Customer Reviews

Schütz - The Christmas Story · Cantiones sacrae · Psalm 100 / P. Agnew · A. Crookes · M. McCarthy · Oxford Camerata · J. Summerly

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This is one of the best recordings of The Christmas Story I have ever heard. I am a music collector, so I know what I'm talking about. The performer, Oxford Camerata, is a fine ensemble in and of itself, but it is strengthened exponentially in this recording by the participation of tenor Paul Agnew. Agnew's voice is extraordinary in its bittersweet timbre and flute-like quality. He lends an unmatched expressiveness to the role of Evangelist. The music itself is remarkable, structured almost like a mini-opera, with Evangelist's recitative illustrated by arioso-style vocal scenes. You should definitely buy this recording, especially if you're new to Schutz: you can't get introduced to new music cheaper than this. If you decide you like Schutz, then also don't miss a CD entitled Geistliche Chormusic (dir. Herreweghe; soloists include Agnes Mellon and Mark Padmore). Another excellent choice is Vol 12 from the long-running series of Deutsche Barock Kantaten, which features Schutz's Die Siebe Worte and Historia der Auferstehung, sung by some of the best voices in baroque music including Mellon, Agnew and Padmore.

I am a casual listener of early music and have found that the Naxos label Rarely disappoints. A case in point is this recording of Heinrich Schutz. The music is beautiful of course: Heinrich Schutz, with one foot in the renaissance and one foot in the baroque era, composes music that is of a higher form than his predecessors yet is true to its sacred spirit and without so much opulence and flair as the Baroque composers. This CD is indicative of his style and the final chorus of the work is a terrific piece and full of power. The CD is well recorded and very dynamic... given the price it is a definite "good purchase".

It is a shame that Heinrich Schutz gets less air-time on classical radio than he deserves and one way to ensure you get enough of him is by buying this CD. It is perfect incidental music for a Christmas dinner or party, however I will admit that I often break the rules and listen to this CD throughout the year... -shame on me. I recommend Schutz highly and while he is no JS Bach he should be regarded nearly as well. I hope you heed my advice and pick this one up it is bound to please.

-- Ted Murena

The story of the Nativity is as packed with incident as any Passion - Christ's birth, Roman tyranny, supernatural portents, genocidal despotism, persecution, flight - and yet, with the exception of Bach's 'Christmas Oratorio', it doesn't carry the same weight in the sacred canon. Unlike Bach's Passions, which subordinate the 'action' onto the recitative, using the choruses and arias as commentary of affirmations by the faithful, Schutz makes his 'Christmas Story' entirely dramatic, with arias and choruses setting the dialogue of the characters. this means that instead of Bach's pieces of more abstract beauty, Schutz's have their own distinctive flavour, matching the role of the character(s) singing them - so the angel's are ethereal, though grounded by violas; the shepherds innocently pastoral (with predictable recorders); the wise men nobly attitudinising (violins); the sinister pomp of Herod and the elders marked by self-important trumpets. this is not to say that the recitatives are merely static and functional: they are actually more dramatic and colourful than Bach's, and that describing the slaughter of the Innocents has a terrible desolation.

The three Cantiones sacrae from much earlier in Schutz's career, demonstrate a vibrant pleasure in choral writing, with male and female voices complementing each other in works of spiralling beauty, supported only be a low organ. the third, 'O bone, o dulcis', with its mention of the crucifixion, takes a sombre turn. 'Psalm 100', a jubilant prayer to the Lord, also moves to a more reflective climax.

Jeremy Summerley and his Oxford Camerata have done their usual precise job, the sensitivity of the sparse instrumentation matched by the gymnastic expressivity of the singers.

As of this writing this CD ranks 86,775th on amazon.com's sales charts. This is wrong. Schutz's Christmas Story is a fantastic piece, the kind of music I would recommend to anyone, no matter what their tastes. The performance is lovely, the CD is 6 bucks. If you buy it, you'll be glad you did.

okay, if you don't know who schuetz is, this is a great introduction to his style. to my knowledge, most of his work is religious, so if you're an athiest/antithiest, you might want to steer clear of his compositions. however, if you are an athiest/antithiest and you're made it this far, you're probably backsliding and looking to listen to some sacred music just for the thrill of betraying your own personal beliefs. if that is the case, then my friend, you are in luck. this is a really enjoyable example of germanic baroque sacred music with no significantly distracting flaws.
if you already know schuetz and are looking to expand your library, this is a good addition. there is a collection of his 6-part motets by the emanuel chorus (?) that is positively orgasmic. check it out!