bad music at this time of year

[spaceray]

Every year at this time folks endeavour to embrace seasonal music and most of it is really terrible, an embarrassment, how come when so much great material is available we are assualted with the worst performances.

[Rod]

Originally posted by spaceray:
Every year at this time folks endeavour to embrace seasonal music and most of it is really terrible, an embarrassment, how come when so much great material is available we are assualted with the worst performances.

I was so assaulted only this morning. I heard a rendition of 'for unto us a child is born' from Messiah on Classic FM by the Philadelphia Orchestra and some 'singers'. 'Christmas is not complete without Messiah' said the 'DJ' - well the chorus sounded so sickeningly jolly I was thinking perhaps they got the Mickey Mouse Crew in from Florida to do the job. The way they phrased the words you could just feel their big white teeth being thrust in your face.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited December 14, 2002).]

[spaceray]

Originally posted by Rod:
sickeningly jolly =perpetual jauntyness


I was thinking perhaps they got the Mickey Mouse Crew in from Florida to do the job. The way they phrased the words you could just feel their big white teeth being thrust in your face.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

[Joy]

On my radio station during the last couple of weeks they have been intermittently playing some very fine traditional Christmas songs and some instrumental classical Christmas songs as well. I can't stand the modern stuff with all their 'singing' and trying to belt out the tune with their voices. I do enjoy the traditional, however, including some with chorus too. I heard a rendition of a collection of songs from 'The Nutcracker Suite' yesterday piano only. Very beautiful.

Joy

[spaceray]

Last night I attended a vocal ensembles debut concert,they presented John Taverner's Western Wynde Mass.Gloriously beautiful singing.There was Orlando Gibbons,Jean Mouton
and Erasmus Widmann for afters,a wonderful evening!

[Rod]

Originally posted by spaceray:
Last night I attended a vocal ensembles debut concert,they presented John Taverner's Western Wynde Mass.Gloriously beautiful singing.There was Orlando Gibbons,Jean Mouton
and Erasmus Widmann for afters,a wonderful evening!

The nearest thing from Beethoven to a 'Christmassy feeling' piece for me is the Mass in C - it has a certain intimacy and positiveness that goes down well when I've got my log fire going and stockings hanging in my quaint log cabin surrounded by snow. Gardiner's effort on Archiv is the best rendition available at the moment imho.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Chris]

For music of the season, I generally leave the Classical realm and turn to Andy Williams. I have some great memories of listening to those records when I was 6, 7, etc.

[Joy]

Originally posted by Chris:
For music of the season, I generally leave the Classical realm and turn to Andy Williams. I have some great memories of listening to those records when I was 6, 7, etc.

Me too, Chris. I remember listening to his show in the 60's. Here, in Phoenix, last week they put together a montage of his Christmas shows for the PBS pledge drive. Very good to see that again. Put you in the spirit. I saw his Christmas Show live a few years back. He was excellent. One of my favourite singers. Beautiful angelic voice.

Joy

[This message has been edited by Joy (edited December 15, 2002).]

[spaceray]

My favorite Christmas carol "There Is No Rose Of Such Virtue As Is The Rose That Bare Jesu "is sung in its original English version by The Tallis Scholars,it is not Christmas to me with out this.

[Peter]

No Carol is more beautiful than Silent Night (stille nacht), sung in German in the original version, not the over-sentimental versions that are usually performed.

Words written by Fr. Joseph Mohr in Mariapfarr, Austria - 1816
Melody added by Franz X. Gruber in Arnsdorf, Austria - 1818
First performance in Oberndorf, Austria - 1818


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'Man know thyself'

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by Rod:
The nearest thing from Beethoven to a 'Christmassy feeling' piece for me is the Mass in C - it has a certain intimacy and positiveness that goes down well when I've got my log fire going and stockings hanging in my quaint log cabin surrounded by snow. Gardiner's effort on Archiv is the best rendition available at the moment imho.

I am going to have to agree with you all the way on this one! I hadn't even thought of that until you mentioned it. So, I will have to put that on, as well and listen to it again. Thanks for the suggestion. (And I am in total agreement on the performance, as well!)

[Joy]

I wonder if Beethoven had a favourite Christmas Carol? As for that matter, I wonder if Beethoven celebrated or enjoyed Christmas??

Joy

[Joy]

Originally posted by Peter:
No Carol is more beautiful than Silent Night (stille nacht), sung in German in the original version, not the over-sentimental versions that are usually performed.

Words written by Fr. Joseph Mohr in Mariapfarr, Austria - 1816
Melody added by Franz X. Gruber in Arnsdorf, Austria - 1818
First performance in Oberndorf, Austria - 1818

It's certainly at the top of my list and I have to add 'O Holy Night' as well.

Joy

[Chaszz]

Perhaps this belongs on the Handel vs. Bach thread, but this thread is devoted to Christmas music, so I'll put it here. A college radio station in New York City celebrates Christmas each year with a full week, 24/7, of the music of Bach. It can be picked up on the internet at www.wkcr.com. All times are EST. Following is a press release on this year's schedule for any who may be interested. I may report my own experience that listening to this festival several hours a day puts one in a transcendent mood by week's end.

"The WKCR Classical Department is proud to continue one of the most beloved traditions in New York City Classical radio -- the annual Bach Festival. This year's festival will run from 9:30AM on Friday December 20th, through 8:45PM on Friday December 27th -- 179 uniterrupted hours of Bach's music.

In planning this year's festival, our focus has been on keeping our schedule straightforward, making it easier for you, our listeners, to find the Bach pieces you most want to hear. To that end, each day of this year's festival will have a similar schedule.

6AM -- Cantatas, Chorales, Chorale Preludes, Motets
12PM -- Large-Scale Works
3PM -- Solo and Chamber Music
6PM -- Bach by the Numbers
10PM -- Cantata Requests
12AM -- Great Recordings from the Past

Each morning, starting 6 AM, we will focus on the cantatas, chorales, chorale preludes, and motets. At 12 PM each afternoon, we will present one or two of Bach's large scale works. The schedule for those is as follows:

December 20th -- Magnificat and Orchestral Suites
December 21st -- B-Minor Mass
December 22nd -- Easter Oratorio and Ascension Oratorio
December 23rd -- St. John Passion
December 24th -- St. Matthew Passion
December 25th -- Christmas Oratorio
December 26th -- Keyboard Concerti and Violin Concerti

Each day, these large works will be followed by solo instrumental and chamber music, such as the Art of the Fugue, or the Goldberg Variations. At 6 PM each evening, we present a new segment, entitled "Bach by the Numbers," the inspiration for which comes from Bach's decision to present many of his works as a collection of six pieces. There are, for example, six Brandenberg Concerti, six Cello Suites, six Keyboard Partitas, etc. Rather than playing each of these collections as a whole, we will split them up. So at 6 PM on the first day of the festival, we will play the first Brandenburg Concerto, the first Cello Suite, the first Keyboard Partita, etc. On the second day at 6 PM, we'll play the second Brandenberg Concerto, the second Cello Suite, etc. On the third day, it's the third Brandenberg, etc., and so on for six days. Starting at midnight each night, we will present older recordings of the greatest Bach pieces, presented by great Bach performers of the past. Tune in to hear Otto Klemperer and Wilhelm Furtwangler conduct the St. Matthew Passion, Pablo Casals and Pierre Fournier play the Cello Suites, Wanda Landowska play the Well-Tempered Clavier...

There are a handful of exceptions to this general schedule. Our festival opens with Bach's wonderful Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin. The final day of our festival will be dedicated largely to the artistry of Glenn Gould, continuing the recent tradition of placing a festival within a festival.

We are also happy to welcome back our guests from years past. George Stauffer will be coming in with historical and musicological insights. Johnny Reinhardt will present more of his research on tuning systems in Bach's day and their mircotonal implications. Phil Schaap will come in to discuss how Bach's music influenced jazz."

[Chaszz]

Excuse me, once again I have to correct myself, its www.wkcr.org, not .com!!