Music for Advent and Christmas

[Wakefield]

Not strictly music for Christmas; more of a tradition - Handel's Messiah. This Christmas I opted for the Christie version....

Did you see that new version (released three or four weeks ago) conducted by Peter Dijkstra? It looks very enticing... Dijkstra never disappoints.

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[aligreto]

Did you see that new version (released three or four weeks ago) conducted by Peter Dijkstra? It looks very enticing... Dijkstra never disappoints.

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No I did not. Thank you for that 

[pjme]

Still a real favourite for this time of the year.

And this one, made by the Dutch Bach Society!



P.

[pjme]

An unfinished work in a less than perfect performance and recording (propably the world première perf. in Luzern).
But Frank Martin's music never fails to move me.


From the Musiques Suisses website:

Cantate pour le temps de Noël - Trois Chants de Noël
Tracks
Cantate pour le temps de Noël (1929/30); Trois Chants de Noël (1947)


When Frank Martin decided to write this Cantata, he had only just discovered the Byzantine mosaics in Ravenna, and was deeply struck by them: 'It was like a revelation to me, a deeply moving experience'. The relationship of this work to this genre of art is obvious: there are principals (soli) who are conceived statically, above a sparkling, colourful background (the orchestra). Even the influence of Gregorian chant is perceptible; the composer undoubtedly wanted to convey something of a 'historicising' atmosphere. The world première of the work took place on 4 December 1994 in the Jesuit Church of Lucerne, under the direction of Alois Koch. Frank Martin composed his 'Trois chants de Noël' ('Three songs of Christmas') in the autumn of 1947, as a Christmas present for his daughter Françoise (aged 15), who had a pretty soprano voice, and for his wife Maria Martin who played the flute.



Artists
Simone Stock, Sopran, Karola Hausburg, Alt, Severin Lohri, Knabensolist der Luzerner Kantorei, Atrium-Ensemble Berlin, Mozart-Ensemble Luzern, Luzerner Kantorei-Knabenchor, Festival Strings Lucerne, Brigitte Gasser, Brian Franklin: Gamben, Hans Adolfsen, Cembalo, Mutsumi Ueno, Orgel, Klaus Durrer, Flöte, Alois Koch, Leitung.

CD order number
MGB 6259

[Mookalafalas]

this is a really nice recent edition

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[JCBuckley]

Still a real favourite for this time of the year.

Same here -  I play the Praetorius Mass every Christmas morning, before the family comes down for breakfast.

[Florestan]

This is a major discovery for me.





I played it the last three nights in a row, on a second repeat every time. One of the most splendid, excellent and superb Christmas music and musicmaking ever recorded. I can´t praise and recommend it highly enough.

[aligreto]

This is a major discovery for me.





I played it the last three nights in a row, on a second repeat every time. One of the most splendid, excellent and superb Christmas music and musicmaking ever recorded. I can´t praise and recommend it highly enough.

High praise indeed! I notice that it is on Supraphon; such a superb label for producing wonderful, out of the way music.

[aligreto]

Vol. 2 of Charpentier's Noels and Christmas Motets....





....beautiful music!

[SimonNZ]

[aligreto]

Tavener: God is With us: Christmas Proclamation....

[North Star]

Sibelius - Symphony no. 3

After learning yesterday how [Sibelius's Symphony no. 3] was based on material from the plans for an oratorio Marjatta based on the last book of Kalevala, an allegory for the Christianisation of Finland. (Marjatta is impregnated by a lingonberry she eats, Väinämöinen condemns the son born out of wedlock to death, but the child speaks and chastises Väinämöinen. After the child is crowned King of Karelia, Väinämöinen leaves and bequeaths his songs and kantele to the people). The program (advent - nativity - death - resurrection) can still be seen in the work. Sibelius also quotes his own hymn Soi kiitokseski Luojan (In praise of our Creator) in the third movement.

[SimonNZ]

[aligreto]

Charpentier: Antiennes "O" de l'Avent....

[aligreto]

JS Bach: Chorales for Advent & Christmas[BWV 696-704/710/713] from the Kirnberger Collection, played by Peter Hurford....

[aligreto]

This evening....

[aligreto]

Corelli: Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 8 [Christmas Concerto]....

[aligreto]

Poulenc: Quatre Motets pour un temps de Noel....

[Richard]

Some of my Christmas favourites. A couple have been mentioned before. Where that is the case let the repetition serve as an enthusiastic vote of affirmation:

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Saint-Saëns was mentioned, but without comment about the particular recording. This one is stellar:

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[Richard]

And a few in a lighter mood:

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