Music for Advent and Christmas

[Florestan]

My Early Music recommendation:

[asin]B00MC659H4[/asin]
In all honesty, I bought this primarily because it was on sale and by the Huelgas Ensemble & Van Nevel.
It turned one if their best recordings that I know! 
The sheer beauty of the mostly unfamiliar repertoire and the integrity and purity of the interpretations makes this an absolute winner.

Wishlisted

My (Italian) Baroque recommendation:

[asin]B00FW7P8QW[/asin]
A recording that has very imaginative programming of early Italian Baroque - a nice change from Vivaldi & friends - by wide range of composers, with gorgeous singing by Amaryllis Dieltiens, niece of Flemish HIP cellist Roel Dieltens. (Her father Koen plays the recorder in the ensemble). SOTA recording and lavish presentation.

A big, large and huge + 1 for this. One of the best recordings of anything ever, both musically and sonicwise.

[aligreto]

Cross post from the Listening Thread


Davies: O Magnum Mysterium [Davies]





Davis says "The whole work is a meditation on the soprano solo heard at the outset - on the wonder and promise of the Nativity". Sonically and texturaly this is an interesting work. The final organ fantasia, played by Simon Preston, is a set of variations on the "O Magnum mysterium" melody and is an intriguing and engaging piece of music in itself; it is somewhat dark, disconcerting and quite atmospheric.

[aligreto]

Cross post from The Non-Classical Music Listening Thread


Christmas music, South American style






We have, included here, versions of Jingle Bells, Deck the Hall and Ding Dong Merrily on High given the requisite Andean treatment.

[pjme]

Tonight:

https://www.youtube.com/v/gWllhx0K-98

https://www.youtube.com/v/HIWPp_utxVo

and something completely, very,very different....Christmas in Cinemascope!

https://www.youtube.com/v/uEMfpVSLC1I

A Christmas sequence was aranged by Christopher Palmer.

Here is the 1995 version conducted by George Fenton:
https://youtu.be/xrDU6hD8hBw

[vandermolen]

Hilding Rosenberg: The Holy Night.
Here is the Prologue with the composer conducting:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rLX85Ca7v-U

[Christo]

[SymphonicAddict]

Besides the other cool suggestions, I want to add these ones:

Honegger - Une cantate de Noël
Penderecki - The most cool (or rather uneven) Christmas symphony: His 2nd!
Respighi - Lauda per la natività del Signore
Barber - Die Natali
Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker (a war horse but one that never gets old)
Glazunov & Noskowski - Their seasons [December] 
Bax - Christmas Eve
Rimsky-Korsakov - Suite of 'Christmas Night'
Vaughan-Williams - Hodie: A Christmas Cantata (though is not as good as Dona nobis pacem)

[pjme]

Time for an old favorite:

https://www.youtube.com/v/GHu12WzFzjo

Great memories:

https://www.youtube.com/v/-BxxdE9GvZc

[aligreto]

Cross post from the Non-Classical Listening Thread


Dylan Thomas: A Child's Christmas in Wales





No, definitely not [overtly] music but still compelling Christmas listening for me due to the musicality of the rendition of these simply wonderful word paintings spoken by Dylan Thomas himself.

[Mandryka]

Paul van Nevel is such an entertainer! It just takes off on the second track, by the Jacob Gallus -- not the first time I've been gobsmacked by his music. He knows how to make a good programme. It's like you're just sent off to one of Huelgas Ensemble's concerts, the sound quality is that good.


I can see now that the lads have got here before me!

[Christo]

Time for an old favorite:

https://www.youtube.com/v/GHu12WzFzjo

Great memories:

https://www.youtube.com/v/-BxxdE9GvZc

Have similar fond memories about the Carol Symphony, didn't know this particular mysterious passage was used to such great effect for The Box of Delights !@

[vandermolen]

VW
[asin]B0040T77QM[/asin]

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

There is no classical music I listen to specifically for Christmas.

There is this:

[Que]

I already got some ideas for next Christmas:

[asin]B01J6T87GY[/asin]
[asin]B009B4RF2M[/asin]
Q

[bmmr]

Hi!

someone know this disc by Frank Martin quoted by pjme ?
"Luna discs combines Golgotha, Le mystère de la nativité and the 2nd pianoconcerto"

[pjme]

Seems to be something of a mystery now. The link doesn't work...and I cannot find any info.
Sorry..
Possibly, you could contact the Frank Martin Association/ Frank Martin House in the Netherlands.

Peter

[Mookalafalas]

Yes, I know, it's too early.
   But, stumbled on this and really like it. "Exquisite" comes to mind. Delicate and non-flamboyant 13 string playing.  If in December you want you are home alone, and it is very quiet, maybe stream this...

[Que]

Yes, I know, it's too early.

I think your timing is excellent - we need time to order! 

Q

[SimonNZ]

found this at the secondhand store today, somehow had never seen it before

[Que]

found this at the secondhand store today, somehow had never seen it before

Never seen it before either! For those interested, here's the current issue:

[asin]B015S12UZS[/asin]
Q