For a few words about my
reviewing process and preferences, please see the introduction to
Classical Reviews # 36.
Admittedly, the prospect of auditioning close to 30 holiday discs in the
weeks following the electoral steal did not immediately thrill me. Thankfully,
I soon discovered that the spirit of unconditional love that is the true
essence of Christmas has again inspired an entire hosiery department's worth
of noteworthy stocking-stuffers. Here are the best of the lot.
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JOHN BAYLESS: CHRISTMAS RHAPSODY
KOCH CD-9610
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Pianist John Bayless has assembled a huge discography of piano arrangements
of everything from Puccini to the Beatles. At last turning his attention to
Christmas, he provides colorful, virtually symphonic treatments of
everyone's best-loved Christmas melodies. Thanks to impeccable taste,
positive spirits and infectious wit, Bayless' inventive renditions combine
uncommon beauty with heartfelt love for the season. A total winner.
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BETH ANDERSON: SWALES AND ANGELS
NEW WORLD RECORDS 80610-2
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How New York composer Anderson, ensconced across from the Brooklyn
Museum, manages to capture the hometown, country air of the Kentucky swales
(a meadow or marsh in which a lot of plants grow together) of her youth
underscores the inexplicable miracle of composing genius. March Swale could
easily be a holiday tune, its gentle, comforting nature beautifully conveyed
by Belgium's Rubio String Quartet. Contemporary music specialist Joseph
Kubera and the Quartet play Anderson's Piano Concerto, with others joining
in to perform repertoire heard on her much lauded all-Anderson Weill Recital
Hall concert. Anderson's simple, unpretentious music, timeless in its warmth
and decidedly understated modernity, is as perfectly suited for Christmas as
for the first buds of spring or the colorful burst of a fall landscape.
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CHOIR OF KING'S COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE:
BEST LOVED CHRISTMAS CAROLS EMI CLASSICS 7243 5 86121 2 7
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You can't get much closer to the greatness of English choral singing that
the 550+ year old choir of King's College, Cambridge. Since 1928, the choir
has been broadcasting its annual Christmas Eve Festival of Nine Lessons and
Carols on the BBC. Here, on two CDs, you'll find standout renditions of
virtually every traditional carol you can name. The CD transfers (especially
on the second disc) fail to capture the beauty of the original analog
recordings (1964-1979), but it won't matter a bit if you play this disc in
the background as you gather round the proverbial or metaphoric fire. For a
fine sense of what the choir's boys can do under director Stephen Cleobury,
turn to their new, beautifully recorded Heavenly Voices' program of sacred
(if not necessarily Christmas) music by Franck, Mendelssohn, Verdi, Fauré,
Schubert, Ireland and the like.
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A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FROM POLYPHONY
HYPERION NOEL2
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Assembled from many of their eleven beautifully-recorded CDs, Stephen
Layton's Gramophone Award-winning choir delivers virtually symphonic,
perfectly balanced a cappella renditions of mostly contemporary fare. Arvo
Pärt's “Magnificat” is as gorgeous as the sound of the sopranos throughout.
The two pieces by John Rutter receive wonderful support from the City of
London Sinfonia. Layton's skill in bringing out key voices is second to
none. This must-hear disc includes a heavenly preview of the group's
forthcoming disc of Morten Lauridsen's Lux aeterna.
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CHRISTMAS REGROOVED KOCH
KOC-CD-9606
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What a kick! The subtitle, “Holiday classics re-imagined, re-mixed and
re-grooved by some of the most influential artists of the electronic music
world” hardly prepares you for the fun of Christmas Regrooved. It's bright,
alright, with the highs on some tracks literally jumping out with fun as
these sometimes hilarious remixes convert Santa's chimney into a
post-psychedelic disco dance palace equipped with every strobe light,
hip-hop, platter-spinning effect imaginable. Joseph Jaime, EROS, Jay Atwood,
Domingues & Ives, and Mystic Quintet are among the 9 artists who together
contribute 14 fabulous tracks. You will love this disc.
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CHRISTMAS WITH LEONTYNE PRICE •
DECCA 475 6152 JOAN SUTHERLAND • JOY TO THE WORLD • DECCA 475 6153
RENATA TEBALDI • CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL • DECCA 475 6154SCHWARZKOPF
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No lover of vocal music can afford to be without these fabled recitals
from three of the greatest operatic sopranos of the last fifty years. In
chronological order, which also happens to be the order of importance, the
great soprano Leontyne Price joined forces with Herbert von Karajan and the
silky Vienna Philharmonic in 1961, when she was approaching her absolute
prime. Their fabled Christmas recording for RCA Living Stereo mixes such
Christmas classics as “Silent Night” with works by Bach, Schubert and
Mozart. The O Holy Night is tremendous, the unaccompanied “Sweet li'l Jesus”
(no pun intended) priceless. Price pours out such a radiant stream of
sensual highs that one can only dream of curling up in her throat and
purring sweet nothings into eternity.
Coloratura Sutherland, accompanied in her prime year of 1965 by the New
Philharmonia Orchestra and husband Richard Bonynge, dazzles beyond belief.
Everything is pitched in high keys to show off Joanie's brilliant upper
range, with more than a few trills, variations and cadenzas thrown in for
good measure. While some selections suffer from Sutherland's lamentably
mealy-mouthed pronunciation, La Stupenda lightens for the homey simplicity
of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” clearly enunciating as she enjoys Douglas
Gamley's arrangement to bits. Judging from the energy she puts out, Dame
Joan must have loved recording this tremendous album.
Lyrico-spinto Tebaldi, ably supported by the New Philharmonia and Douglas
Gamley's arrangements, summons, summons the considerable beauty still with
her in 1971 to deliver a heart-warming program. Even where she can no longer
lighten and float tones higher in the range, her intention and love for the
music by Bach, Brahms, Franck, Gounod, Schubert and others make for great
singing. Compare Tebaldi's “Silent Night” to Price's and Sutherland's, and
you've got three object lessons in how to coax greatness out of a simple
melody without resorting to syrupy sentiment.
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D.C. ANDERSON: ALL IS CALM, ALL IS
BRIGHT LML MUSIC LML CD-136
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New York cabaret performer and actor D.C. Anderson produced the 2-CD holiday
benefit recording, Cabaret Noel: A Broadway Cares Christmas. Blessed with one
of the sweeter voices on the planet, his gentle and innocent treatments of
songs by Stephen Sondheim, Fred Ebb, and a host of others (including himself)
ingratiate despite tendencies toward syrupy sentiment. Especially noteworthy
are the three-voiced multi-track on “Infant Holy,” the whistling duet on the
short “Up on a Mayberry Housetop” medley, and the relief provided by humorous
numbers.
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SEAN LOMAX: WHISTLING THIS CHRISTMAS
CD0010
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Two-time Grand Champion whistler Sean Lomax (www.whistleon.com) teams up with
pianist Joel Singer for the rare whistling disc of 16 Christmas favorites.
Lomax's pop/jazz style is at its most expressive when he begins to let loose
and improvise in the faster numbers. There, his little jazz riffs, occasional
bird chirps, surprise trills and fine intonation are hard to resist. While one
may wish for a simple legato line and more classical phrasing on the slower
selections, Lomax's innate musicality and whistling mastery are beyond
question.
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TINGSTAD & RUMBEL: PEACE ON EARTH NARADA 70876-18914-2-3
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This lovely “Best of Christmas” album features the mellow musicianship of Eric Tingstad (guitars, synthesizer) and Nancy Rumbel (oboe, English horn,
ocarinas, synthesizer, chimes, piano), plus three visits from keyboardist
David Lanz. Two tracks are new, the rest taken from previous holiday albums.
The original arrangements are simple, sweet, and relaxing in that classic Easy
Listening cum New Age way. Your mind may not be taxed nor your spirit
elevated, but your heart will be warmed.
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HANS CHRISTIAN: LIGHT & SPRIRIT NEW EARTH NE 2416-2
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This well-known new age artist offers unique instrumental arrangements of
sacred Renaissance vocal music by Obrecht, Costeley, Morley, Bateson, Byrd,
Hassler, Ford, and Jones. The main instrumentation is duo modern celli, with
the nyckelharpa added to provide a bright mix that the recording studio has
lamentably rendered overly bright. An Indian sarangi, hand percussion and
harmonium occasionally join in for variety, but the digital edginess
diminishes pleasure.
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BILL PERRY: A CHRISTMAS CAROL EROICA JDT 3197
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This solo guitar debut CD from New Hampshire native Bill Perry represents his
return to music making after a 20-year hiatus. Alternating his own
arrangements of “White Christmas,” “Joy to the World,” and four other
favorites with five original compositions, Perry's closely recorded work
unites jazz, folk, and classical elements in a sonorous, easy to enjoy mix.
Lovely music to kick back with, regardless of the season.
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STEVE GLOTZER: ACOUSTIC CHRISTMAS
SSR357
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Guitarist Steve Glotzer's twenty-five year history in the music profession has
included sharing the stage with many name artists and providing music for the
MGM movie A Guy Thing, NBC's Ed, The District, and Passions; Fox's King of the
Hill; Martha Stewart Living, and The Weather Channel. With selective addition
of bass, percussion, drums, dobro, tambourine and bells, Glotzer's overly
bright proceedings are lively, good-natured and mostly upbeat, if not exactly
inspired.
Continue to Part II