"This Christmas cantata volume is the crown jewel of the Monteverdi Choir's series of complete Bach cantatas. The opening chorus of the first cantata on this CD is what heaven must sound like. Unlike a few recordings I've heard of these cantatas where the instruments overpower the voices, John Gardiner does a great job of balancing out the orchestra and choir. I listened to this CD constantly when I first got it. Buy the Monteverdi Choir's disk with the Advent cantatas to supplement this superb recording."
Engrave this performance in your mind!
Stacey Martin | Simpsonville, SC | 12/22/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you like Bach and are a fan of Gardiner, you'll love this recording! The words to the opening cantata, when translated into English, read: "Christians, engrave this day(Christmas)in metal and marbel..." In this opening cantata, Bach, as no other composer can, paints a vivid musical picture of a hammer hitting a chisle(timpani) on metal(trumpets). Gardiner, the English Boroque Soloists, and the Monteverdi Choir, offer a performance of the Christmas Cantatas that will be "engraved" in the listener's mind even after the Christmas season."
Joyful Bach!
A. Craig | Grand Junction,CO | 11/10/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This recording of Four of Bach's Christmas Cantatas shows the listener some of his most joyful music. Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Montiverdi
Choir and the English Baroque Soloists deliver the goods on every selection. My personal favorte is BWV 63 "Christen atzet diesen Tag"
These recordings are part of the DG Archiv series of Bach Cantata Pilgrimage recordings, which for reasons of Money, et al, discontinued.
So Sir John and company decided to start their own label SDG or Soli Deo
Gloria which is working hard to record the rest of the cantatas from the
pilgrimage. The cantata are performed on Authentic Instruments, but do not
sound like an academic excersise in performance, instead they sound like
a celebration of Bach's music and spiritually. I can easily recommend the
entire series of recordings on both labels. Also their DVD of Bach's "
Christmas Oratorio" on Arthaus is a must have item, and a great compliment
to these recordings."
Arkiv or SDG?
Mark Preece | Edmonton, Alberta Canada | 08/07/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I would agree with most of Craig's review, apart from the fact that these Arkiv recordings were not exactly a part of Gardiner's Bach Pilgrimage. They were recorded in London England, at Abby Road Studios, not live in a famous church in Western Europe that Bach had some connection with. This Arkiv version of Cantata No. 63 is the finished recording of the "In Rehearsal with John Eliot Gardiner" DVD, where you get to see how John conducts his rehearsals. Very interesting to say the least. I purchased them both and used as a comparison. Although VERY good, I would still choose Gardiner's "Soli Deo Gloria" recordings of the actual Pilgrimage. I am a subscriber of the Bach Pilgrimage recordings, and every on is absolutely fantastic. Notably, Niklas Eklund on Baroque trumpet is absolutely the best in the world, and his interpretation of the Cantatas plays circles around both Mark Bennet and Crispian Steele-Perkins! As for the SDG version of No. 63, the Pilgrimage version has not yet been released, but it will be included on Vol. 18 of the set, so watch for it, as it will be a fantastic addition to the subscription."