Music for Advent and Christmas

[karlhenning]

Henning, Sweetest Ancient Cradle Song (possibly the best Christmas music you never heard in your life  )

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Another piece that does not seem to have had a mention yet is Britten's A Ceremony of Carols...

Yes, great piece by Britten. Another worthy (and then some) Britten disc is this one:

[Tsaraslondon]

 And then there is always this



though what business a nice Jewish girl has singing Christmas carols I've no idea! It has to be admitted she rather slaughters the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria. I do, however, enjoy her madcap rendering of Jingle Bells.

[knight66]

The Finzi reads like it would be an interesting piece. I don't know how I could have forgotten about the Britten Ceremony of Carols as it is a particular favourite of mine.

Looking at specific carols; I especially love the Peter Cornelius piece, 'The Three Kings', a beautiful melody is sung by a high baritone with the choir softly interjecting. John Elliott Gardiner produced a disc on Phillips called 'Once as I remember' The Monteverdi Choir sing to a variety of accompaniments. The disc moves through the Christmas story using pieces from the 13th to 20th centuries. My favourite on the disc is 'El Rorro', a traditional Mexican carol, the rocking of the cradle is evoked.

Mike

[vandermolen]

Ralph Vaughan Williams - Hodie, The First Nowell, Fantasia on Christmas Carols

Ottorino Respighi - Lauda per la Natività del Signore

Joaquín Rodrigo - Retablo de Navidad

Frank Martin - Le Nativité

Arthur Honegger - Cantate de Noël

Paul Constantinescu - Naşterea Domnului: Oratoriul Bizantin De Crăciun (The Nativity: Byzantine Christmas Oratorio)

Yes, I should have included the Respighi too.

[vandermolen]

I'm not usually an admirer of this composer but I rather liked his Symphony No 2 "Christmas" which I have on LP:

[Dundonnell]

In addition to the various works already mentioned-of which I especially love the RVW, the Hely-Hutchinson, the Honegger, the Frank Martin and the Finzi-a search for the word 'Christmas' in my cd database produced-

William Henry Fry "Santa Claus Christmas Symphony"
Alan Hovhaness Symphony No. 49 "Christmas Symphony"
Rimsky-Korsakov Suite from the Opera "Christmas Eve"
Hilding Rosenberg Christmas Oratorio "The Holy Night"

So maybe I will give some of these a go as well

[Norseman]

This one:



It recreates a christmas mass as it might have been celebrated at the court of Dresden in about 1664 and includes Schütz' Christmas Story, one of the few works I know where the recitatives are among my favorite parts.

[knight66]

This is a more fertile field than I had assumed.

Mike

[vandermolen]

In addition to the various works already mentioned-of which I especially love the RVW, the Hely-Hutchinson, the Honegger, the Frank Martin and the Finzi-a search for the word 'Christmas' in my cd database produced-

William Henry Fry "Santa Claus Christmas Symphony"
Alan Hovhaness Symphony No. 49 "Christmas Symphony"
Rimsky-Korsakov Suite from the Opera "Christmas Eve"
Hilding Rosenberg Christmas Oratorio "The Holy Night"

So maybe I will give some of these a go as well

The Rimsky Suite is a lovely work (ie 'Ballet of the Stars')

[SonicMan46]

Well, an additional 4 CDs of 'holiday seasonal' music, continuing from my first post:

Nowell - mixture of old & new holiday songs played peacefully on the flute, harp, & hammered dulcimer - we've owned this one a long time & not sure if the recording is still in print?

Bright Day Star w/ the Baltimore Consort - variety of old carols & dance tunes for the Yuletide season from the British Isles, Germany, and Appalachia.

Chanticleer - Christmas w/ Dawn Upshaw; an assortment that crosses the centuries.

Home for the Holidays w/ Eaken Piano Trio (violin & cello) - another varied mixtures of songs - 

 

 

[techniquest]

I really like the 'Fantasy on Christmas Carols' by Sir Malcolm Arnold from the 1952 film The Holly and the Ivy.
It encapsulates everything that is Christmas

[Dundonnell]

I really like the 'Fantasy on Christmas Carols' by Sir Malcolm Arnold from the 1952 film The Holly and the Ivy.
It encapsulates everything that is Christmas

I forgot that one!

[Anne]

Anne, Thank you for your family memories. Also, of course, the Ballet scores. I don't tend to think of them, but Hansel and Gretel I often play around this time. Despite being very keen on Berlioz, I have always found the Childhood of Christ to be illusive, I just don't seem to get to grips with it.

Mike

Mike,

I don't know what recording you are using for L'enfance du Christ.  I did not know that work, either, when you mentioned your new project.

I have this set of Berlioz' 8 CD's:  Charles Munch conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Harvard Glee Club, Radcliffe Choral Society, and New England Conservatory Chorus depending on whatever choral group is needed.  Solo singers for L'enfance du Christ are Cesare Valletti, Florence Kopleff, Gerard Souzay, and Giorgio Tozzi.

The work is on 2 CD's.  For filler on second CD Harold en Italie with Wm Primrose playing the solo (so beautiful!) and Le carnaval romain are included.  All the music on these 8 CD's was recorded 1953 - 1959.  These are RCA Victor Gold Seal recordings.  A friend recommended them to me.

I could hardly believe Harold en Italie was so beautiful.  I must have been in a bad mood when I listened to these CD's before.      The title of this set is Munch Conducts Berlioz.  I cannot compare this recording to another as I only know this one but I really like it.

[Christo]

Oh, and of course we shouldn't forget to mention the Father Christmas of all conductors: Gennady Rozhdestvensky (1931) whose very name - Рожде́ственский - means "Christmas" in Russian. 

[knight66]

Ann, I have Clytens with Victoria de los Angeles and Nicola Gedda. I started the piece a couple of days ago, it seems to me to open strangely with Herod's dream. However, I am starting to get to grips with it. I doubt it will hold me the way so much other Berlioz does and did from first hearing.

Mike

[Que]

This has just been issued!


                  jpc          Amazon.de

CD1-3: J. S. Bach: Weihnachtsoratorium BWV 248: Tölzer Knabenchor, Collegium Aureum
CD4: H. Schütz: Weihnachtshistorie: La Petite Bande, Sigiswald Kuijken
CD5: Natus est Jesus - Weihnachtliche Musik des Barock: Schola Cantorum Basilensis
CD6: Ein Kind ist uns geboren: Augsburger Domsingknaben
CD7: Weihnachtskonzerte von Corelli, Tartini, Pez, Manfredini: Collegium Aureum
CD8: Weihnachtskantaten von Alessandro Stradella: La Stagione Frankfurt, Michael Schneider
CD9: Weihnachtsgesänge des XV. Jhds: Pro Cantione Antiqua
CD10: Pastoralmessen von Kempter, Diabelli: Augsburger Domsingknaben

[Christo]

Ralph Vaughan Williams - Hodie, The First Nowell, Fantasia on Christmas Carols

Ottorino Respighi - Lauda per la Natività del Signore

Joaquín Rodrigo - Retablo de Navidad

Frank Martin - Le Nativité

Arthur Honegger - Cantate de Noël

Paul Constantinescu - Naşterea Domnului: Oratoriul Bizantin De Crăciun (The Nativity: Byzantine Christmas Oratorio)

I should add now (in complete agreement with Vandermolen):
Gerald Finzi - In Terra Pax

[Valentino]

Played the Herreweghe disc with BWV 36, 61 & 62 yesterday.  0:)

[Lilas Pastia]

A very fertile ground indeed !

Bach's Christmas Oratorio tops my choices (well, at least the first two cantatas - it tends to lose a bit of steam as it goes. Handel's Messiah is a year-long favourite (Part I only is about the Nativity). VW's Hodie would probably be number three from the 'serious' crop.

I'm contemplating hearing Saint-Saens' Christmas Oratorio. Anybody has it?

Among the more traditional fare, the various Christmas albums by well-loved sopranos are number one. Particularly the Decca LP with various favourites sung by Tebaldi, Sutherland and Price. A particularly winning compilation, as it cleverly allotted old chestnuts based on vocal and intepretive strengths. Has it been issued on CD ?

I'm not too keen on tenor compilations - they wear their welcome rather quickly. A favourite is of course Georges Thill's rendition of the Cantique de Noel  (Adolphe Adam. aka author of the ballet Giselle) - most often referred to as 'Minuit, Chrétiens', or in its english version 'O Holy Night'. He captures the fervour and directness of the song as no other has done since. Listen how forthright and uncloying his singing is compared to the thousands that have followed since. Among the also rans, the Pavarotti album never ceases to find an uncritical ear in this household. It may have bee the first 'crossover' Pavarotti album. His voice was still very fresh at the time.

When I was a child, the favourite - by far - was an lp of traditionals arranged for organ and chimes. It was by John Gart on the Conn electronic organ accompanied by the Yuletiders. I found this extract on Youtube. I have never heard the joy and sauciness of this album recaptured.