the 16th century to the present day (including works by Praetorius, Scheidt, Bach, Mendelssohn, Jennefelt, and Schwemmer) are performed by the Kammerchor Stuttgart under the direction of Frieder Bernius and the Athesinus Consort Berlin conducted by Klaus-Martin Bresgott. These choral settings are complemented by chorale arrangements for organ. Margot Kassmann, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Markus Meckel, Judith Zander, and others have offered extensive liner notes with meditations on the selected hymns, and Johann Hinrich Claussen, Cultural Officer of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, has provided a knowledgeable forward.
Bacharcades / Katschner, Calmus Ensemble, Lautten Compagney
Two superlative German ensembles assemble for an eminently creative summit meeting: the Calmus Ensemble and the musicians of Wolfgang Katschner’s Lautten Compagney meet one another under “Bach Arcades”: Johann Sebastian Bach’s chorales, so to speak, form the pillars on which the musicians, with curiosity and a willingness to experiment, erect a new and fascinating cupola of sound with works by Arvo Pärt, Guillaume Dufay, John Tavener and others. In addition, the timbres of the marimba and saxophone imbue the sound of the works recorded here with freshness and ease, time and again. With much humor and charm, unusual and surprising elements flow into many a familiar chorale, thus causing us to prick up our ears. Surprising arches of sound, supported by the foundation of Bach’s music, come into being and, with every Bach chorale, open up new musical spaces for the listener.
Reger: 8 Geistliche Gesänge, Op. 138 - Geistliche Gesänge, O
Lullabies Of The World
Singers and instrumentalists from all over the world have recorded the most beautiful lullabies from their home countries exclusively for this CD collection. The accompaniment by tradition instruments highlights the original sound of these songs. The CD contains lullabies from Armenia, Belgium, China, Germany, Finland, France, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, New Zealand, North America, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Hungary and a lullaby in Yiddish.
With this recording the prize-winning “Liederprojekt”, promoting singing with children, is being continued and expanded by an international collection.
Folk Songs / Calmus Ensemble
The Calmus Ensemble is on a musical journey of discovery: With “Folk Songs,” the Leipzig vocal quintet invites you on a journey around the world. From Ireland and England to Scandinavia, Russia, Taiwan and all the way to Ecuador! And all this with only five singers? Yes, indeed! Folk songs from five continents can be heard on the album, the spectrum ranging from traditional, simple settings to highly virtuosic new arrangements made especially for Calmus. This recording is part of the prize-winning "LIEDERPROJEKT". A perfect blend of sound, precision, lightness and wit. These are the hallmarks of Calmus, now one of the most successful vocal groups in Germany. The ensemble has forged a refined sound which few groups achieve. The wide range of sound colors, the joy in performing that musicians convey on the concert platform, and their varied and imaginative programs are praised by the press time and time again. These five Leipzig musicians have won a whole string of international prizes and competitions, including the ECHO Klassik and Supersonic Award, and the reach of their activities is constantly expanding, taking them throughout Europe as well as to North and South America. In 2010 the quintet made its debut at Carnegie Hall, New York.
Christmas in the Dresden Frauenkirche / Kopp

Carus continues to bring previously unrecorded--and often unpublished--music to renewed life in distinguished performances and authoritative printed scores. In this case, with the disc's title and musical program the label capitalizes on the attention given to the event of the re-opening of the historic Dresden Frauenkirche, recently re-consecrated after a 10-year, multinational restoration project, returning the church (Bach played its Silbermann organ on at least one notable occasion) to its former glory following its complete destruction in the firebombing of the city near the end of World War II. In fact, this wonderful recording, filled with gorgeous, inexplicably neglected music, was made at another Dresden church, the Lukaskirche, before restoration at the Frauenkirche was complete. The point, however, is that the program--four church cantatas for Advent, Christmas, and New Year's Day--leaves nothing to be desired from a musical standpoint. These compact, expertly written works are not only functional (their primary purpose), but are enormously, immediately appealing (not a bad thing for church service music!), with grand, lively opening choruses, vibrant orchestral accompaniments, and strong, perfectly singable arias where even the brief formulaic stuff sounds absolutely right and natural.
From 1742 Gottfried August Homilius (1714-1785) was an important figure in the vital 18th-century Dresden music scene, spending most of his career as organist at the Frauenkirche and Kantor of the Kreuzschule, during which time he composed a couple of hundred church cantatas. Although he was a pupil of Bach, and some of his music retains significant (and well-learned) elements of that style, most of the works on offer here--all world-premieres--demonstrate aspects of the developing "classical" style, especially in the choral writing and use of the orchestra. And yet throughout each work, there's an interesting and invariably effective mix of baroque and classical mannerisms that makes for absorbing listening.
The singing and playing is first rate--Homilius could not have asked for better advocates of his music!--and there's a variety of scoring from cantata to cantata, ranging from double choir with soprano and tenor soloists, to single choir with SATB soloists. The cantata for Christmas Day, Ein hoher Tag kömmt, contains a wonderful trio for two sopranos and tenor, and there are excellent solo arias in each work. As mentioned, the choruses, which serve as the cantatas' opening movements, are outstanding and ideally convey the celebratory mood of their respective texts and occasions. After all of this, it probably goes without saying that the sound engineering is top-notch--full and dynamic and faithful to the Lukaskirche's space and ambience. Highly recommended. [11/15/2005]
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com
Touched / Calmus Ensemble
Calmus Ensemble is one of the most successful a cappella ensembles on the international scene. For their new album touched, the singers from Leipzig have chosen songs and lieder from several centuries on themes which never fail to touch our hearts, and have arranged them for their own forces with the utmost skill. What results is a vocal CD in a class of its own: Sting stands alongside Henry Purcell, Michael Jackson next to Adriano Banchieri, and Elton John beside Monty Python. The ensemble describes the concept in the CD booklet as follows: “As far as themes go, nothing whatsoever has changed: love, longing, pain, but also joy, pleasure and exuberance. That which touches our hearts, which moves us, has been convincingly expressed in music since time immemorial. Then as now, songs were one thing above all – a living expression of the soul! In this common ground the boundaries of the two eras of music on this recording become blurred.” We’re offering you the opportunity to contemplate the texts and music of two very different epochs in a new light and from new perspectives. The CD is a must for lovers of a cappella singing! - Carus-Verlag
O schone Nacht: Romantic Choral Music / Alber, Orpheus Vokalensemble
J.S. Bach: Ein feste Burg
Christmas Lullaby
Madrigals of Madness / Calmus Ensemble
Weihnachts Lieder (Deluxe Box)
Throughout the world Christmas is celebrated – and everywhere, singing Christmas carols is part of the celebrations. This limited special edition offers over 100 of the most beautiful German and international carols: For the first time, the “Weihnachtslieder” (German Christmas Carols) as well as the “Weihnachtslieder aus aller Welt” (Christmas Carols of the World) of the prize-winning LIEDERPROJEKT are being issued together in an incredible four-release set. The LIEDERPROJEKT is a charity project produced by Carus and Southwest German Radio. For every album set sold, 2 EUR will be donated to projects which promote singing with children.
Waldeslust - Musical foray through the undergrowth / Kohler, Bundesjugendchor
Des Heilands letzte Stunden, WoO 62
Lukaspassion 1744
Morgen, Kinder, wird's was geben - Ein Musikalischer Adventskalender
The Christmas season can come. With this musical Advent calendar from the Landesmusikakademie Ochsenhausen, there is a new surprise every day. Each day of Advent has its own song to shorten the waiting time for children and families. Old and new Christmas carols in enchanting arrangements, sometimes contemplative, sometimes rousing and as if for dancing along, prepare us for a joyful pre-Christmas season. With the children's choir SingsalaSing, the Ulmer Spatzenchor and many more.
Rencontre – Begegnung
Verdi & Puccini: Sacred Music / Rademann, Stuttgart Philharmonic
Hans-Christoph Rademann presents sacred vocal works from the pens of two of the most important Italian opera composers. The occasion and time of composition could not be more different. Puccini's so-called Messa di Gloria is an ambitious, large-scale youthful work that was composed for the annual festival of the patron saint of his home town of Lucca. The Quattro pezzi sacri, on the other hand, are Verdi's mature works, composed over a period of ten years and not originally intended for publication by the composer.
