Have A Classical Christmas!
Isaak Koh
The Yuletide season is upon us once again and the annual ritual of choosing gifts for our loved ones proceeds apace. I have always felt that the gift of music is one that keeps on giving all through the year, so it is always a good option. Classical music and items of similar nature also fit into the spirit of Christmas, making them great gift ideas for those who normally go for such things. Here are some suggestions if you are stumped.
Mozart's music is always a great buy for the uninitiated. Robert Casadeus's rendition of Mozzie's 21st and 26th Piano Concertos with the Cleveland Orchestra and George Szell (Sony SBK 67178 budget price) are eminently listenable and very well-played. The disc comes with twelve variations on "Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman" played by Andre Previn, better known in the English-speaking world as "Twinkle, twinkle, little star." More of a curiosity than anything significant though.
Handel's most famous oratorio Messiah is a Christmas staple, so you can't really go wrong there. Good complete and inexpensive Messiahs are conducted by Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and Harry Christophers with The Sixteen. Davis's (Philips Duo 438 356 budget price, 2 CDs - cover right) is on modern instruments, full-bodied, grand and well-sung. Marriner's (Double Decca 444 824 budget price, 2 CDs) is also modern, but textures are more sparse, less rich-sounding than the Davis. Harry Christopher's (Hyperion CDD22019 budget price, 2 CDs) wonderful period-style version has just been reissued on Hyperion Dyad and it is a bargain for those who like the special sound of such an approach. Highlights CDs are available, but it is more rewarding to listen to the entire oratorio.
An Early Music Interlude by Chia Han-Leon Christmas shouldn't really be the garish street-lighting, greedy cashiers-ringing, fake Santas and tree-killing decorations we see today. Ever yearned for another kind of Christmas, something closer and "older" in spirit?
Try some Early Music for a change - Christmas (or related) music from the Middle Ages - listen to and give the gift of the ethereal and haunting hymns of the 12th century Abbess Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) in the poetically titled album, "A Feather on the Breath of God" (Hyperion 66039). Another beautiful album of music by this medieval visionary, whose 900th birth anniversary will be celebrated in 1998, is "O Jerusalem" performed by Sequentia on Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 05472 77353.
More ethereal music comes from the hands of the majestically named Perontin and Leoninus, whose music can be found on "The Age of Cathedrals" (Harmonia Mundi HMU 907157) and "Magister Leoninus" (Hyperion 66944).
For an album of Medieval English Christmas music, with an ample menu of dances, songs and lullabies sung by a small ensemble, look no further than Gabriel's Greeting (Hyperion 66685).
A little closer to us is the lute music of the Italian Baroque, as heard on the colourful and atmospheric album "Ancient Airs and Dances" (Hyperion 66228)- though it has nothing to do with Christmas, it is a perfect musical accompaniment for a quiet Christmas evening or dinner.
For the non-Christians among us, Christmas is a time of hope and peace. No other work captures that feeling better than Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, the "Choral". Karajan's 1977 version with the Berlin Philharmonic (DG Galleria 415 832 mid price, also available on the "new" Classical 100 collection from Polygram) is still one of the best I have heard and is well-worth its price. Budget alternatives are Eugen Jochum's with the Concertgebouw (Belart 450 041) and Leonard Bernstein's with the Vienna Philharmonic (DG 439 495). No text and translation of the famous "Ode to Joy" choral section is provided on all three discs, although you should be able to find one in your local library. For those who enjoy barnstorming heroism, a copy of the "Emperor" Piano Concerto will truly satisfy. Get the Wilhelm Kempff version with the Berlin Philharmonic and Ferdinand Leitner (DG Originals 447 402 mid price - cover below) which comes with the Fourth Concerto. If the receiver really enjoys Beethoven, why not go all the way and purchase the benchmark 1963 Karajan set of complete symphonies (DG 429 036 budget price, 5 CDs). At S$50 at HMV, it is an absolute steal.
This year has seen many significant deaths in the classical world, the two leading ones being Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter and Hungarian conductor Sir Georg Solti. The art of Richter is best sampled on a DG Double recital set which pulls together all his recordings (studio and live) licensed to DG from 1962 to 1965 (DG 447 255 budget price, 2 CDs). Avoid the reissued set with the blue cover - the famous Prokofiev's Sonata No. 8 is missing! Like Richter, Solti's discography is massive. A genuine bargain is his recording of Brahms's German Requiem and selected songs (Double Decca 452 344 budget price, 2 CDs). Both sets serve as fabulous reminders of these musical giants.
For budding opera buffs, there is no better work for the chilly season than Puccini's La Bohème. This tale of blazing passion is set in winter and the glorious music makes it highly accessible to all. Serafin's wonderful-sounding four-decade old recording with Tebaldi and Bergonzi (Double Decca 448 725 budget price, 2 CDs - cover left) is a fantastic buy. Again, no text is provided, so check your nearest library.
One must also not forget the eternal music of J.S.Bach (that's a cartoon of him above, by Rowan Barinet Murphy). His Goldberg Variations played on a harpsichord make beautiful background music when you are entertaining guests at home, the tinkling melodies adding an old-world charm to the festive ambience. It is also something to marvel at when listened to attentively. My favourite version is Maggie Cole's (Virgin Veritas Edition VER 5 61153 mid price). Herr Bach also offers a choral alternative to his contemporary's Messiah in the form of the Christmas Oratorio - try Münchinger's recording on Double Decca 455 410 at budget price, or Herreweghe's period version at full price (Virgin Veritas 7 59530 - cover above).
Lastly, more traditional collections of Christmas music can be found in "The Joy of Christmas" (Double Decca 452 450 budget price, 2 CDs - cover left), a selection of carols sung by well-known vocalists such as Te Kanawa, Pavarotti and Sutherland, and in "Noel: Christmas at King's" (Double Decca 444 848 budget price, 2 CDs), a collection of 36 carols sung by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. Naxos provides a satisfying budget-priced compilation on the theme of "Ave Maria", including the famous settings by Schubert and Gounod (Naxos 8.553751). The two well-received films on classical composers, "Amadeus" and "Immortal Beloved", available on video and LD, also make great entertainment gifts.
I hope this article has made your Christmas shopping a little easier, or even tempt you to purchase them for yourself. Feliz Navidad and peace and goodwill toward all peoples.
These items are available at...
Hyperion: Beethoven Record House (Centrepoint)
Harmonia Mundi: HMV (The Heeren), Borders Music (Wheelock Place)
Veritas: HMV, Tower (Pacific Plaza)
Sony Essential Classics (SBK): HMV, Tower.
Videos/LDs: Tower, HMV and various bookstores.The rest are more or less everywhere.
Isaak Koh is dreaming of a Green Christmas with every Unarmed Combat move he makes. (He's stuck in the army - Ed.)
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