Favourite Christmas recordings
Tue, Nov 23 2010, 8:15PM
It looks like we’ve got the green light to talk about Christmas, NOEL in psychedelic script on the front page of December’s issue and a pic of St. John’s College choir on this home page.
Not being able to get enough of Christmas music, from Tudor works to Lutoslawski to Bing – anything short of the Chipmunks - I’m interested in forum members’ picks of their favourite Christmas recordings. To start the ball rolling, mine would be:
Britten’s Ceremony of Carols. The St. Johns/Guest recording and preferably the lp, which had traditional versions of the carols used by Britten on the flip side.
The 20th Century Christmas Collection by the Sixteen. A beautifully-balanced cd. Sandwiched in the middle of 40 minutes of rich fruitcake there’s 35 minutes of neat scotch by Maxwell Davies to clean-off the palate.
The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, Cleobury and King’s College. I have the 1998 recording but see no reason why the 2008 version shouldn’t be just as good. Nothing brings a lump to my throat faster than reading M.R. James’ description of the start of the festival, and hearing that solo treble voice begin ‘Once in Royal David’s City’.
On Christmas Day. New Carols from Kings. King’s and Cleobury. They’re not all winners, but there are some gems.
And playing softly in the background while we’re enjoying a late Christmas dinner: Philip Brunelle’s Serenade for a Christmas Night.
Wed, Nov 24 2010, 2:51PM
#2
RE: Favourite Christmas recordings
Silent Night, by the Hague string quartet, awesome arrangement!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHJJY_2D2TA
Rolf
Thu, Nov 25 2010, 2:24PM
#3
RE: Favourite Christmas recordings
Tradion in our house after turning on the Chritsmas lights :
Christmas with Leontyne Price.
Fri, Dec 3 2010, 11:10AM
#4
RE: Favourite Christmas recordings
"Christmas with Leontyne Price" is like Mince Pies and Mulled Wine for me - a warm balm that really makes me feel like Christmas is here. She sounds glorious on this and Von Karajan hones his lush sounds to a tee on this.
Try also "A Carniegie Hall Christmas" with Kathleen Battle, Frederica Von Stade, Wynton Marsalis and Andrew Preview (sorry Andre Previn). It's one of those live recordings that really make you wish you were there.
I also love Pavarotti's "O Holy Night" but word to the wise I'd avoid Renata Tebaldi's A Christmas Festival - she doesn't quite get the style I'm afraid.
Does this mean it's not too early to start listening to them - lovely!
Fri, Dec 3 2010, 11:23AM
#5
RE: Favourite Christmas recordings
In anticipation of the great man's 90th birthday next week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Y7fpEfmC4
Fri, Dec 3 2010, 5:13PM
#6
RE: Favourite Christmas recordings
As much as I like Brubeck - caught THE great Brubeck band (Morello, Wright, Desmond) live at Liverpool Uni 40 years ago - I struggle to enjoy jazzed-up Christmas music. My loss, I'm sure.
My wife sneaks Pavarotti's O Holy Night onto the turntable every time I'm not looking, from here to Jan 1.
Fri, Dec 3 2010, 5:32PM
#7
RE: Favourite Christmas recordings
I love Xmas music in all shapes and guises.
Started this week and two pieces really grabbed my attention:
1. Honegger's 'Une Cantate de Noel' (very severe in its first part but then melting into a wonderful weaving together of French an German Xmas songs).
2. Finzi's 'In Terra Pax' - was listening a while back to the version on the recent Naxos disc of the same name. You can see the Celestial Host in front of your eyes.
Messiah, the Christmas Oratorio and lots more will get played in the next few weeks. Alongside Ella swinging Xmas and Coope, Boyes and Simpson finger-in-the-earing it.
And for an alternative try Miles Davis' 'Blue Xmas' from the early 60s, a more cynical take than usual; or a wonderful double CD on Document records called 'Blues, Blues Christmas' that collects some marvellous blues and r'n b Xmas songs (and sermons!) from between 1925-55. Guaranteed to perk up Granny after Xmas dinner.
Fri, Dec 3 2010, 11:17PM
#8
RE: Favourite Christmas recordings
I too love Leontyne Price's and Karajan's Xmas disc which I find utterly delectable. This is one of the half or so dozen recordings she made which capture her voice at its freshest before the timbre became somewhat darker and less translucent. Other Christmas discs I favour are Kathleen Battle's recording from St Luke's. She sounds (appropriately for the season) angelic throughout. Jessye Norman's Christmastide CD is also very fine, though some of the arrangements are not fot the fainthearted.
Sat, Dec 4 2010, 3:01PM
#9
RE: Favourite Christmas recordings
Now here is something special,
a "Christmas quintet" for flute and sting quartet, composed in 1915
by Dutch composer Jan Brandts Buys (1868-1933)
One movement of this quintet was issued on a BBC mag Cd, about 20 years ago,
don't know if the complete quintet was ever released on CD.
In the video there is additional info
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-mkTPx0C9k (part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZLQEI2ypTY (part 2 & 3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lhYTo8_TMs (Part 4)
Enjoy! Curious what you think of the music...
Rolf.
Sat, Dec 4 2010, 5:44PM
#10
RE: Favourite Christmas recordings
The only Christmas music that doesn´t make my stomach turn is Hey America by James Brown, Last Christmas by Wham, and Fairytale of New York by the Pogues with Kirsty McCall, the rest I just find horribly twee and tacky and sends me desperatlety seeking a good bottle of port. If you have ever had to work in a supermarket over Christmas, listening to the same CD repeated for 12 hours everyday for a month, I´m sure you´ll understanbd where I´m coming from. This Christmas I shall be listening to a glorious silence.
Sat, Dec 4 2010, 8:37PM
#11
RE: Favourite Christmas recordings
The only Christmas music that doesn´t make my stomach turn is Hey America by James Brown, Last Christmas by Wham, and Fairytale of New York by the Pogues with Kirsty McCall, the rest I just find horribly twee and tacky and sends me desperatlety seeking a good bottle of port. If you have ever had to work in a supermarket over Christmas, listening to the same CD repeated for 12 hours everyday for a month, I´m sure you´ll understanbd where I´m coming from. This Christmas I shall be listening to a glorious silence.
Bah, humbug! Well we can't agree on everything and like Scrooge's nephew I'm still going to insist you have a Merry Christmas dubrob!
Sat, Dec 4 2010, 11:18PM
#12
RE: Favourite Christmas recordings
Thanks Tagalie; I won´t be grunpy at all and I wish a Merry Christmas to one and all, I guess one man´s minse pie is another´s brussel sprout. I happen to love both.
Sun, Dec 5 2010, 2:07PM
#13
RE: Favourite Christmas recordings
Do try Jakub Jan Ryba - Czech Christmas Mass, Magdalena Kozena, Capella Regia Musicalis, Robert Hugo.
On DG Archiv 477 8365 7
This is an absolute delight.
Sun, Dec 5 2010, 2:08PM
#14
RE: Favourite Christmas recordings
Do try Jakub Jan Ryba - Czech Christmas Mass, Magdalena Kozena, Capella Regia Musicalis, Robert Hugo.
On DG Archiv 477 8365 7
Do try Jakub Jan Ryba - Czech Christmas Mass, Magdalena Kozena, Capella Regia Musicalis, Robert Hugo.
On DG Archiv 477 8365 7
This is an absolute delight.
Sat, Dec 11 2010, 2:18PM
#15
RE: Favourite Christmas recordings
Messiaen of course!
La Nativite du seigneur - Jennifer Bate on Regis.It is a long work in nine movements and lasts about an hour, but try just one or two movements from it to set the mood. The whole thing is good for a Christmas meditation!
The McCreesh DG Praetorius Christmas Mass
Peter Holman's While Shepherds watched
Seasonal greetings
P