Description: Sumi Jo's performances on this record are so splendid that they transcend its rather odd mix of vocal and instrumental combinations, languages, and styles. Using Christmas as its unifying element, the program juxtaposes the familiar and the unknown and is anchored by three cantatas: one by Alessandro Scarlatti, sung in Italian; one by Christoph Bernhard in German; and Mozart's famous "Exultate, jubilate" in Latin. They alternate with songs and chorales for both solo and choir, including the well-known unaccompanied folksong "I wonder as I wander," which opens the program. Bach is represented only by a chorale from his Christmas Oratorio. The selection of the instrumental pieces seems less felicitous. Vivaldi's E major Violin Concerto, though associated with Christmas, is not one of his best. The slow movement of an early Mozart Symphony, which is supposed to contain a quote from a German carol, is an even stranger choice; however, it is so beautiful that the incongruity hardly matters. Inevitably, the record includes that most popular of all Christmas songs, "Silent Night," not once but twice: first in German with a fine contralto in her only appearance and an orchestral accompaniment straight out of the movies, and to close the program, in English with violin and fortepiano. Both versions use a melody substantially different from the familiar one. Sumi Jo's crystal-clear, perfectly focused voice sheds a silvery shimmer over everything she touches. Her vibrato is a little too narrow, but the coloratura is impeccable, the phrasing natural. She radiates an infectious joy in her own singing and the music, whether simple or sophisticated, that should light up any Christmas celebration. The accompanying forces are excellent. --Edith Eisler Combined shipping discount on all items unless otherwise noted. Just use the add to cart option and proceed to checkout when done. Please note that the Buy It Now button voids the discount.
Price: 7.99 USD
Location: Old Saybrook, Connecticut
End Time: 2025-01-04T01:26:12.000Z
Shipping Cost: 3.95 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Type: Album
Occasion: Christmas
Artist: Sumi Jo
CD Grading: Very Good Plus (VG+)
Composer: Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Alessandro Scarlatti, Johann Cruger, Adolphe Charles Adam, Christoph Bernhard, Franz Xaver Gruber, Michael Praetorius, Samuel Scheidt
Record Label: ERATO (USA)
Release Title: The Christmas Album
Case Type: Jewel Case: Standard
Case Condition: Mint (M)
Duration: 74min.
Inlay Condition: Excellent (EX)
Catalog Number: 8573-85819-2
Edition: First Edition
Format: CD
Release Year: 2001
Language: English, German
Era: 2000s
Instrument: Organ, Piano, Violin, Voice
Style: Song, Sacred Music / Hymn, Motet, Folk Song, Concerto, Oratorio, Hymn, Symphony, Solo Cantata / Cantata
Features: Import
Genre: Religious & Devotional, Solo Cantata, Song, Cantata, Motet, Folk Song, Concerto, Oratorio, Classical, Hymn, Symphony
Run Time: 75
Country/Region of Manufacture: Germany
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