Simply the Best Christmas Album

John Francis Wade (Composer), Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Herbert Howells (Composer), Franz Xaver Gruber (Composer), Lee Holdridge (Composer), Roger Harvey (Composer), George Frederick Handel (Composer), Antonio Vivaldi (Composer), Adolphe Adam (Composer), Louis-Claude Daquin (Composer), Cesar Franck (Composer), Christmas Traditional (Composer), Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Composer), William James Kirkpatrick (Composer), Frank Wildhorn (Composer), Arcangelo Corelli (Composer), Charles Ives (Composer), Georges Bizet (Composer), Hugh / Blane, Ralph Martin (Composer), Michael Head (Composer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Composer: John Francis Wade, Johann Sebastian Bach, Herbert Howells, Franz Xaver Gruber, Lee Holdridge, et al.
• Audio CD (August 21, 2001)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Erato
• ASIN: B00005MJ0G
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #205,815 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #89 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > Composers > Ives, Charles

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste fidelis) - Thomas Hampson

2. Second Cantata: Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe - Tom Koopman

3. A Spotless Rose, for chorus - Edward Higginbottom

4. Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht (Silent Night) - Kiri Te Kanawa

5. O Joyful Children - Vienna Symphony

6. Festive Cheer, Christmas medley for brass - London Brass

7. Glory to God - Nikolaus Harnoncourt

8. 1st movement - Il Giardino Armonico

9. Cantique de Noël for voice & orchestra "O Holy Night" - Sumi Jo

10. Ŕ la venue de Noël, for organ (Nouveau Livre de Noëls No. 1) - Marie-Claire Alain

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Miniature Overture - Alexander Lazarev

2. March - Alexander Lazarev

3. Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy - Alexander Lazarev

4. Trepak, Russian Dance - Alexander Lazarev

5. Dance of the Reeds - Alexander Lazarev

6. Away in a manger (Tune: Cradle Song) (New English Hymnal 22) - London Brass

7. Christmas Stays the Same - Linda Eder

8. O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) (German) - Thomas Hampson

9. 3rd movement [Third Movement] - I Solisti Veneti

10. A Christmas Carol, song for voice & piano, S. 228 (K. 6B27d) - Chanticleer

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the Best..., November 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Simply the Best Christmas Album (Audio CD)

The minute I heard Thomas Hampson sing the first few notes of Adeste Fideles, I knew I had to have this album. It is a marvelous compilation of Classical Christmas favorites (excerpts from the Bach, Vivaldi and Corelli Christmas Concertos and The Nutcracker) and standard Christmas favorites, as well as some of the lesser heard Christmas gems.

The vocal power on this 2 CD set is amazing as well--Broadway star Linda Eder, Thomas Hampson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Jose Carreras, Chanticleer, and numerous others. I usually purchase one Christmas CD a year. This was it for me this year--make it part of your holiday collection.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Joyous surprises!, May 31, 2006

By 

Ken Wyatt (Jackson, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simply the Best Christmas Album (Audio CD)

Every once in awhile I run across an album that excells, not because of the shining brilliance of one artist, but because of the collective impact of several. Here, in this album, are some little-known gems from Christmas music literature. I was captivated by the lilting and primitive joy in "Jesus, the Light of the World," which I had never heard before. Then there is Chanticleer and its rendition of Charles Ives' "Christmas Carol," a classic too little known. There are others. If you look for unique renditions of familiar and unfamiliar Christmas music to enhance the joy of the season, this album is a must-buy.