Customer Reviews

Christmas Carols

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

N.B. I wrote this review in 2005. At that time the only version of this album available on CD was a horrible reproduction of the 1953 mono album that substituted the original cover art with a picture of Mantovani. This review below is for the 2003 mono CD version. In December 2009 Collector's Choice re-issued a very high quality remastered CD of the 1958 stereo version. The 2009 one is complete with original album art, a drawing of a Christmas tree ornament. Amazon has since confused the two CD releases and combined reviews from both items into one product page. Be sure to avoid the earlier version and insist on the excellent 2009 version!
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Do not buy the 2003 CD which was produced in The Netherlands by a label called "Christmas Legends" without the authorization of the original record company or the Mantovani estate. The CD version I am describing here contains the 1953 mono recording. It has HORRIBLE sound quality and fails to use the original album art.

This record company obviously copied the music from old LP records with no attention to sound quality. The original 1953 album recording was High Fidelity Mono. This version is Mono but no longer Hi-Fi because they have removed all the upper frequencies to hide the record surface noise. You won't hear a lot of pops or noise, but the lack of full frequency sound is a HUGE disappointment.

Not only are the high frequencies missing, but there are also some parts with significant distortion in the mid-range. Any copy of the original LP would have far better sound quality than this CD! This is NOT an acceptable replacement for the original LP record. In other words this quality of this disc is as low as it could possibly be!

Since this is such an old recording it would not be surprising if the original mono master tapes are either lost or damaged beyond repair. That might also explain why the original label, London/Decca now owned by Universal Music Group, has never reissued the the 1953 mono recording on CD.

There are literally dozens upon dozens of Mantovani Christmas CD's being sold these days with selections that are not Mantovani's music (I found one recently that actually featured the Canadian Brass). No wonder they are so reasonably priced when they really are new recordings of Christmas music audaciously and probably lucratively using the Mantovani name. This one, however, fairly recent in its issuance, is the CD version of the original 1953 release that was re-recorded in stereo in 1957 and stayed on the Billboard charts for years, reaching as high as Number 3 in 1958. This is the gold record with the original 14 tracks you want to purchase and hear, for it is album that enchanted holiday listeners for more than two decades and introduced the cathedral sound of Mantovani to legions of fans around the world who flocked to his concerts and purchased millions of his LPs to hear much more of his creative and luxurious musical arrangements.

Growing up in the 70s and 80s I remember my parents playing Mantovani along with Percy Faith, Andre Kostelanetz and Eugene Ormandy every Christmas. The string sounds were so sugary they'd give you a tooth ache but Christmas isn't Christmas without them. In 1987 London Records released a CD called Mantovani's Christmas Favourites. It contained six tracks from this album but having grown up with it I always missed the songs that were not included. The rest of that CD was filled with tracks from the 1963 Christmas album which were quite good too (my favorite being a re-arrangement of Adeste Fideles called Christmas Bells). Finally, in 2009, we get those missing eight tracks on CD.

This CD sounds great. Even though the old London CD was actually quite nice this new release shows it to be slightly dull. I'm very happy to add this to my Christmas music playlists. It's great nostalgia and perfect for Christmas parties and family events. It never gets in the way but brings you back to childhood. Isn't that what this season is all about?

It was worth the wait! I have been waiting for this one for YEARS! The CD release almost didn't make it in time for Christmas 2009, but as I type I have it in my player now. This is the official CD debut of one of the best selling Christmas music albums of all time. This is the one to get!

The disc reviewed here contains the 1958 stereo recording, not the 1953 mono version. This 2009 release from Collector's Choice has excellent stereo sound. The music is clear and detailed with virtually no background hiss, which is impressive considering it was recorded over 50 years ago. The CD definitely sounds as if it was remastered from the original master tapes.

The stereo album has a slightly different track order and different performances than the 1953 mono version. I prefer the revised sequence. The sound of the Mantovani strings should only be heard in STEREO!

Collector's Choice did a good job with the graphics and packaging. They used the original album art, with a drawing of a Christmas tree ornament, although in a somewhat modified form. I don't like their ugly logo to the front cover, however. The 2009 release contains new liner notes, which are a nice addition. This CD was produced under license from Universal Music Group, who are the current owners of the original Decca/London recordings.

There was a HORRIBLE quality CD of the 1953 mono recording released in 2003. STAY AWAY from that disc! Believe me, you will be glad you did!!

This IS the same PS 142 London FFRR album! If I had to hunt for a difference I can say that I have not yet timed the tracks, but the sound is the same! IF it has been sped up, it is imperceptible. It may be because I have treasured the sound for over 40 years, but no other CD comes close.

So glad this was released on CD. The music is crisp and clear and amazing! Having become quite the collector of vintage Christmas music over the past few years, this was a must have. Love it!!!

I was so happy to find MANTOVANI's CHRISTMAS CAROLS. This was a favorite record in my family and I did not think it was available. It has a very relaxing combo of favorite carols and brings back very happy memories of my childhood, especially of my dad and mom playing it every year while we decorated the tree. Thanks Amazon! Suzanne

will enjoy listening to this and others of his I ordered was nice to be able to listen to samples before ordering

The item I ordered was released in the USA just days before Christmas. I therfore did not expect to receive it until the New Year. However, the item arrived soon after Boxing Day, and within the twelve days of Christmas.

This CD is a most welcome re-issue of the one and only Mantovani Orchestra, and one of the best albums of Christmas music around.

I thank the sellers for so swiftly dealing with my order, at a time of year when one doesn't normally expect fast service!

Franck Leprince

This review is an update to one I did on the inferior Import version that came out in 2008 with Mantovani on the cover. For some reason Amazon website associated my old review with the newer CD release of the 1958 Stereophonic "Christmas Carols" album. In any event, unless you're an ardent fan of Mantovani or the 1953 album you can pass on the Import.

Having grown up with the 1953 version in the 50s, upon the age of CD, I had been searching and trying to amass all the songs from the original 1953 FFRR London Mono release for quite a few years, and found digital copies of all the songs except "Midnight Waltz".

I had previously gathered the original song list from the following CDs (except for the elusive Midnight Waltz): "Mantovani's Christmas Favorites", "A Mantovani Christmas", "The Christmas Album", "Christmas with the Mantovani Orchestra". All the songs appeared to be the stereo versions, so why all these years no reissue of the 1958 album (they all do appear on a 1978 Cassette Tape title "Mantovani's All Time Christmas Favorites Volume I" including Midnight Waltz).

So finally the reissue we've been waiting for, excellent clarity, dynamic range wonderfully capturing the "cascading strings" effect, and very detailed liner notes to boot. The original cover art, front and back are there as well (although I think the Christmas ornament with the conducting angel should be gold instead of red).

Mantovani's "Christmas Carols" has always been in my top 5 favorite Christmas albums of all time. And now at last we can have it the way it should be on CD. Also highly recommend this even if you aren't familiar with the original.