Music for Advent and Christmas

[aligreto]

JS Bach: Christmas Oratorio Part 2....

[aligreto]

JS Bach: Cantata BWV 64 [for the Third Day of Christmas]....

[aligreto]

JS Bach: Christmas Oratorio Part 3....

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JS Bach: Cantata BWV 28 for the Sunday after Christmas....

[Karl Henning]

Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, and this is the Carol for the Feast, albeit modestly sung.

[Florestan]

Some of the most joyous music I've ever heard. Heartily recommended.

[Que]

Some of the most joyous music I've ever heard. Heartily recommended.

That would be nicely complementary to this recommendation by new erato:

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Is it an historically informed performance as well? 

Q

[Jo498]

I think the Güttler recordings are on modern instruments but his more recent recordings tend to be considerably more "historically informed" than the stuff from the 1980s. (I do not know the Homilius recording.)

[Que]

Bump...

Any recordings with Christmas music on your shopping list this year? 

Q

[aligreto]

If I buy nothing else I will have this one for Christmas 

[Que]

This has my Christmas shopping so far:



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Q

[Que]

I'm looking for recommendations of recordings of traditional English Christmas Carols, preferably by a realy good Early Music-Baroque choir.

Since Amazon is practically swamped with Christmas Carols recordings, I find it vrry hard to find the extra-special ones...

Any suggestions?   Better get that order in, before it's too late!

Q

[HIPster]

I'm looking for recommendations of recordings of traditional English Christmas Carols, preferably by a realy good Early Music-Baroque choir.

Since Amazon is practically swamped with Christmas Carols recordings, I find it vrry hard to find the extra-special ones...

Any suggestions?   Better get that order in, before it's too late!

Q

Hi Que!

This recording by the Quadriga Consort might be what you are looking for ~
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Originally on the Carpe Diem label, it appears to now be licensed to DHM.  Note that the version linked here is pressed on a CD-R.   

How's the music?  It's good in an interesting way.  I listened to it a few times last year during the season and I confess that it never really won me over.  I do plan on giving it another few spins in the coming weeks; I'll report back here when I do. 

Totally not what you asked for, though I am compelled to mention it, is this recording by Apollo's Fire ~

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I very much enjoyed playing this one last year! 

Just starting to pull out the Advent/Christmas recordings now, so your posting is timely. 

Best of the season to you!

[Que]

HIPster, thanks so much for your recommendations! 

I've already came accross the Quadriga Consort, I'll look into it.

Also thanks for your other recommendation, I noticed there are actually quite a few Christmas recordings with a different, interesting musical angle.

Q

[HIPster]

A recent purchase and new favorite ~

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Essential Baroque Christmas music (I'll be listening to this throughout the year, it's that good). 

Thanks for introducing me to the Aeolus label, Que. 

[Que]

A recent purchase and new favorite ~

[asin]B00FW7P8QW[/asin]

Essential Baroque Christmas music (I'll be listening to this throughout the year, it's that good). 

Thanks for introducing me to the Aeolus label, Que. 

Looking goooood! 

Q

[Mandryka]

A discussion with Don Satz elsewhere sent me off today listening to the Bach Christmassy organ prelude BWV 722, based on a hymn by Luther. The thing that impressed me was the way it's riddled with whopping great dissonances, you hear it really clearly in Marie-Claire Alain's final recording, presumably because of the way the organ's  tuned. And that made me remember reading years ago a sermon by Luther where he talks about how, when a Christian thinks of the nativity, he can't help but be reminded of the passion as well.

Buxtehude wrote a prelude on the same hymn, BuxWV 189 - that was the context of the discussion. Walter Kraft does an exceptional job on it.  Comparison with the Bach shows a much simpler approach to the harmonies, and the result is more univocally celebratory.

Bach knew his Luther better than Bux, or Bach's music is more exegetical.

[Florestan]

(Cross post from WAYLT thread)



This choir sounds at times like Marcel Peres´. Strange but effective.



Besides the warhorses of Corelli, Torelli and Giuseppe Sammartini this includes some splendid suites of instrumental carols by de Lalande, Pez and Charpentier. Glorious music, sound and performance. Highly recommended.

[aligreto]

Twenty Polish Christmas Carols

[Wakefield]

Bach: Christmas Oratorio
Christiane Oelze, soprano; Monica Groop, alto; Howard Crook, tenor; Gunnar Lundberg, bass
Eric Ericson Chamber Choir
Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble ("with original instruments")
Eric Ericson
Live recording, 3-5, December, 1993 (applause just at the end, dear Sonic)


http://amzn.to/2h3HR4h

Unexpectedly stupendous... Exquisitely well balanced and recorded. Excellent singers and musicians.

Top recording, IMHO.