Customer Reviews

A Mediterranean Christmas

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

 

 

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.

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.

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!

This selection is....well....interesting. Let me just say that I am a fan of previous Boston Camerata releases and also lived in Istanbul for several years. So, I'm used to the "Eastern" sounds. However, there wasn't much about this release that screamed "Christmas" to me. It was a bit hard to get into. Both my wife and I tried it several times but just found it too odd, disjointed, almost schizo. If you are a fan of Jordi Savall (and I am) or similar "historical musicians" then you may enjoy this. It consists of some vocal numbers interspersed with some spoken word interludes. At times it feels like some sort of arty performance piece at other times it feels like the soundtrack to some brooding, indy film release set in Morocco or the Middle East.