A Baroque Christmas

Marc-Antoine Charpentier (Composer), Johann Hermann Schein (Composer), Claudio Monteverdi (Composer), Henry Purcell (Composer), Joel Cohen (Conductor), Boston Camerata (Performer), Schola Cantorum of Boston (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Boston Camerata, Schola Cantorum of Boston
• Conductor: Joel Cohen
• Composer: Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Johann Hermann Schein, Claudio Monteverdi, Henry Purcell
• Audio CD (August 25, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Elektra Nonesuch
• ASIN: B000005J0W
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #185,341 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #60 in Music > Miscellaneous > Holiday > Classical Instrumental

Track Listings

1. A minuit fut fait un reveil (France)

2. Joseph est bien marié, noël for 2 flutes, strings & continuo, H. 534/3 (Noëls sur les instruments)

3. Or nous dites Marie, noël for 2 flutes, strings & continuo, H. 534/4 (Noëls sur les instruments)

4. Une jeune pucelle, noël for 2 flutes, strings & continuo, H. 534/6 (Noëls sur les instruments)

5. Vous qui désirez sans fin, noël for 2 flutes, strings & continuo, H. 531/3 (Noëls sur les instruments)

6. Où s'en vont ces gais bergers, noël for 2 flutes, strings & continuo, H. 534/5 (Noëls sur les instruments)

7. Hodie Christus natus Est, antiphon, mode 1

8. Work(s): Nun jauchzet mit hellem Ton

9. Laudate Dominum, omnes gentes (III), motet for 8 voices (from Selva morale e spirituale), SV 274

10. Non recedet laus tuus

11. Salve Regina (II), for 2 voices (from Selva morale e spirituale), SV 284

12. Tell me, some pitying angel, (The Blessed Virgin's Expostulation), sacred song, for soprano & continuo, Z. 196

13. Messe de minuit, for 5 voices, chorus, instruments & continuo, H. 9: Kyrie

14. Messe de minuit, for 5 voices, chorus, instruments & continuo, H. 9: Gloria

15. Messe de minuit, for 5 voices, chorus, instruments & continuo, H. 9: Credo

16. Messe de minuit, for 5 voices, chorus, instruments & continuo, H. 9: Offertoire

17. Messe de minuit, for 5 voices, chorus, instruments & continuo, H. 9: Sanctus

18. Messe de minuit, for 5 voices, chorus, instruments & continuo, H. 9: Agnus Dei

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent performance, September 17, 2000

By 

M. J. Smith (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Baroque Christmas (Audio CD)

This cd is the Baroque equivalent of the Medieval and Renaissance Christmas albums of the Boston Camerata. It has the least varied repetoire, in part because of the Charpentier Mass - Messe de Minuit sur des Airs de Noel, a work well worth having in its entirety. There are two pieces that are chant and a marvelous piece from Germany in an Italian style - Nun Jauchzet mit Hellem Ton - to which the notes say there are two sets of words, the one recorded here in praise of the Christmas festival, the other celebrating the amorous delights of nymphs. With such a delightful piece of trivia, how could the cd fail?

While the Boston Camerata gives its normal skilled performance, they are not as spectacular as they are on earlier music. They still are among the better interpreters of Baroque music, but it is not their speciality.

This is an excellent Christmas cd worthy of being in any collection.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A warm, joyful baroque Christmas celebration, December 6, 2004

By 

Michael (Washington, D.C. area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Baroque Christmas (Audio CD)

The beautiful, varied, and well-chosen repertoire on this disc will keep you returning to it season after season. We start with a 17th-cantury French NOEL, lovingly and simply rendered a cappella by Richard Duguay. There follow some more French carols in instrumental arrangements by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, two traditional plainchants, some sumptuous madrigal-style pieces by Schein and Monteverdi, Purcell's florid and expressive vocal monologue for the Virgin Mary, and finally the most substantial piece on the disc: Charpentier's Christmas Midnight Mass, a very interesting work based on French carol themes. The performances by the Boston camerata are warm and vibrant. This early baroque Christmas disc is a real winner.

3.0 out of 5 stars From another time and place, December 20, 2011

By 

Mary Litviak - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Baroque Christmas (Audio CD)

The album is performed by the Boston Camerata and is reflective of Christmas music performed throughout Europe in mostly the 15th & 16th centuries. The music is a hallmark of what people would hear in the old European churchs at Christmas time. Much of it takes the form of church hymns inside church walls, which makes it a little more authentic. Some songs are instrumental and some are sung, and the languages vary, like French, German, Latin. The booklet inside provides the lyrics and English translations along with a little history of each song. For me, it's nice to hear ancient Christmas songs, to think about how long this holiday has been celebrated; it helps drive home the true meaning of Christmas.