Search - Baroque Players of Hamilton, Sinclair, Jarvis :: Baroque Christmas

Magical!

Bradley P. Lehman | Dayton, VA USA | 12/06/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Beautifully played and sung, with graceful and warm phrasing. The performances breathe naturally, and are never overdriven or too fast, nor do they drag. In short, perfectly judged interpretations. The program is mostly lesser-known gems from the 17th and 18th centuries, hard to find elsewhere. A special treat is hearing the "Une Jeune Pucelle" variations and "Jesous Ahatonhia" (in Huron and French) back to back, since the latter tune is derived from the former. It is one of the first Christmas carols ever written in the New World. The Murschhauser is a delightful "cuckoo" piece. The JCF Bach Allegretto is a rarely-heard variation set on "Morgen kommt der Weihnachtsmann" (the "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" tune) contemporary with Mozart's setting, but in my opinion more interesting than Mozart's. The "Messiah" excerpt is not at all superfluous here, either, since it is the uncommon version in 12/8. Wonderful programming all around. This recording also nicely demonstrates three different harpsichords: an Italian 16th-century Pisaurensis copy by Colin Booth, a French 18th-century Blanchet copy by David Jensen, and a German copy after Graebner by Yves Beaupre. I bought this disc knowing nothing about this group or label, and seeing only the playlist. Now it's my #1 recommendation for this season!"