Search - Schola of the Hofburgkapelle - Vienna, P. Hubert Dopf S.J. :: Gregorian Chant for Xmas

Finest Album of Its Kind

R. E. Rayner Jr. | Metropolitan Philadelphia, USA | 06/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Shortly after this album was released, I heard a review of it on a public radio program entitled "Performance Today." Based on that glowing review, I actually drove nearly fifty miles to find a music store that had it in stock. That was over twenty years ago, and I still play this recording quite often. The radio program review hailed not only the performance itself, but the superb audio quality resulting from being recorded entirely in the digital domain (a fledgling process at that time, as compact discs were just beginning to take hold in the consumer recording marketplace). Indeed, the sonic quality is absolutely stunning. You can almost hear the blinking of the choir's eyes, so pristine is the recording's clarity and lack of any discernible noise, not to mention its marvelous dynamic range. As an avid fan of this type of singing, I can state that this album is THE definitive Gregorian chant recording, the finest that can be had. Even if one cares little for Gregorian chant, it's still worth a listen if for no other reason than to experience what I think is, technically speaking, one of the best digital recordings of music ever made."

Title: Chants for Christmastide

Peter B. Nelson | Minneapolis, MN USA | 05/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Only on page 4 of the liner notes is given the evident title of this album: CHANTS FOR CHRISTMAS-TIDE, or GESANGE AUS DEM WEIHNACHTSFESTKREIS, or CHANTS POUR LE TEMPS DE NOEL. According to Wikipedia Christmastide is the season from Christmas to January 5th, also known as the "Twelve Days of Christmas." A quality, classic recording."