Various Artists – The Classic Christmas (1996)

Many large-scale religious compositions are performed in a concert setting at Christmas. Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (Weihnachts-Oratorium, BWV 248), written for Christmas 1734, describes the birth of Jesus, the annunciation to the shepherds, the adoration of the shepherds, the circumcision and naming of Jesus, the journey of the Magi, and the adoration of the Magi.[16] Peter Cornelius composed a cycle of six songs related to Christmas themes he called Weihnachtslieder. Setting his own poems for solo voice and piano, he alluded to older Christmas carols in the accompaniment of two of the songs.

Various notable composers have written instrumental works for Christmas, including Antonio Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto RV270 “Il Riposo per il Santissimo Natale” (“For the Most Holy Christmas”) and the Christmas Concerto (1690) by Arcangelo Corelli. Other classical works associated with Christmas include:

• Pastorale sur la naissance de N.S. Jésus-Christ (c. 1670) by Marc-Antoine Charpentier; Christus (1847)
• an unfinished oratorio by Felix Mendelssohn
• L’enfance du Christ (1853–54) by Hector Berlioz
• Oratorio de Noël (1858) by Camille Saint-Saëns
• The Nutcracker (1892) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
• Fantasia on Christmas Carols (1912) and Hodie (1954), both by Ralph Vaughan Williams
• A Ceremony of Carols (1942) by Benjamin Britten.

Informal Scratch Messiah performances involving public participation are very popular in the Christmas season. Performances of George Frideric Handel’s oratorio Messiah are a fixture of Christmas celebrations in some countries, and although it was originally written for performance at Easter, it covers aspects of the Biblical Christmas narrative. (by wikipedia)

And here´s a nice collection of classic Christmas compositions.

Personnel:

Bernhard, Hannes, Wolfgang Läubin, Norbert Schmitt, Simon Preston:

Bernhard Läubin (trumpet)
Hannes Läubin (trumpet)
Wolfgang Läubin (trumpet)
Simon Preston (organ)Timpani
Norbert Schmitt (timpani)

Luciano Pavarotti & The National Philharmonic Orchestra:
Luciano Pavarotti (vocals)
The National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Kurt Herbert Adler

Berliner Philharmoniker:
conducted by Herbert von Karajan

Wiener Sängerknaben:
conducted by Uwe Christian Harrer

Wiener Philharmoniker:
conducted by Claudio Abbado

Philharmonia Orchestra:
Bryn Terfel (vocals – Bass on 06.)
Kathleen Battle (vocals on 13.)
conducted by Paul Daniel (on 06.)
conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini (on 13.)

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra:
Edward Brewer (organ)
counducted by Guillermo Figueroa

London Symphony Orchestra:
Cheryl Studer (soprano vocals)
counducted by Ion Marin

Wiener Philharmoniker & Anne-Sophie Mutter:
Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin)
counducted by James Levine

José Carreras – Coral Salvé De Laredo – Sociedad Coral Debilbao:
José Carreras (vocals)
conducted by Damián Sanchez

The Monteverdi Choir & The English Baroque Soloists:
conducted by John Eliot Gardiner

Bryn Terfel & Malcolm Martineau:
Malcolm Martineau (piano)
Bryn Terfel (Baritone)

Dresdner Kreuzchor:
conducted by Matthias Jung

Choir Of St. Paul’s Cathedral & English Chamber Orchestra:
Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano)
Thelma Owen  (harp)
conducted by Barry Rose

Martha Argerich & Nicolas Economou:
Martha Argerich (piano)
Nicolas Economou (piano)

London Symphony Orchestra & Plácido Domingo:
Plácido Domingo (Tenor)
conducted by Karl-Heinz Loges

Jessye Norman, Daniel Barenboim, Wolfram Christ:
Daniel Barenboim (piano)
Wolfram Christ (viola)
Jessye Norman (Soprano)

The English Concert Choir & The English Concert:
conducted by Trevor Pinnock

Tracklist:

Bernhard, Hannes, Wolfgang Läubin, Norbert Schmitt, Simon Preston:
01. Sinfonies De Fanfare: Rondeau (Mouret) 1.58

Luciano Pavarotti & TheNational Philharmonic Orchestra:
02. O Holy Night (Minuit Chrétien) (Adam) 4.16

Berliner Philharmoniker:
03. March from  The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky) 2.22

Wiener Sängerknaben:
04. O Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum) (Traditional) 1.39

Wiener Philharmoniker:
05. The Sleighride (Die Schlittenfart) (Mozart) 2.33

Philharmonia Orchestra:
06. White Christmas (Berlin) 5.01

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra:
07. Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring (Jesus Bleibet Meine Freude (Bach) 3.26

London Symphony Orchestra:
08. Ave Maria (Gounod/Bach) 2.11

Wiener Philharmoniker & Anne-Sophie Mutter:
09. Méditation From Thais (Massenet) 6.43

José Carreras – Coral Salvé De Laredo – Sociedad Coral Debilbao:
10. The Nativity (Ramirez) 3.58

Bernhard, Hannes, Wolfgang Läubin, Norbert Schmitt, Simon Preston:
11. See, The Conquering Hero Comes (Händel) 3.02

The Monteverdi Choir & The English Baroque Soloists:
12. Jesy, Joy Of Man’s Desiring (Jesus bleibet meine Freude) (Bach) 2.31

Philharmonia Orchestra:
13. Pie Jesu From Requiem (Fauré) 4.06

Berliner Philharmoniker:
14. Christmas Concerto (Corelli) 3.52

Bryn Terfel & Malcolm Martineau:
15. The Three Kings (Die Könige) (Cornelius) 2.37

Dresdner Kreuzchor:
16. Silent Night (Stille Nacht) (Gruber/Mohr) 3.35

Choir Of St. Paul’s Cathedral & English Chamber Orchestra:
17. Ave Maria Op.52/6 D 839 (Schubert) 3.38

Martha Argerich & Nicolas Economou:
18. Dance Of The Reedpipes (Tchaikovsky) 2.12

London Symphony Orchestra & Plácido Domingo:
19. Muñequite Linda (Magic Is The Moonlight) (Grever) 3.50

Jessye Norman, Daniel Barenboim, Wolfram Christ:
20. Geistliches Wiegenlied Op. 91/2 (Brahms) 6.12

The English Concert Choir & The English Concert:
21. Hallelujah from Messiah (Händel) 3.58

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Anne-Sophie Mutter – Herbert von Karajan & Berliner Philharmoniker – Violinkonzerte · Violin Concertos No.3 + No.5 (1978)

Grammy Award winning violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter was born in Rheinfelden in Baden (Germany). She embarked on inter¬national career as a soloist in 1976 at the Lucerne Festival and made her first recording for Deutsche Grammophon at the age of 14: Mozart violin concertos with Karajan and Berliner Phil¬harmoniker, with whom she later also recorded the Mendelssohn, Bruch, Brahms and Beethoven.

Mozart’s canonical violin concertos are works of youth. Even though Einstein’s demarcation still stands – there is a qualitative gap between the first two and the final three – all five of them are not dissimilar in their emotional brief. It is a tragedy that K 470 is lost to eternity other than the four bars in Mozart’s Catalogue. Oh, to have heard him in this domain at the floodtide of his powers!

The jungle holds many mysteries. Will we ever understand what prompted Claudio Abbado, the former Principal Conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic no less, to go rogue and hobble around with the period practice wolf-pack and all to no vivid end? Was it the onset of senescence or a Lear-like madness? I recently re-listened to his Mozart: The 5 Violin Concertos. Heavens to betsy! When Mozart is being re-promulgated as a Dresden China figurine at a lower pitch or, to use a more modern metaphor, as Mozart Zero with no added sugar or fat – just one calorie, baby – surely the Day of the Locust is upon us. Omega Men, step forward!

It is a blessed relief to turn to this famous recording. Even after all these decades, it continues to astound. The young soloist plays fierily and poetically in turns. My celebrated Herbie soup-o-meter did not beep once for its duration. The Berlin Philharmonic, judiciously scaled down, is galvanised by the endeavour. Oh, listen to the deified double basses of this once-great ensemble as they ruminate expansively at 7’11” ff in the Adagio of K 219 – this is opulence. Indeed, both works momentarily appear to be greater than what they are. The warm analogue recording has been enhanced by the latest remastering.

Considering ASM’s penchant for older men, it is not a bad thing that Eliette von Karajan stood in the wings for these recording sessions, paint-brush in hand. If Abaddon, the Archangel of the Abyss, has a consort, she can be readily imagined . . . .

Longevity has been accrued by this endeavour. I cannot say the same for a certain mangy old wolf in this domain whose ululations will soon be lost to the winds. (by Bernard Michael O’Hanlon)

Personnel:
Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin)
+
Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Herbert von Karajan

Tracklist:

Violin Concerto No.3 In G, K.216:
01. Allegro 10.46
02. Adagio 9.51
03. Rondo (Allegro) 6.40

Violin Concerto No.5 In A, K.219:
04. Allegro aperto 10.50
05. Adagio 10.57
06. Rondeau (Tempo di minuetto) 9.24

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