The Glorious Sound of Christmas

Adolphe Adam (Composer), Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), Henry Walford Davies (Composer), Franz Xaver Gruber (Composer), George Frederick Handel (Composer), Felix Mendelssohn (Composer), Franz Schubert (Composer), Johann Abraham Peter Schulz (Composer), Christmas Traditional (Composer), John Francis Wade (Composer), Eugene Ormandy (Conductor), Philadelphia Orchestra (Orchestra)

Product Details

• Orchestra: Philadelphia Orchestra
• Conductor: Eugene Ormandy
• Composer: Adolphe Adam, Ludwig van Beethoven, Henry Walford Davies, Franz Xaver Gruber, George Frederick Handel, et al.
• Audio CD (July 16, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000024PT
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #90,234 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My first LP - many moons ago, December 6, 2001

By	RDSpock (Harrisonville, MO United States) - See all my reviews

This was my first long playing record purchase back in the 60's. For my money, this is the gold standard for Christmas music. I played this every year until that thing was grooved and scratchy. I'm getting a CD for me and another for a friend that thought it was the best Christmas music they had ever heard.

What makes this album work are the arrangements of the Christmas classics. They run the range from quiet and still, to a sound as big as all outdoors. The choir is very good and Ormandy brings out that famous Philadelphia "satin sound." Some are fun, some are somber and reverent, many bring tears to the eyes.

Buy this CD just for the version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" alone. There is a horse galloping in the background while the strings sing and soar. That sounds absurd, but I assure you, it works for a high-voltage proformance.

The "Glorious Sound" is well named. It just would not be Christmas at my house without it.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Glorious Sound Indeed, September 26, 2003

By	Timothy Kearney (Hull, MA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I remember reading that THE GLORIOUS SOUND OF CHRISTMAS with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra was one of the best selling, if not the best selling classical album of all time. If this is true, it is easy to understand why. The arrangements on this album of classic Christmas carols are handled with pomp and dignity by this world class orchestra. The Temple University Choir joins the orchestra for some pieces. The album has beautiful renditions of many great carols. Some of the best include the arrangement of Ave Maria, O Sanctissima, and O Holy Night. The familiar sounds of this album have been favorites of many people for years now, and will certainly be loved in the years to come.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gloria In Excelsis Dei, November 26, 2001

By A Customer

This recording is the standard by which all other Christmas albums should be judged. Maestro Ormandy -- quiet, stately, wonderful Ormandy -- masterfully leads the Philadelphia Orchestra to produce a rich collection of standards that conveys all that is sacred, traditional, and grand about the Christmas season.

My one enduring memory of this album as a child is that it sounded big. And it still does. My adult observation, then, is this: "Glorious Sound of Christmas" is appropos of the gravity and true meaning of Christmas. Ormandy must have known this when he began the project.

From the broad expanse of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" to the somber strains of "Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel," this CD is an emotional roller coaster for the listener. Its highlight, "Ave Maria," is quite simply the most beautiful rendition of this classic ever recorded.

It is difficult to overstate the case for this album. No collection of holiday music is really complete without "Glorious Sound of Christmas." That is has provided the soundtrack for Christmas in countless homes for nearly forty years is a testament to its enduring quality.