Customer Reviews

White Christmas

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
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Most of Fiedler's Pops Christmas albums feature recordings done for RCA Victor in 1959. This collection is unique in that the marjority of the pieces were done at a 1970 session for the Deutsche Grammophon label. (The two Bach pieces were recorded in 1976, also for DG.) It therefore features a different group of musicians and a maestro who was older and, perhaps, a bit less sprightly than the Fiedler of 1959.

Which is not to say that these pieces aren't elegantly played and well-recorded. It's just that they seem to have a more formal, going-through-the-motions feel than the earlier BPO recordings under Fiedler's baton. He doesn't seem to be having as much FUN as his younger self did, and it comes up in the performance.

But even past-his-prime Fiedler is well worth hearing, and any fan of the conductor and his Pops would be well advised to pick this one up if you can find it.

This album contains the same selections as RCA's "A Christmas Festival," plus two additional Bach selections. And it costs...less! The highlight of the album is Leroy Anderson's "A Christmas Festival," the most creative, thrilling instrumental medley of Christmas tunes ever arranged, and of course Fiedler's performance with the Boston Pops is definitive (even though it leaves out the pipe organ at the very end). Other highlights include Anderson's ever popular "Sleighride," the Pops' signature arrangement of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," and a shimmering, enchanting "White Christmas." A lovely combination of popular and classical orchestral selections for the holdays.

This CD has been a favorite for decades with a great variety of orchestral music ranging from selections from The Messiah to Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, complete with clip-clopping hooves, sleigh bells and cracking whips. The Boston Pops can do it all. Great at full volume or as background music.

I love this recording. I play it all year, not just at Christmas. I love Leroy Anderson's Christmas Festival and Sleighride. There are a lot of good, peaceful Bach transcriptions. I feel good every time I play it.

The Christmas season is well-served by this superb collection by the Boston Pops under the direction of Arthur Fiedler. The album presents a satisfying mixture of the classics such as Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" and pop classics such as Leroy Anderson's "A Christmas Festival", and, of course, no such collection would be complete without Anderson's "Sleighride". The album jump-started me into the season and, to tell the truth, I have listened to its timeless sounds several times since the passing of the season.

This is an excellent holiday CD. Had this on cassette years ago, was glad to find it on Amazon.com. It was shipped promptly, therfore I got to enjoy it during the Christmas holidays. It was a great find, so I can add this to my holiday CD collection.