Velvet for eyes and ears

This CD comes around velvety therefore, both musically and in the packaging. A red samtbezogener Pappschuber: One finds it noble, the other cheesy. Campy Christmas there must indeed be times, just please do not musically!

This danger has passed alone through the first-class cast with orchestra, conductor, chorus and soloists, which can point to a long-standing, reputable and artistic prime Bach tradition in her career all.

Dresdner Kreuz Choir, Dresden Philharmonic, Peter Schreier, Annelies Burmeister, Theo Adam: These names alone make me have goose bumps and nostalgia. Together with Thomas Choir and the Gewandhaus Orchestra, they were in the 70's statement of the enormous, continues to this day music cultural wealth in the other part of Germany.

How nice that the inclusion of VEB German records Berlin was launched again in this version!

Samtweich including music, sound aesthetically far from the sleek, vibrato poor musicianship of the representative of a historicizing performance practice. Martin Flämig celebrates an oratorio with warm, sensual choral sound. The cross choir makes it sometimes miss to airiness and transparency something for him the devotional, contemplative passages succeed all the more beautiful and poignant. Flämig here time to breathe.

Peter Schreier seems born as an evangelist, so this role it is tailored to the body. Distance and sympathy are with him in the recitatives always in a perfect ratio. Of course, its characteristic, slightly "knödeliges" Timbre have to like, I love it!

Arleen Auger, as an American under Saxony, fits perfectly into the ensemble. With clear articulation takes her hot radiant soprano one for themselves. Wonderfully, the echo aria "Infuses my Savior"! Annelies Burmeister's Old is this in every way.

Theo Adams bass (for me rather bass-baritone) impresses with its lyrical qualities with slender voice leading.

The dispositions described Soloists, always free from affectation, contribute to the velvety well-being, that leaves this recording with me. The sound recording is transparent, warm and balanced. The purpose expressed by one reviewer criticism with reference to flawed East German recording equipment I can understand in any way. Let him listen again, as all-German sound engineer in 1994 Rilling's St. Matthew Passion "botched" by a too direct sound.

For the very reasonable price especially since this recording of the Christmas Oratorio for me is unrivaled.