Classical Music

This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.

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C. P. E. BACH Magnificat. Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes • Fritz Näf, cond; Monika Mauch (sop); Matthias Rexroth (ct); Hans Jörg Mammel (ten); Gotthold Schwarz (bs); Basler Madrigalisten; L’arpa festante • CARUS 83.412 (Hybrid multichannel SACD: 62:37 Text and Translation)

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was the Thomaskantor’s second son. He spent 27 years at the Prussian royal court and 20 years in Hamburg, surpassing his father’s reputation for some time after his death. This Magnificat was an early choral work of 1749, performed even in Leipzig. Both works are billed as world premiere recordings, or, in the case of the Magnificat, “the first recording of the original version.” But the latter differs from the work I have loved since Felix Prohaska’s recording was reissued on a single LP (it was originally three sides for a 49-minute performance) only in omitting trumpets and timpani, for the only other difference is the original “Et misericordia,” which most previous recordings have used. Seymour Solomon himself wrote the liner notes for Prohaska, asserting that the printed score had been compared with the original manuscript, and the trumpets and drums (“inexplicably omitted from later editions,” he says) were restored for the recording. He may have meant the manuscript in Hamburg, described by colleague William Youngren (15:2). Only Helmut Rilling has recorded the later, shorter “Et misericordia”; every other recording known to me has the original, longer setting of this verse.

The work became a favorite of mine, and I bought the next four LPs as soon as I could find them, but they all followed period-performance style, such as it was in those days, and I missed the grandeur that I had come to love. Emanuel’s work, as Solomon described it, was a combination of Italianate vocal style, Haydnesque orchestration, and his father’s Baroque choral writing. Prohaska’s large forces with modern orchestra, broad tempos (the longest recording known to me), and marvelous soloists brought out the majesty of the work better than later versions. I can still hear it with pleasure. Geraint Jones’s version was made next, but somehow remained on the shelf while several other recordings that he made in 1957 and 1958 for His Master’s Voice were issued; after Jones’s auto accident in 1960 limited his activities, it was apparently forgotten until Malcolm Walker discovered the tape and obtained its release in 1965 (I only found a copy many years later, a stereo LP pressed with an Odeon label for export). It was also Helen Watts’s first version, preceding her work for Ledger and Rilling.

This glorious work begins with a festive chorus on the first verse, a soprano solo on “Quia respexit,” and a brilliant tenor solo on “Quia fecit mihi.” After the choral “Et misericordia” comes a heroic bass solo on “Fecit potentiam,” then two rousing duets for contralto and tenor followed by a meltingly lovely contralto solo on “Suscepit Israel.” “Gloria Patri” is set to the music of the opening movement, followed by a gigantic double fugue on “Sicut erat,” an extended movement of great power. I hear the longer “Et misericordia” as a central peak between the opening and closing choral movements, while colleague Youngren likes the shorter setting because it makes the series of solo arias more prominent. The present performance is impressive, even if I miss the trumpets and timpani that punctuate the opening and closing choruses and the bass aria. Enhanced by modern sound, the soloists embellish their melodies stylishly. Three of the singers remind me favorably of Prohaska’s soloists, but Matthias Rexroth, the first countertenor I have heard in this work, has a heavier voice than Prohaska’s contralto, Hilde Rössl-Majdan, though he melds in well with the others in this team. So even though I think the composer knew what he was doing when he added the trumpets and timpani, I can recommend this as a gorgeous performance and recording of a masterpiece. Here are the versions so far issued:

• Felix Prohaska, 1952, Bach Guild 516-17; 552
• Geraint Jones, rec. May 1957 and May 1958, H.M.V. CLP 1828; CSD 1612; SME 91477
• Adolf Detel, rec. November 1965, Archiv 73267; SAPM 198367
• Kurt Thomas, rec. 1966, Victrola VICS 1368; Harmonia Mundi 30821; 1C 065-99624; CD: BMG-DHM. 05472-77411
• Philip Ledger, rec. March 1976, Argo ZRG 853; CD: 421148 (15:2).
• Helmut Rilling, rec. September 1976 and January–April 1977, Hänssler 91511; CD: 98970 (15:2). Revised “Et misericordia.”
• Hartmut Haenchen, rec. December 1988, CD: Berlin BC 1011-2 (18:1). Not heard.
• J. Reilly Lewis, rec. 1998, CD: Newport 60155. Not heard.
• Michael Schneider, rec. December 2000, CD: Capriccio 67003 (26:3). Not heard.
• Fritz Näf, rec. January 2008, CD: Carus 83412. Omits trumpets and timpani.

The other work on this disc was first heard in the early Hamburg years, 1773 or 1774, but it was written in 1772. In 1775 the first movement was revised and a new final chorale added, but the revisions are not heard here. The original purpose of the composition was the installation of a new pastor, only the last two original movements referring to Christmas at all. In the form performed annually after 1775, the added movements made it more of a Christmas cantata. The ensemble includes the three trumpets and timpani that could have been used in the other work, but the work strikes me more as well constructed than inspired. The performance does it full justice, but the Magnificat is worth the price of the disc.

FANFARE: J. F. Weber

Classical Music

This recording received a 1998 "Critic's Choice" award from Gramophone
magazine.

Körnerscher Sing-Verein, Dresdner Instrumental-Concert, Peter Kopp

Music by Josef Seger, Johann Georg Schürer, Johann David Heinichen, Giovanni Alberto Ristori (world premiere recordings)

The music of the present CD convey to the listener a musical picture of the celebration of Christmas Eve which took place in the Church of the Court of Dresden in around 1750. The works recorded here all belong to the first flowering of Catholic church music at the Court of Dresden, which began in the 1720s and ended with the Seven Years War (1756–1763), which proved disastrous for Saxony. The demands of August the Strong and his son August III to display prestige led composers such as Johann David Heinichen or Giovanni Alberto Ristori to compose in a separate style for the Catholic Court Church in Dresden a wide-ranging repertoire of Catholic church music for the entire church year. In the holdings of the Sächsischen Landesbibliothek – Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek there are numerous of these works which have survived as handwritten autographs. The music from the present CD is also drawn from the rich storehouse of music in the Sächsische Landesbibliothek. They lay undiscovered, hidden away in cabinets for over two centuries and with this world premiere recording they are now being present to the public for the first time.

The orchestra of the Court of Dresden was considered to be one of the most established orchestras in Europe. The Körnersche Sing-Verein Dresden and the Dresdner Instrumental-Concert, who are dedicated to presenting compositions of the 18th-century in historically accurate performances, allow the excellent quality of the music of the Court Church of this time to live again. In addition, the internationally renowned soloists draw on their wealth of experience in the performance of baroque music.

Harmonia Sacra was formed by Peter Leech in the Summer of 2009. On Advent Sunday in the same year they presented their first concert at the church of St Thomas the Martyr in Bristol, entitled Advent Reflections. The event has since become a permanent and popular musical feature of the pre-Christmas season in that city. 2019 therefore marks the choir's 10th anniversary, so this new release has been created to celebrate a decade of choral music-making in South-West England (and much further afield), and to represent the diverse repertoire of Advent Reflections concerts.

A CHRISTMAS HISTORY Simon Russell Beale takes a journey through Italy, Britain, Germany and Austria as he explores how the sound of Christmas has evolved in response to changing ideas about the Nativity. His story takes us through two millennia of music, from a fragment of papyrus preserving the earliest known piece of Christian music to the stories behind Hark! The herald angels sing, Silent Night and In the bleak midwinter, and the work of popular Christmas composer, John Rutter all performed by Harry Christophers and The Sixteen. A CHORAL CHRISTMAS Simon Russell Beale introduces a programme of choral music for Christmas from across the centuries, featuring performances of some of the works featured in the accompanying documentary. Harry Christophers and The Sixteen, perform music including J.S. Bach's harmonisation of the medieval carol In dulci jubilo, A spotless rose by Herbert Howells and the Christmas text O magnum mysterium, set as a motet by Tomás Luis de Victoria.

The perfect gift for Christmas – three of The Sixteen’s most celebrated festive CDs in a Boxset. From medieval carols with fiddles, harps and drums to the traditional carols we know and love, this collection includes favourite twentieth century English carols.

This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.

The sacred space of Winchester Cathedral has echoed to music every day for almost a thousand years, inspiring worshippers and visitors alike. Winchester Cathedral is home to a Cathedral Choir which, under the leadership of Martin Neary, was internationally regarded as one of the greatest choirs of England.

in 1973, Philips Classics brought out an album of Christmas carols in its series of quadraphonic recordings with the Winchester Cathedral Choir directed by Neary. PentaTone has digitally remastered this essential recording using DSD technology and is now releasing it in superb surround sound, as part of its RQR series.

Personnel includes: George Emlen, David Gay, Roberta Humez (conductor); John Langstaff (conductor, vocals); Jerome Epstein (conductor, concertina); The Revels Chorus, Youth Pro Musica (vocals); John Fleagle (vocals, gaita, medieval harp, lyzarden, rebec, pipe, tabor); Chris Rua (vocals, recorder, shawm, bass viol); Hannah Davidson (alto recorder, bass dulcian, bass viol); The Cambridge Symphonic Brass Ensemble (horns); Sarah Tenney (timpani, percussion).
Recorded at Paine Hall, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts and Houghton Chapel, Wellesley College, Boston, Massachusetts in Spring, 1991. Includes liner notes by Susan Cooper.

This new recording captures the magic of the season as the RSNO and its Junior Chorus deliver a perfect selection of classic festive favourites in A Christmas Festival. These charming performances show why their joyous, fun-packed Christmas concerts, conducted by the inimitable Christopher Bell, are always a highlight of the Scottish seasonal calendar. The well-chosen programme finds traditional favourites, such as Jingle Bells, In A Cottage In A Wood and Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, sitting harmoniously alongside contemporary tunes from Michael Head and Howard Blake (The Snowman, The Bear). An unexpected but brilliant instrumental mash-up up of The Little Dummer Boy with Ravel’s Bolero gives centre-stage to the award-winning RSNO. Two fantastic medleys provide a one stop shop of Christmas tunes both old and new which you’ll be hard pressed not to join in with! At turns rousing, sentimental, cheering and familiar this is the perfect present this Christmas.

Welcome Yule: An English Christmas Revels

Personnel: Jayne Tankersley, David Coffin (vocals); Scottish Highland Pipes & Drums, Revels Children's Chorus, Revels Chorus.
Ensembles: English Renaissance Ensemble; Scottish Baroque Ensemble.

It's no secret that if you're looking for a well-filled, thoughtfully programmed disc of Christmas choral music, you won't go wrong with any of The Sixteen's recordings. In 2006 this oft-lauded group led by founder Harry Christophers released a Volume 1 program of traditional carols, and this year (2010) decided to augment that release with a collection of 20 more favorites (including a few lesser-known pieces). Performed with the knowing style of a seasoned, professional British choir, these songs, hymns, and carols (all very loosely categorized here as "carols")--such gems as Holst's Masters in this hall, Poston's Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, and Darke's beloved In the bleak mid-winter--ring in the season intensified and made more meaningful by the choir's authority and respect for the music, its revered tradition, and with an obvious true love for its sound and inherent spirit.

Although Christophers mentions in the notes that selections were drawn from the 1928 Oxford Book of Carols, and certainly such pieces as the Gloucester Wassail, the Wexford Carol, and In dulci jubilo were at least partially lifted from that source, the provenance of many others is not so clearly evident (Of the Father's heart begotten, for example, isn't included in the 1928 OBC), although in some cases the popular "green" and "orange" carol books may have been consulted.

At any rate, these arrangements are all artful and refreshingly unadorned--in the best "traditional" realizations; where there is organ, its contributions are always tasteful, imaginative, and appropriate to support and/or enhance the singers. And as for the singers, well, this is one of the great, world-class choirs, its uniquely rich, vibrant sound characterized by pure-voiced sopranos and its contingent of male altos. The production and sound, from London's St. Giles Church, Cripplegate, presided over by the first-rate team of Mark Brown and Mike Hatch, is excellent. A solid and satisfying addition to any Christmas music library.

--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com
Reviewing an earlier release that is part of this collection

MESSIAH [HIGHLIGHTS]

Plenty of interesting content, well photographed, complements the musical arrangements of popular Christmas tunes.

Might as well get my grumble out of my system at the start, particularly as I enjoyed much of the photography, most of the locations and all the musical arrangements. It is just that the title could be deemed misleading as only two Chapters of the thirteen are not of Switzerland and two of the remaining eleven are not focused on Zurich. No problem though about the preponderance of Zurich.
 
Switzerland has existed as the world’s oldest democracy for some seven hundred years. It is the most linguistically and culturally diverse western European nation. Its diversity derives from its history; having experienced internal religious conflict, the Congress of Vienna guaranteed independence and neutrality in 1815. A new federal state of Cantons was formed in 1848 with Bern as the capital. The Cantons reflect cultural and linguistic variety. With borders with France, Germany and Italy these are the appropriate languages of the population who usually speak at least two along with English. The Romantsch dialect is also spoken by about one percent of its people. Zurich is the largest city, located at the north-western end of Lake Zurich, and has long been the industrial and banking centre of the country as well as a magnet for tourism. Its history includes being a centre of Protestantism.
 
It is on Zurich that the opening Chapters focus with views of the city streets at night dressed in resplendent Christmas decorations (CH.1). In the daylight, dusted in snow with a misty hue, the city looks less inviting albeit the bridge over the river Lammat and the mighty twin towers of the Cathedral are imposing (CH.2). The tradition of Christmas is central in December and the film visits the mechanical Father Christmas, a wonderful Christmas crib and the various toyshops with captivated children peering through the windows (CHs. 3-5). The great Minster, in all its internal magnificence appears to the melody of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen played in a baroque manner (CH.6). After brief visits to the Toy Museum in Nuremberg, a city well known as the centre of the German toy-making industry (CH.8), it’s back to Zurich to one of their leading toy emporia with a final visit to a window display of model trains zipping around snowy mountain scenery and model houses; captivating for the children, and, I do not doubt, their parents (CH.13). In between these last two visits, filming takes in a Brussels restaurant where seafood, not just moules and frites, is being prepared and where one can lust over the chocolates, not all Pralines (CH.10). Swiss winter landscapes (CH.12) and the Einsieden Monastery, an important centre of Catholic pilgrimage, are further diversions from Zurich. The monastery church is largely baroque in form (CH.11). The other interesting church visited is that at Engadine, a Romantsch-speaking district set in mountains and popular with visitors (CH.7). Both religious buildings have interesting frescoes and murals.
 
Each visit throughout this tour is accompanied by Baroque-type arrangements of mainly well-known Christmas music. Those chosen include Good King Wenceslas, The First Nowell, Jingle Bells, Silent Night and We Wish You A merry Christmas. With the arrangements being based on Baroque practice, brass is prominent but not overdone. Once or twice, as with O Tannenbaum (CH.12) the arrangement loses the underlying melody, for me at least.
 
-- Robert J Farr, MusicWeb International

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Picture format: NTSC 4:3
Sound format: PCM Stereo 2.0 / Dolby Digital 5.1 / DTS 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Running time: 54 mins
No. of DVDs: 1

Classical Music

Note: This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players, and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD

Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
NUTCRACKER
(Blu-ray Disc Version)

Uncle Drosselmeyer – Damian Smith
Clara – Elizabeth Powell
The Nutcracker Prince – Davit Karapetyan
King of the Mice – David Arce
Queen of Snow – Yuan-yuan Tan
King of Snow – Pierre-François Vilanoba
Sugar Plum Fairy – Vanessa Zahorian

San Francisco Ballet
San Francisco Ballet Orchestra
Martin West, conductor

Helgi Tomasson, choreographer

Recorded live at the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, California, on 19 and 20 December 2007.

Bonus:
- Illustrated synopsis and cast gallery
- Interviews with Helgi Tomasson, Michael Yeargan and Martin Pakledinaz
- Documentary: 1915 World's Fair

Picture format: 1080i High Definition
Sound format: 2.0 and 5.0 PCM
Region code: 0 (all regions)
Menu languages: English
Subtitles (extras only): German, French, Spanish, Italian
Running time: 133 mins
No. of Discs: 1 (BD 50)

R E V I E W:



TCHAIKOVSKY Nutcracker & • Martin West, cond; Damian Smith ( Drosselmeyer ); Elizabeth Powell ( Clara ); Davit Karapetyan ( Nutcracker ); David Arce ( Mouse King ); Yuan Yuan Tan ( Snow Queen ); Pierre-François Vilanoba ( Snow King ); Vanessa Zahorian ( Sugar Plum Fairy ); Maria Kochetkova ( Grand pas de deux ); San Francisco Ballet O • BBC/OPUS ARTE BD7044D (Blu-ray: 132: 00) Live: San Francisco 12/19–20/2007


& Illustrated synopsis, cast gallery, artist interviews, documentary on 1915 World’s Fair


David L. Kirk gave the DVD release of this production a thorough review in Fanfare 32:5, rightly declaring this to be “a first-class production with brilliant dancing, imaginative special effects, colorful costumes, and attractive scenery,” and numbering it among his three preferred video Nutcrackers . I second that notion.


In order for the San Francisco Ballet to take possession of this ubiquitous classic, choreographer Helgi Tomasson and his superb design team moved the action to San Francisco in 1915, the year the city hosted the World’s Fair. What this means in practical terms is that the women’s costumes in the first act are much slimmer and more dance-worthy than when the ballet is set in its original, earlier period, and that the action in the second act takes place in what seems to be a fairy-infested World’s Fair exhibition hall. As fine as the dancing is (from soloists and corps alike), it’s really the costumes of Martin Pakledinaz (including a Ballets Russes touch in the act II getups) and the scenic design of Michael Yeargan that make this production so vivid.


Now, it must be said that Tomasson’s choreography doesn’t entail much deep psychology (aside from establishing some motifs that really pull the developments in act I together). There’s nothing at all sinister about Drosselmeyer, who here is just an odd toymaker who likes to entertain kids with magic tricks (and serves as Clara’s chaperone through act II). There are no psychosexual shenanigans involving Clara and the Nutcracker, and despite the 1915 setting, the battle with the mice follows the conventions of 18th-century warfare, with nary a sniff of the trench or mustard gas.


Conductor Martin West’s work with the company orchestra is good, although the conducting and playing tend to lose focus in low-key numbers like the Arabian Dance. The best musical contribution to a video Nutcracker I know is Charles Mackerras’s account for the Pacific Northwest Ballet production, with its pointed rhythms and intense yearning. You can obtain the audio alone from Telarc.


The extra features here are truly interesting, not just filler. The audio is PCM only (choice of two or five channels), and the 16:9 picture is derived from a film transfer of multicamera video. There are a couple of sloppy little video edits that probably occurred when the show was being rushed onto PBS a couple of years ago, and should have been corrected before the home-video release, but they’ll slip by most viewers.


This endearing production deserves to be a basic Nutcracker for every household.


FANFARE: James Reel

Classical Music

Christmas in Ainola
Christmas Carols by Jean Sibelius and other Christmas songs

Hynninen, Groop, Tapiola Choir, etc.

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
1. En etsi valtaa loistoa, op. 1 / We Ask For Nothing Rich Or Rare 3:25
2. On hanget korkeat nietokset, op. 1 / The Shining Snows Are Driven High 2:28
3. Jo joutuu ilta, op. 1 Christmas Carol / O'er Hill And Dale 2:06
4. Joulu saapuu portin luo, op. 1 / Now Stands Yule at the Snowy Gate 1:46
5. Tervehtii jo meitä, op.1 / Now is Christmas Coming 2:46
6. Joululaulu (Nyt seimelle pienoisen lapsen) 2:15
7. Andante festivo 4:17

Leevi Madetoja (1887-1947)
8. Arkihuolesi kaikki heitä / Cast Off Thy Everyday Cares 1:49
9. Enkelien joululaulu (Ylistäkää Jumalaa, taivas ja maa) 1:56

Piae Cantiones
10. Ecce novum gaudium 1:53
11. Angelus emittitur 1:59

Luther
12. Enkeli taivaan lausui näin / From Heaven Above 2:42

Trad.
13. Maa on niin kaunis / The Earth is Beautiful 2:21

Piae Cantiones
14. Psallat scholarum concio 1:46
15. Ave maris stella 1:55

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
16-17. Sonatina op.80
16. Andantino (4:28)
17. Lento-Allegretto-Vivace (3:56)

Trad.
18. Kuului laulu enkelten / Angels, from the Realms of Glory 2:14

Otto Kotilainen (1868 - 1936)
19. Kun joulu on / At Christmastide 2:35

Trad.
20. Joulupuu on rakennettu / The Christmas Tree 1:31
21. No onkos tullut kesä / Is It Suddenly Summer? 1:18

Johann Strauss (1804-1849)
22. Radetzky-marssi / Radetzky March 2:42

Tapiola Choir (1)
Jorma Hynninen, baritone (1)
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (1)
Raimo Sirkiä, tenor (2,19)
Jyväskylä Sinfonia (2,19)
Ritva-Liisa Korhonen, soprano (3)
Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra (3)
Chamber Choir Kampin laulu (4,5,9-13,20,21)
Pertti Eerola, organ (4,5,12,13)
Jubilate Choir (6)
Virtuosi di Kuhmo (7)
Monica Groop, mezzosoprano (8)

Turku Castle Chamber Choir (14,15)
Yoshiko Arai, violin (16,17)
Eero Heinonen, piano (16,17)
Marita Viitasalo, piano (22)

Jorma Panula, conductor (1)
Pertti Pekkanen, conductor (2,19)
Kyösti Haatanen, conductor (3)
Timo Lehtovaara, conductor (4,5,9-13,20,21)
Astrid Riska, conductor (6)
Peter Csaba, conductor (7)
Markus Lehtinen, conductor (8)
Heikki Seppänen, conductor
Erkki Pohjola, conductor
[ 56:00 ]

This disc convincingly shows Johann Mattheson's qualities as a composer of sacred music.

This is the third oratorio by Johann Mattheson which I have heard and reviewed in a fairly short space of time. For many years hardly any of his music was available on disc, but these three releases show a remarkable interest in Mattheson, who is best known for his writings on musical subjects.

He was educated as a singer, and also learnt to play the keyboard, the viola da gamba, violin, oboe, flute and lute. His first public appearances as a singer and organist were at the age of nine. The first stage of his career was as a singer in opera: he participated in performances at the Oper am Gänsemarkt. He also composed some operas. This phase lasted until 1705 when he accepted the post of secretary to the English ambassador in Hamburg. In the following years he became known as a translator and as a writer on music. He published several books which are still often referred to as they give much information about performance practice and the aesthetic ideals in Germany in his time.

In 1715 he became cantor at Hamburg Cathedral, a position he held until 1728 when he had to leave his job due to progressive deafness. In this capacity he composed oratorios for festivities like Christmas and Easter. They were mostly split into two parts, performed before and after the sermon. Only recently I reviewed a recording of the Christmas oratorio Das größte Kind. It dates from 1720 and is very different from this Christmas oratorio which is from 1715 and is one of the first pieces he composed for Hamburg Cathedral. Whereas in Das größte Kind not a single line from the Bible is used, the core of this oratorio is the text of Luke 2, 1-18, which is sung in the form of recitatives by the Evangelist. And in this oratorio the allegorical characters that feature in Das größte Kind are absent.

Musically these two works are also very different. The arias, written on a poetic text of a reflective nature, are less virtuosic and less operatic than in the oratorio of 1720. It is also remarkable that it contains several references to the past. The oratorio begins and ends with stanzas from the 16th-century hymn 'Vom Himmel hoch'. Mattheson doesn't use the well-known melody which Martin Luther wrote in 1539, but an older melody from 1535, after a then popular song. It is also quoted in the chorus 'Aus Zion bricht an der schöne Glanz Gottes'. The chorus of the angels, 'Ehre sei Gott', is composed in the stile antico, and the chorus of the shepherds, 'Lasset uns hingehen', is a fugue.

Only a couple of arias have a dacapo; sometimes a whole aria is repeated from beginning to end. One aria uses a biblical text: the angel singing 'Fürchtet euch nicht!' (Fear not!). But in fact it is more a kind of arioso than a real aria. It is followed by a 'real' aria for soprano, here given to the second soprano. In most arias the singer is accompanied by strings and basso continuo. In the bass aria 'Der Väter Wunsch' two horns are added, and the duet 'Sterbliche, besingt mit Freuden' contains a solo part for the violin. In the intimate aria 'Man darf dir einen kleinen Raum versagen' the soprano is supported by flute, viola and bc. This suits the content well, and the second half says: "Come into my heart for your comfort." In the chorales and the chorus 'Aus Zion bricht' Mattheson adds parts for two trumpets, two horns and timpani.

The other work on this disc is a setting of the Magnificat. That is to say: Mattheson keeps only two lines from the original biblical text (in German translation). The other verses are replaced by a poetic paraphrase, divided over recitatives and arias. The Magnificat is written for two choirs, each consisting of soprano, alto, tenor and bass. It begins with a Sinfonia for the whole orchestra which consists of flute, two trumpets, timpani, strings and basso continuo. A duet by the two sopranos follows, who are then joined by the tutti. In the first aria soprano I is supported by solo violin and bc. Next the bass has a recitative in which some elements in the text are singled out through extended coloraturas. He then sings an aria which begins with the text: "His arm scatters and exercises might". Mattheson defies expectation and refrains from using the trumpets here - only strings. The second soprano has a beautiful aria with flute and bc: "I suffer thirst, my soul hungers". After another recitative the piece ends with the other line from the biblical text Mattheson has kept: "As he has spoken to our fathers, to Abraham and his seed forever", written in the stile antico. The piece closes with a repeat of the opening section.

The Mattheson we meet in the Christmas oratorio on this disc is more 'conventional', as it were, than the Mattheson of Das größte Kind. The Magnificat a due cori, on the other hand, is anything but conventional. At least I can't remember having ever heard a Magnificat, in which the biblical text was largely replaced by a free poetic text. Because of the combination of these two compositions this disc deserves the attention of lovers of baroque vocal music. Like the other two recordings I have referred to it shows that Mattheson is more than a theorist and has to be taken seriously as a composer. New Grove lists quite a number of oratorios from his pen, and it is a shame that a considerable part of his oeuvre in this department is lost.

I was not completely happy with the previous two recordings, also directed by Michael Alexander Willens. In both cases there were some weak links in the cast. This disc is the best of the three, with all soloists giving fine accounts of themselves. The part of the Evangelist is given an immaculate performance by Andreas Post. The soprano parts are divided over the two sopranos. I don't know whether this was indicated by the composer, but it was certainly a good idea as the voices of Nicki Kennedy and Anna Crookes are sufficiently different to tell them apart. The other 'second voices' (alto, tenor and bass) are used as ripienists, who only sing in the tutti sections. These are generally well sung, although sometimes a slight vibrato creeps in, especially in the chorale settings which open and end the oratorio. The playing of the orchestra is also good, and the solo and obbligato parts are beautifully executed. I would like to mention especially Catherine Manson who plays the violin solos in both works. The only criticism is that some of the recitatives are slowish and should have been sung with more rhythmic freedom.

The booklet contains programme notes in German, English and French. In the part about the Magnificat we read: "the metre too changes from 4/4 to ? time". According to the French translation the question mark should be replaced by "3/4". The lyrics are also given with an English translation.

-- Johan van Veen, MusicWeb International

Includes work(s) by various composers. Ensembles: Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonic Choir. Conductor: Richard Hayman.

There is no doubt that the best of Alessandro Stradella's output lies in his valuable sacred works. The Christmas cantatas are representative of his typically Roman art and illustrate the story of the Nativity with a certain theatricality, by means of polichorality. We are at the origin of the concerto grosso genre, with a large ensemble in conversation with a concertino of soloists, while delicate, heavenly vocal atmospheres alternate with infernal fury. The recording reveals Stradella as one of the greater geniuses of the seventeenth century, possibly the most versatile in both vocal and instrumental writing. Enrico Gatti The complete Christmas cantatas. Alessandro Stradella was one of the most important Italian composers of the seventeenth century. This recording presents the only two cantatas Stradella composed for Christmas, preceded by the instrumental Sonata di Viole, the earliest entirely instrumental works (i.e., unconnected to a vocal source) for the concertino-concerto grosso ensemble in the history of the genre.

As revered as Vaughan Williams is among choral music fans, it's remarkable that none of his original Christmas pieces has achieved the kind of popularity or concert-ubiquitousness you might expect (on the scale of, say, Darke's In the bleak midwinter, or on a larger scale, Britten's A Ceremony of Carols), especially considering the significant number of Christmas-themed works he wrote and his expertise as a composer for voices. The Fantasia on Christmas Carols might have been such a work, and it's certainly attractive enough, full of wonderful tunes, scored to maximize a festive mood. Perhaps it is that very scoring--for orchestra and requiring a baritone soloist--that prevents more frequent programming; or perhaps it's the style, which is formulaic (especially for the chorus) and, especially in the big, recurring climaxes, seems too heavily orchestrated, losing both the choir and--except for the opening "The truth sent from above"--the essentially simple character of the carols.

That's not to say the Fantasia isn't a good piece or that it doesn't accomplish its purpose--to reflect and celebrate the wonder, mystery, and joyful spirit of Christmas; but its success depends largely on a strong baritone soloist and a first-rate orchestra, as well as achieving good balances among the three performing components. And that's mostly what we have here, save for baritone Stephen Gadd's tendency toward a wide vibrato that obscures pitch, and balances that invariably favor the orchestra in louder sections. The chorus certainly conveys the "joyful spirit" mentioned above, and the orchestra is undeniably "first-rate". However, there are better overall renditions of the Fantasia on disc, namely the Corydon Singers on Hyperion and Cambridge Singers on Collegium, both of which accomplish the festive mood with better sound, more judicious balances, and better soloists.

For many listeners, however, the reason to own this recording is the Hodie, which is virtually non-existent in the catalog (apparently only one other version--the one from King's College on EMI, recorded in 1965--is currently available). This nearly hour-long work follows the essential parts of the Christmas story, using choruses, vocal solos, and a periodic "narration", sung in unison chant by a children's choir accompanied by organ, which lends a "church-y" aspect to this "Christmas Cantata". The choruses represent some of Vaughan Williams' more engaging efforts in the genre, and a few of these--particularly the a cappella The blessed Son of God--are often sung separately as concert pieces.

Several of the solo songs show why Vaughan Williams is justly famed for his skill in the genre--It was the winter cold; The shepherds sing; Bright portals of the sky--and these are expertly sung (respectively) by soprano Janice Watson, baritone Stephen Gadd, and tenor Peter Hoare. Again, the choruses and orchestra are top-notch, and if the orchestration can be more than a little Hollywood-ish at times and the narrations somewhat meandering, overall this is a very satisfying work that truly fills the concert hall with the sense of occasion that the real Christmas story deserves.

--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Suavely performed by the Oxford Camerata, this is a disc to appeal to those who prefer medieval music with a more spiritual and meditative emphasis.

– MusicWeb International