Search - Marc-Antoine Charpentier :: Charpentier - Noëls & Christmas Motets

Danger Will Robinson, Danger...

03/20/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This disc is well recorded and well played but it is not Charpentier. Rather, it is a disc of arrangements of Charpentier done by Kevin Mallon of the Aradia Ensemble. The Aradia Ensemble is a period instrument group, so one expects authenticity. One does not find it, however.What I find most troubling is that Naxos did not feel the need to inform its potential consumers (somewhere on the outside of the package) that these discs are inauthentic adaptations. All they would have needed to do is list the composer as Charpentier-Mallon or to note that Mallon arranged and adapted these pieces adding new instrumentation and, in some instances, expanding the texts. Why do record companies continue to issue product in this way? Not only is it historically perverse, it is unethical. Anyway, what I have learned from all this is that you stay with those who brought you, at least in this repertoire. In other words, stay away from the nouveau Stokowskian perversions of Mallon and stick with Christie and Minkowski."

Really deserves a rating better than listed by one reviewer

Giradman | 12/15/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, this is a delightful listening at the holiday season - the voices (both solo & together) are well recorded, as are the period instruments. The liner notes explain the changes made explicitly - I guess this does not really upset me as much as the one other 'poor' (and unjustified) review of this recording. Baroque music is often left open to interpretation, embellishments, etc., esp. w/ borrowings from other literary sources or in the use of carols (noels). Below is another review found elsewhere which simply confirms my own thoughts - take a chance, this is still lovely music which is very well done, and at a Naxos price!



"For early music lovers, this is a delightful collection of Christmas motets and arrangements of popular French carols played on period instruments, performed with distinction by the Canadian Aradia Ensemble under the direction of Kevin Mallon. The solo singing is uniformly strong, and the recorded sound in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Toronto, is atmospheric but not overly reverberant. And at the Naxos bargain basement prices, this is hard to resist.""

Delightful

lutefan | Seattle, USA | 11/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I found this disc to be unexpectedly delightful. The music is full of charming tunes and the adaptations are tastefully done--Charpentier would doubtless have approved. (As another review has noted, the changes the ensemble has made are in fact mentioned in the liner notes). It's also very well recorded--not always the case with Naxos. The Aradia Ensemble came out with a second disc of Charpentier Christmas music (http://www.amazon.com/Noels-Christmas-Motets-Vol-2/dp/B00006L3VT/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1228085618&sr=1-4), which is good, but if you have a choice buy this one, vol. 1."