3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Music and Excellent Recording, November 18, 2011
This review is from: Baroque Christmas Music (Audio CD)
For those who love Telemann, the opening suite is among his most fetching music. It has irresistible charm that is created with rocking rhythms, lovely melody and beautiful, logical harmony. The performance is very excellent too, I really don't see how the sound or balance could be improved. The Hyperion engeineer, Albert Swanton makes the Northwest Chamber Orchestra of Seattle strings sound alive and bright on this disc.
Two interludes by Purcell are charming and provide a nice bridge to the Valentini Sinfonia a tre, per il santissimo Natale that follows. This is a work and composer I wasn't familiar with but as an introduction to him, it is impressive. The sound and style is an excellent counterpoint to the Telemann as the two works have a similar overall orchestration and sonic character. The Baroque style often features melodies that unfold over relatively longer times than Classical or Romantic period music. The use of fugal techniques also contributes to the long phrasing since a counter melody will enter before the opening line ends. This gives the music a kind of perpetual motion that can be very effective over a rocking rhythm. Both Valentini and the Telemann pieces achive this very well and the effect is highly enjoyable.
Torelli's Concerto a quattro in forma di pastroale, per il santo natale has a more early Classical period feel in the style of Sammartini. His approach is a bit more monophonic than Valentini although he does use the Baroque technique of terraced melody - taking an idea and moving it either up or down sequentially to create a phrase of some length. His harmonies are lush and a bit more unexpected, using suspended chords very effectively while occasionally throwing in a surprise side step into an less commonly used minor chord to heighten the interest.
Schiassi's Sinfonia pastorale per il santissimo natale di nostro Jesu is a strongly melodic work of a more direct expressive nature. He is fond of repetition to establish his ideas, often repeating a melody first directly and then in another range. It gives the music a grand orchestral identity remeniscent of a Bach Orchestral Suite opening. The slow movement uses an Alberti style accompanyment and a more diffuse style of soft running scales to create a tapestry of light fetching sound. He returns to the broader approach of the opening to conclude the work, clearly aiming at a statement of grandeur, appropriate to the Christmas spirit and mood.
Overall I found this CD to be a gem and an absolute lucky find. I have played it many times and it always gives me a lot of pleasure. The Telemann piece is one of my favorites and all the music is very fine and obviously worked out with great care and attention by the composers, who were obviously inspired by the subject matter. I heartily recommend this to fans of Baroque music and suggest it as an excellent introduction to Telemann and all the other composers as well as to Baroque music. It also makes an excellent recommendation for music to play during your Christmas get together, as it will mix well and give a nice contrast to the usual very well known Christmas fare. The sound is exemplary, the performance is top notch and it is simply highly enjoyable from start to finish.
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