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Related Items:
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Related Items:

• A Festival Of Carols / Robert Shaw Chorale
• The Baroque Christmas Album
• Bach: Christmas Music
• Joy to the World
• The Christmas Song
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Disc 1:

1. No. 2 March - Berlin Symphony Orchestra
2. No. 4 Dance Scene - Berlin Symphony Orchestra
3. No. 5 Scene and the Grandfather Dance - Berlin Symphony Orchestra
4. No. 6 Scene - Berlin Symphony Orchestra
5. No. 7 Scene - Berlin Symphony Orchestra
6. No. 8 Scene - Berlin Symphony Orchestra
7. No. 12 Divertissement: Chocolate (Spanish Dance)/Coffee (Arabian Dance) - Berlin Symphony Orchestra
8. No. 13 Waltz of the Flowers - Berlin Symphony Orchestra
9. No. 14 Pas de Deux - Berlin Symphony Orchestra
10. No. 15 Closing Waltz and Grand Finale - Berlin Symphony Orchestra

Disc 2:

1. Vom Himmel Hoch (Christmas Cantata): Coro - Vom Himmel Hoch da ... - Dresden Kreuzchor, Dresden Philharmonic
2. Ave Verum (From 'Mozartiana-Suite') - Radio Symphony Orchestra of Stuttgart
3. Messiah: Coro - And the Glory of the Lord - RIAS-Kammerchor, Rias Sinfonietta
4. Tantum Ergo in E Flat Major D. 962 - Gisela Fetting, Astrid Pilzecher, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Karl Heinz Schmieder, Ekkehard Wagner
5. Ave Maria - Budapest Strings
6. Laudate Pueri Op. 39, 2 - Dresden Kreuzchor, Michael Christfried Winkler
7. Bringet Dem Herrn Ehre Seines Namens - Musicum Leipzig, Neues Bachisches Collegium, Thomanerchor Leipzig
8. Laudate Dominum KV 339 - Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Chor 'Jeunesses Musicales', Maria Zadori
9. Ave Maria - Frank Berger, Hans Dieter Weber
10. Virga Jesse - Dresden Kreuzchor
11. Salve Regina Op. 47 D. 223 - Magdalena Hajosyova, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
12. Wachet Auf Ruft Uns Die Stimme BWV 645 - Frank Berger, Hans Dieter Weber
13. Largo (From 'Xerxes') - Werner Hollweg, Wiener Symphoniker
14. Gloria (From 'Magnificat') - Berliner Singakademie, Stattskapelle Berlin
15. Concerto Fatto Per la Notte Di Natale in G Minor Op. 6 No. 8: Adagio-A - Virtuisi Saxoniae
16. Tönet, Ihr Pauden! Erschallet, Trompeten! - Ludwig Guttler, Leipzig University Chorus, New Leipzig Bach Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer

Disc 3:

1. Sleepers, Wake, The Voice Is Calling - Ludwig Guttler
2. Wie Schön Leuchter Der Morgenstern - Felix Friedrich
3. Jesus Christus, Gottes Sohn - Ludwig Guttler, Friedrich Kircheis
4. Sleppers, Wake, The Voice Is Calling - Hans-Jurgen Scholze
5. Kommst du Nun, Jesu, Cvom Himmel Hreunter - Ludwig Guttler, Friedrich Kircheis
6. In Dulci Jubilo - Felix Friedrich
7. Wie Schönm Leuchtet Der Morgenstern - Ludwig Guttler, Friedrich Kircheis
8. Voluntary - Friedrich Kircheis
9. Allein Gott in Der Höhe Sei Ehr - Felix Friedrich
10. Herzlich Lieb Hab Ich Dich - Ludwig Guttler, Friedrich Kircheis
11. Vom Himmel Hoch, Da Komm' Ich Her - Holm Vogel
12. Concerto Noël Allemand - Ludwig Guttler, Friedrich Kircheis, Kurt Sandau

Disc 4:

1. Tönet, Ihr Pauken (From Cantata No. 214) - Ludwig Guttler, Leipzig University Chorus, , New Leipzig Bach Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer, Thomanerchor Leipzig
2. Sinfonia (From Christmas Oratorio) - Ludwig Guttler, New Bach Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer, Thomanerchor Leipzig, Virtuosi Saxoniae
3. In Dulci Jubilo - Ludwig Guttler, Leipzig Capella Fidicinia, New Bach Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer, Rostock Motet Choir, Thomanerchor Leipzig
4. Großer Herr, O Starker König (From Christmas Oratorio) - Ludwig Guttler, Siegfried Lorenz, , New Leipzig Bach Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer, Thomanerchor Leipzig
5. Vom Himmel Hoch, Da Komm Ich Her - Ludwig Guttler, Leipzig Capella Fidicinia, New Bach Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer, Rostock Motet Choir, Thomanerchor Leipzig
6. Hallelujah (From Cantata No. 143) - Ludwig Guttler, , New Leipzig Bach Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer, Thomanerchor Leipzig
7. Jesu Mein Herzens Freud - Ludwig Guttler, Leipzig Capella Fidicinia, New Bach Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer, Rostock Motet Choir, Thomanerchor Leipzig
8. Herr Jesu Christ, Dich Zu Uns Wend - Matthias Eisenberg, Ludwig Guttler, New Bach Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer, Thomanerchor Leipzig
9. Gloria in Excelsis Deo - Ludwig Guttler, Leipzig Capella Fidicinia, New Bach Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer, Rostock Motet Choir, Thomanerchor Leipzig
10. Wie Wohl Ist Mir, O Freund Der Seelen - Walter Heinz Bernstein, Gisela Burkhardt, Ludwig Guttler, New Bach Collegium Musicum, Siegfried Pank, Max Pommer, Thomanerchor Leipzig
11. Lobet Den Herrn Alle Heiden - Ludwig Guttler, Leipzig Capella Fidicinia, New Bach Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer, Rostock Motet Choir, Thomanerchor Leipzig
12. Prelude und Fugue in G, BWV 541 - Matthias Eisenberg, Ludwig Guttler, New Bach Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer, Thomanerchor Leipzig
13. Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ (From Cantata No. 143) - Ludwig Guttler, , New Leipzig Bach Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer, Thomanerchor Leipzig
14. Air (From Orchestral Suite No. 3) - German Bach Soloists, Ludwig Guttler, New Bach Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer, Thomanerchor Leipzig
15. Sei Lob und Preis Mit Ehren (From Cantata No. 51) - German Bach Soloists, Edita Gruberova, Ludwig Guttler, New Bach Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer, Thomanerchor Leipzig
16. Freut Euch und Jubilieret - Ludwig Guttler, Leipzig Capella Fidicinia, New Bach Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer, Rostock Motet Choir, Thomanerchor Leipzig

Disc 5:

1. In Dulci Jubilo
2. Pastorale Per la Notte Di Natale - Virtuisi Saxoniae
3. Sonata Per Chiesa et Camera - The Berlin Chamber Orchestra, ,
4. Jubilate Domino
5. Concerto Fatto Per la Notte Di Nattale - Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra
6. Sonatta Natalis - Virtuisi Saxoniae
7. Vom Himmel Hoch
8. Air (From Water Music) - Budapest Strings
9. Concerto Per il Natale, RV 270 - Virtuisi Saxoniae
10. Tochter Zion
11. Concerto in G Minor, Op. 8, No. 6 - Virtuisi Saxoniae
12. Trumpet Tune and Air

Rating: - A joyful Christmas box of many rare musical jewels.
Laserlight has the rights to so much recorded music - excellent, good, indifferent, bad - & of such varying sound quality, that it's difficult to rate the label's bargain compilations. Most are afflicted with "excerpt-itis," the "greatest hits" disease. However, some compiler with an interesting ear for the offbeat & a sense of humor put this fine five-CD Christmas box together. He or she did so by leaning on some less familiar music & by relying largely on good performances from ye olde East Germany ensembles & conductors, (as do Koch-Schwann & Berlin Classics labels, at higher prices).

The #1 disk is a solid performance of The Nutcracker Suite (also issued as a single disk by Laserlight) by Peter Wohlert conducting the Berlin Symphony (not to be confused with the Berlin Philharmonic). With that over-cooked chestnut out of the way, this compilation gets interesting.

We get some venerable excerpts of Bach cantatas, oratorios, motets & Lutheran hymns, performed by Fidicinia Capella, New Leipzig Bach Collegium Musicum, & the German Bach Soloists, all respectable ensembles. Edita Gruberova even joins in "Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen." Plus an earful of grand organ preludes.

Handel is represented by a happy section of "Water Music" & a piece for brass instruments from his oratorio, "Judas Maccabaeus." What, no "Halleluah Chorus?" Believe me, you don't need it! But it's here all the same.

Mozart checks in with the lovely, too brief, "Ave verum Corpus," motet for chorus, strings, & organ, K. 618. We also get snappy, dutiful baroque contributions from Vivaldi, Corelli & Purcell.

The remainder of the set is filled out with music from: Pavel Josef Vejvanovsky; Francesco Onofrio Manfredini; Johann Ludwig Krebs; George Friedrich Kauffmann; John the Elder Alcock; Michel Corrette; Michael Praetorius; Johann David Heinichen; Johann Heinrich Schmelzer; & Giuseppe Torelli. The inclusion of these marvelous obscurities pushes this bargain compilation over the top.

I give it four stars because the performances & sound quality vary considerably. But the compensation comes from hours of joyously felt Nativity music, a good deal of it unfamiliar yet beautiful all the same. Load all five into the CD changer, hit the random button, relax & enjoy your spiced eggnog with family & friends.

The five CDs are titled: 1. The Nutcracker 2. Classical Christmas 3. Christmas Music for Trumpet & Organ 4. Johann Sebastian Bach - Christmas Music 5. Baroque Christmas Music. They can be purchased individually.