No War on Christmas, but There's One on Classical Music
CDs:
To paraphrase the late Jean Shepherd, the boom has been lowered, and we are under it. Word has come that through the combined efforts of Dan Snyder and Bonneville International, the D.C. area's very last classical music station has been targeted for elimination.
After reading that news in The Washington Post, it became my Christmas wish that the full Dickensian array of spirits and ghosts, chains rattling, fingers pointing, and voices booming, would descend upon Snyder and the Bonneville executives. Covetous old sinners now inhabit something other than drafty Victorian counting houses, and we can only hope there's still time for redemption.
So what recourse do we have, aside from browsing in the CD aisle, gluing ourselves to the listening station, and waiting for divine intervention in the broadcast world?
Over the weekends and in the mornings I sneak a look at Classic Arts Showcase on MCPS Instructional TV. It's neither a guilty pleasure nor eat-your-vegetables viewing, just good clips of classical music performances, as well as jazz, dance, film, animation, and much more. If you want to see Jascha Heifetz in action, catch Alfred Drake singing selections from Kismet with Doretta Morrow, or hear more recent performances from Bryn Terfel or Evgeny Kissin, this is the place to do it. And those Zbig Rybczynski films (set to selections from Chopin, Ravel, and Rossini, among others) will have you wondering who slipped something into your coffee.
If you're looking for some seasonal music to see you through the siege, here are some of the latest options.
Anne Sofie von Otter, I'm pleased to report, has released another Christmas album, Noel, and the even better news is that it's definitely not a perfunctory, dutiful march through all the usual titles in your Christmas collection. Von Otter is nothing if not a singer with heart and versatility, and I can promise you that she brings tenderness and joy to the celebration, to say nothing of well-chosen material.
Noel is a delightfully international affair, showcasing works from Chaminade, Cornelius, Grieg, Reger, Sibelius, and others, and offering evidence of von Otter's ease with multiple languages. Need I mention that the Swedish mezzo provides especially beguiling performances of Scandinavian works for the season?
As always, von Otter's voice is rich and engaging, her diction blessedly clear. She is joined by long-time accompanist Forsberg, who performs solo piano selections between the vocal tracks.
If you choose to take home Plum Pudding, expect a multi-course banquet, not merely dessert. It's a uniquely atmospheric taste of Christmas in the United Kingdom. Interspersed with traditional carols, Renaissance polyphony, and other musical tracks are poems and dramatic readings, including selections from T.S. Eliot, Laurie Lee, Dylan Thomas, and an honest-to-goodness medieval mystery play. Truly a special delight for the season.
And I would be remiss in my duties as an Olssonoid, an early music fan, and, most importantly, a Hungarian-American if I didn't remind our readers that Olsson's is featuring a bit of inspiration from early music vocal ensemble Anonymous 4: Christmas Music from Medieval Hungary. This particular album was originally issued under the title A Star in the East and features true rarities: Hungarian liturgical chant for the Advent and Christmas seasons, music that was literally rescued from annihilation while iconoclastic forces were laying waste to Hungarian culture.
Some things never change, do they?
Turning from heavenly female voices to similarly inspired masculine ones, you might also consider Weihtnachtskonzert (Christmas Concert) by the Regensburger Domspatzen, the world-famous cathedral choir comprised of young men and boys, under the direction of Georg Ratzinger. If that name rings a bell, it's because Georg's kid brother is Pope Benedict XVI.
The choir is known for its performances of the classical canon, and the program for this album naturally includes works by Gruber, Praetorius, and others -- music to delight the heart of anyone who ever spent Advent and Christmas in Bavaria. From the first notes of "Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her" or "Es ist ein' Ros' entsprungen," you'll feel yourself transported to a medieval cathedral and worshipful celebration.
However you spend the coming days, may it be peaceful, may it be joyous, and may it include music that lifts your spirits.
- Georg Ratzinger/Regensburger Domspatzen: Weihnachtskonzert
- Anne Sofie von Otter and Bengt Forsberg: Noël
- Anonymous 4: Christmas Music from Medieval Hungary
- Felicity Lott, Gabriel Woolf, Joyful Company of Singers: Plum Pudding
To paraphrase the late Jean Shepherd, the boom has been lowered, and we are under it. Word has come that through the combined efforts of Dan Snyder and Bonneville International, the D.C. area's very last classical music station has been targeted for elimination.
After reading that news in The Washington Post, it became my Christmas wish that the full Dickensian array of spirits and ghosts, chains rattling, fingers pointing, and voices booming, would descend upon Snyder and the Bonneville executives. Covetous old sinners now inhabit something other than drafty Victorian counting houses, and we can only hope there's still time for redemption.
So what recourse do we have, aside from browsing in the CD aisle, gluing ourselves to the listening station, and waiting for divine intervention in the broadcast world?
Over the weekends and in the mornings I sneak a look at Classic Arts Showcase on MCPS Instructional TV. It's neither a guilty pleasure nor eat-your-vegetables viewing, just good clips of classical music performances, as well as jazz, dance, film, animation, and much more. If you want to see Jascha Heifetz in action, catch Alfred Drake singing selections from Kismet with Doretta Morrow, or hear more recent performances from Bryn Terfel or Evgeny Kissin, this is the place to do it. And those Zbig Rybczynski films (set to selections from Chopin, Ravel, and Rossini, among others) will have you wondering who slipped something into your coffee.
If you're looking for some seasonal music to see you through the siege, here are some of the latest options.
Anne Sofie von Otter, I'm pleased to report, has released another Christmas album, Noel, and the even better news is that it's definitely not a perfunctory, dutiful march through all the usual titles in your Christmas collection. Von Otter is nothing if not a singer with heart and versatility, and I can promise you that she brings tenderness and joy to the celebration, to say nothing of well-chosen material.Noel is a delightfully international affair, showcasing works from Chaminade, Cornelius, Grieg, Reger, Sibelius, and others, and offering evidence of von Otter's ease with multiple languages. Need I mention that the Swedish mezzo provides especially beguiling performances of Scandinavian works for the season?
As always, von Otter's voice is rich and engaging, her diction blessedly clear. She is joined by long-time accompanist Forsberg, who performs solo piano selections between the vocal tracks.
If you choose to take home Plum Pudding, expect a multi-course banquet, not merely dessert. It's a uniquely atmospheric taste of Christmas in the United Kingdom. Interspersed with traditional carols, Renaissance polyphony, and other musical tracks are poems and dramatic readings, including selections from T.S. Eliot, Laurie Lee, Dylan Thomas, and an honest-to-goodness medieval mystery play. Truly a special delight for the season.And I would be remiss in my duties as an Olssonoid, an early music fan, and, most importantly, a Hungarian-American if I didn't remind our readers that Olsson's is featuring a bit of inspiration from early music vocal ensemble Anonymous 4: Christmas Music from Medieval Hungary. This particular album was originally issued under the title A Star in the East and features true rarities: Hungarian liturgical chant for the Advent and Christmas seasons, music that was literally rescued from annihilation while iconoclastic forces were laying waste to Hungarian culture.Some things never change, do they?
Turning from heavenly female voices to similarly inspired masculine ones, you might also consider Weihtnachtskonzert (Christmas Concert) by the Regensburger Domspatzen, the world-famous cathedral choir comprised of young men and boys, under the direction of Georg Ratzinger. If that name rings a bell, it's because Georg's kid brother is Pope Benedict XVI.The choir is known for its performances of the classical canon, and the program for this album naturally includes works by Gruber, Praetorius, and others -- music to delight the heart of anyone who ever spent Advent and Christmas in Bavaria. From the first notes of "Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her" or "Es ist ein' Ros' entsprungen," you'll feel yourself transported to a medieval cathedral and worshipful celebration.
However you spend the coming days, may it be peaceful, may it be joyous, and may it include music that lifts your spirits.
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