Saint-Saens, Respighi - Oratorio De Noel/Lauda Per La Nativita Del Signore
STYLE: Choral RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 14993- LABEL: Proprius PRSACD9057 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1
Reviewed by Steven Whitehead
These two pieces were recorded in Stockholm in 1981 and have now been reissued using the SACD format, playable on both CD and SACD machines. Your old-fashioned reviewer has only a CD player but he can report that the recording quality is excellent. Indeed, so is the musicianship of the young Nordic singers and musicians, under the leadership of Anders Eby. Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) is remembered now as a composer and concert pianist rather than as a church musician but for 20 years he was organist at Madeleine Church in Paris. The Christmas Oratorio of 1863 was one of his earlier works and was initially dismissed as being too similar to Bach who, at that time, was not highly regarded. However I enjoyed it very much, particularly the singing of the two female soloists, Britt-Marie Aruhn and Anne Sofie von Otter. "The Hymn Of Praise For The Birth Of The Lord" by Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) sits very well next to the Saint-Saëns. Here Respighi has taken texts from the 13th century monk Jacopone da Todi and set it to music that reflects the time by using Italian folk music to give a traditional, pastoral feel. All in all, this was an enjoyable hour's worth of music.
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