Simply Christmas

James Pierpont (Composer), George Frederick Handel (Composer), Christmas Traditional (Composer), Arcangelo Corelli (Composer), Adolphe Adam (Composer), Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Richard Storrs Willis (Composer), Franz Xaver Gruber (Composer), Franz [Vienna] Schubert (Composer), Irving Berlin (Composer), Francesco Manfredini (Composer), Charles Gounod (Composer), Hartmut Haenchen (Conductor), Terrance Barber (Performer), Michel Legrand (Performer), Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Chamber Orchestra (Orchestra), Katia Labèque (Performer), Marielle Labèque (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Terrance Barber, Michel Legrand, Katia Labèque, Marielle Labèque
• Orchestra: Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Chamber Orchestra
• Conductor: Hartmut Haenchen
• Composer: James Pierpont, George Frederick Handel, Christmas Traditional, Arcangelo Corelli, Adolphe Adam, et al.
• Audio CD (October 11, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000B8I85K
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #136,398 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Jingle Bells

2. Joy to the World (theme by Handel)

3. What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)

4. Angels We Have Heard on High

5. III. Adagio - Allegro - Adagio

6. Cantique de Noël for voice & orchestra "O Holy Night"

7. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

8. Il est né, le divin enfant (French)

9. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

10. Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht (Silent Night)

11. Ellens Gesang III ("Ave Maria"), song for voice & piano, D. 839 (Op. 52

12. Peace / I Saw Three Ships

13. Deck the Halls (Welsh)

14. White Christmas, song (from "Holiday Inn")

15. I. Pastorale. Largo

16. V. Allegro

17. VI. Largo. Pastorelle ad libitum

18. Ave Maria, for voice & piano (after Bach's Prelude No. 1 from the Well-

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable classical Christmas sampler, December 16, 2008

By 

John O'Neill (Alpharetta, GA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simply Christmas (Audio CD)

This mid-price CD from Sony/BMG Masterworks is worth the price of admission if only for the five hard-to-find tracks featuring the trio of Jean-Pierre Rampal (flute), Alexandre Lagoya (guitar), and Michel Legrand (piano). "Jingle Bells" and "Deck the Halls" are both given original arrangements which sound like a mix of jazz and classical - sort of like the jazz suites of Claude Bolling - with the three musicians playing off each other. The other three tracks featuring the trio ("What Child Is This", "Silent Night", and "Il es ne le divin enfant") are more traditional in their arrangements but still feature some unique playing. It's wonderful that these tracks are available again.

In addition to the Rampal-Lagoya-Legrand tracks there is some beautiful harp featured on eight tracks. Ayako Shinozaki performs five tracks solo and teams up with Kazuko Shinozaki for two duets. There is also a duet between harpist Catrin Finch and counter tenor Terrance Barber.

Guitarist Ottmar Liebert performs a pleasant rendition of "I Saw Three Ships" supported by bass and other instruments in a recording that sounds like it would have been right at home on a Windham Hill "Winter's Solstice" CD.

More traditional "classical" performances are heard in the three movements from Corelli's Concerto grosso in g minor, Op. 6, No 8 - the "Christmas Concerto" and the piano duet performance of Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring".

Over an hour of enjoyable music that becomes essential for the Rampal, Lagoya, Legrand performances.