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The title and the Christmas-tree design of this release from Germany's Oehms label don't do it justice. It contains German Romantic Christmas music all right, but most of it dates from the later phases of that tradition. Works by Mendelssohn and Brahms are the earliest ones on the program, and there's a good deal of murky chromaticism from the likes of Reger, Rheinberger, and Sigfrid Karg-Elert, who is represented by a massive and quite unusual setting of Vom Himmel Hoch, Op. 82/2. The disc is, in short, not a Christmas-favorites release at all. Far from it; much of the music is unfamiliar, at least outside Germany. But what you do get is distinctive, beautifully performed, and connected to the specific events being celebrated. The sonics are worth celebrating in themselves. The recording was made in St. Rupert's Catholic Church in Munich, home to a splendid organ reconstructed after its original home, the Royal Odeon, was leveled during World War II. The church produces profound reverberations (nine seconds, according to the booklet), and the varied forces -- the organ, the Munich Bach Choir, and musicians from the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra -- are all expertly handled by the engineers. The listener experiences rich flows of sound each with its boundaries clearly marked; even by Oehms' usual standards this is an extraordinary job. The music is divided up into eight sections, each containing two or more pieces devoted to a section of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Within this larger structure, the music moves among organ pieces, chorale settings simple and complicated, and Latin motets. Aside from individual gems like the Karg-Elert work, the collection of pieces fascinates by virtue of its juxtaposition of severe proto-modernist styles with chorales and the whole idea of Christmas music. A novel idea on the part of conductor Hansjörg Albrecht and beautifully executed all around, this earns a strong recommendation for those in search of a serious Christmas disc.
© TiVo
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Christi Geburt, Op. 35, No. 1 (arr. H. Albrecht) (Karl Hoyer)
Karl Hoyer, Composer - Peter Kofler, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
Machet die Tore weit (arr. H. Albrecht) (Bible - Old Testament)
Münchener Bach-Chor, Choir, MainArtist - Albert Becker, Composer - Hansjorg Albrecht, Conductor
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
12 German Sacred Songs (Max Reger)
Max Reger, Composer - Münchener Bach-Chor, Choir, MainArtist - Peter Kofler, Artist - Hansjorg Albrecht, Conductor
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
Maria durch ein Dornwald ging (arr. H. Albrecht) (Günter Raphael)
Münchener Bach-Chor, Choir - Hansjorg Albrecht, Conductor - Gunter Raphael, Composer - Eva Kraupner, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
Spanisches Liederbuch, Geistliche Lieder, No. 3. Nun wandre Maria (Hugo Wolf)
Hugo Wolf, Composer - Michael Volle, Artist, MainArtist - Peter Kofler, Artist
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
12 German Sacred Songs (Max Reger)
Max Reger, Composer - Münchener Bach-Chor, Choir, MainArtist - Peter Kofler, Artist - Hansjorg Albrecht, Conductor
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
11 Chorale Preludes, Op. 122, No. 8. Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (Johannes Brahms)
Johannes Brahms, Composer - Münchener Bach-Chor, Choir, MainArtist - Hansjorg Albrecht, Conductor
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
Organ Sonata in A Minor, Op. 98 (Josef Rheinberger)
Josef Gabriel Rheinberger, Composer - Peter Kofler, Artist - Florian Sonnlietner, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
Hansel und Gretel, Act II, Abends, will ich schlafen gehn, "Evening Prayers", Hansel und Gretel, Act II (Engelbert Humperdinck)
Engelbert Humperdinck, Composer - Peter Kofler, Artist - Ursula Halbritter, Artist - Eva Kraupner, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
Vom Himmel hoch, Op. 82, No. 2 (arr. H. Albrecht) (Sigfrid Karg-Elert)
Sigfrid Karg-Elert, Composer - Münchener Bach-Chor, Choir - Peter Kofler, Artist - Hansjorg Albrecht, Conductor - Florian Sonnlietner, Artist - Eva Kraupner, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
Hort! Die Engel singen (Hark! The Herald Angels Sing) [arr. H. Albrecht] (Felix Mendelssohn)
Felix Mendelssohn, Composer - Münchener Bach-Chor, Choir, MainArtist - Hansjorg Albrecht, Conductor - Munich Brass Ensemble, Ensemble
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
Weihnachtslieder, op. 8 (Peter Cornelius)
Peter Cornelius, Composer - Michael Volle, Artist, MainArtist - Peter Kofler, Artist
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
Wiegenlied der Hirten (Max Bruch)
Max Bruch, Composer - Münchener Bach-Chor, Choir - Hansjorg Albrecht, Conductor - Eva Kraupner, Artist, MainArtist
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
12 German Sacred Songs (Max Reger)
Max Reger, Composer - Münchener Bach-Chor, Choir, MainArtist - Peter Kofler, Artist - Hansjorg Albrecht, Conductor
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
Feierlicher Einzug der Ritter des Johanniter-Ordens, TrV 224 (arr. H. Albrecht) (Richard Strauss)
Richard Strauss, Composer - Stefan Schilli, Artist, MainArtist - Peter Kofler, Artist - Babette Haag, Artist - Hansjorg Albrecht, Conductor - Munich Brass Ensemble, Ensemble
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
Weihnachtslieder, op. 8 (Peter Cornelius)
Peter Cornelius, Composer - Münchener Bach-Chor, Choir - Michael Volle, Artist, MainArtist - Hansjorg Albrecht, Conductor
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
6 Spruche, Op. 79, No. 1. Weinachten (Felix Mendelssohn)
Felix Mendelssohn, Composer - Münchener Bach-Chor, Choir, MainArtist - Hansjorg Albrecht, Conductor
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
Quem pastores laudaveres (arr. H. Albrecht) (Carl Loewe)
Carl Loewe, Composer - Münchener Bach-Chor, Choir, MainArtist - Hansjorg Albrecht, Conductor
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
Stille Nacht (Silent Night) [arr. H. Albrecht] (Franz Xaver Gruber)
Franz Xaver Gruber, Composer - Münchener Bach-Chor, Choir, MainArtist - Hansjorg Albrecht, Conductor
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
O du frohliche (Arr. H. Albrecht) (Karl Hoyer)
Münchener Bach-Chor, Choir, MainArtist - Georg Christoph Biller, Composer - Karl Hoyer, Composer - Max Gulbins, Composer - Peter Kofler, Artist - Babette Haag, Artist - Hansjorg Albrecht, Composer, Conductor - Munich Brass Ensemble, Ensemble
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
Album review
The title and the Christmas-tree design of this release from Germany's Oehms label don't do it justice. It contains German Romantic Christmas music all right, but most of it dates from the later phases of that tradition. Works by Mendelssohn and Brahms are the earliest ones on the program, and there's a good deal of murky chromaticism from the likes of Reger, Rheinberger, and Sigfrid Karg-Elert, who is represented by a massive and quite unusual setting of Vom Himmel Hoch, Op. 82/2. The disc is, in short, not a Christmas-favorites release at all. Far from it; much of the music is unfamiliar, at least outside Germany. But what you do get is distinctive, beautifully performed, and connected to the specific events being celebrated. The sonics are worth celebrating in themselves. The recording was made in St. Rupert's Catholic Church in Munich, home to a splendid organ reconstructed after its original home, the Royal Odeon, was leveled during World War II. The church produces profound reverberations (nine seconds, according to the booklet), and the varied forces -- the organ, the Munich Bach Choir, and musicians from the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra -- are all expertly handled by the engineers. The listener experiences rich flows of sound each with its boundaries clearly marked; even by Oehms' usual standards this is an extraordinary job. The music is divided up into eight sections, each containing two or more pieces devoted to a section of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Within this larger structure, the music moves among organ pieces, chorale settings simple and complicated, and Latin motets. Aside from individual gems like the Karg-Elert work, the collection of pieces fascinates by virtue of its juxtaposition of severe proto-modernist styles with chorales and the whole idea of Christmas music. A novel idea on the part of conductor Hansjörg Albrecht and beautifully executed all around, this earns a strong recommendation for those in search of a serious Christmas disc.
© TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 20 track(s)
- Total length: 01:17:59
- Main artists: Hansjorg Albrecht
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Oehms Classics
- Genre: Classical
(C) 2009 Oehms Classics (P) 2009 Oehms Classics
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