A Mediterranean Christmas

Joel Cohen | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 8, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Classics
• ASIN: B000AV3R5E
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #183,625 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Sephardic (Balkans) -- Taksim Farahfaza

2. Alfonso el Sabio, King of Castille (1221-1284) -- Madre De Deus

3. Southern France, 12th c -- Gregis Pastor

4. Tuscany, 13th c -- Gloria 'n Cielo

5. Folquet de Marseille (1150-1231) Limoges, 12th -- Senher Dieus (Text)

6. Alfonso el Sabio -- Santa Maria Strella Do Dia

7. Montserrat, 14th c. -- Polorum Regina

8. Gregorian Occitan, 12th c. -- Como Somos Per Conssello

9. Occitan, 12th c -- Ave Maris Stella

10. Alfonso el Sabio -- Mei Amic E Me Fiel

11. Istria, 19th c. -- Todo Logar Mui Ben

12. Sephardic (Balkans) -- Taouchia

13. France, 13th c. -- Noi Siamo I Magi

14. Provence (Avignon), 17th c. -- Quando El Rey Nimrod

15. Spain (Andalusia) -- En Belen Tocan A Fuego

16. Spain (Andalusia) -- Duermete, Nino, Duerme

17. Egypt -- Nani Ya Srira

18. Arabo-Andalusian (Morocco) -- Borea (Prelude)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Transforming!, January 7, 2008

By 

Megan R. Lindsay "gaggle of girls" (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

As fans of the Boston Camerata for decades, we giddily add a CD every couple of years to our collection. And while everything from the BC masterfully declares the glories of Western religious, literary, music, and linguistic heritage, this CD has the power to stop you in your tracks. This is not ambiance, sitting by the fire with a cup of cocoa, Christmas music. This is proclamatory music.

One of the most remarkable features of this CD is the use of the shofar on the first track. The shofar, which is a ram's horn, was an ancient instrument used by the Israelites most often to call the people to worship. But it was also the instrument used to call God's people to battle, and to declare the proclamations of the Lord. It is one of the most haunting, pleasantly disturbing sounds we have ever heard. It even made our 2-year old stop her play and say in awed tones, "wow... horn!"

Too many people have been turned off to history because it was taught to them in a ridiculous name-date-place rationalistic fashion, instead of as history was meant to be told -- in stories. This CD is a musical story. It's not just a story about the music of the time, but it's the story of the people told in their very own music.

It's easy to forget that this is our heritage too, even though it resembles next to nothing in our current culture. The Boston Camerata has taken on a momentous task in reminding us who we are through songs that still resonate in our souls centuries later.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quickly became one of our favorite CDs, December 22, 2008

By 

Fratina (San Francisco Bay Area) - See all my reviews

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

We have had Boston Camarata albums (beginning with LPs) for many years, so we expected to like this, but it's even better than we had hoped. It won't be put away with the holiday albums in January; it will stay in the Early Music section to be enjoyed many times throughout the year.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars music from the dawn of creation, November 16, 2009

By 

Elin R. Riley-weiss "truly liberal" (Lafayette Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

I bought this not knowing what to expect as I was unfamiliar with the performers and had only a cursory knowledge of the genre. Wow! There is a mystical quality that overcomes the listener and transcends the ordinary senses. The Shofar piece really does resonate with the pulse of the universe. The other pieces are stylistically somewhat varied, but always with wonderfully enticing arrangements and with vocals that are simply dazzling. All I can say is, "Take a chance..you will never regret it!" I can't wait to order more from this splendid group!