You really should: experience the Lutheran Christmas Mass from the days of real music in our churches, the Praetorius Christmette - downloaded the whole album from iTunes this a.m. I know, I'm behind on this because folks have been recommending this recording for years, but I just got around to it. It is both beautiful, peaceful, and jubilant beyond the ability of mere words to describe. The chanting of the Collect, Epistle, Holy Gospel, Our Father and Words of our Lord are particularly striking. And the German Sanctus (Isaiah, Mighty Seer) which follows upon the consecration is the very music of heaven itself.
15 December 2007
If You've Not Done It Yet
You really should: experience the Lutheran Christmas Mass from the days of real music in our churches, the Praetorius Christmette - downloaded the whole album from iTunes this a.m. I know, I'm behind on this because folks have been recommending this recording for years, but I just got around to it. It is both beautiful, peaceful, and jubilant beyond the ability of mere words to describe. The chanting of the Collect, Epistle, Holy Gospel, Our Father and Words of our Lord are particularly striking. And the German Sanctus (Isaiah, Mighty Seer) which follows upon the consecration is the very music of heaven itself.
Praetorius' Christmette: absolutely stunning to listen. It made the rounds at Fort Wayne around 2000, and many of us snapped it up. Glad to see you made the leap, too.
ReplyDeleteHearing the sung service and recognizing the similarity of the tones to what we still use today opened the eyes (confirming what was instinctively known). And when some parishioners heard it, they were even more impressed.
And the conclusion: In dulci jubilo. Outstanding! Crank up the BOSE to about 80 and buckle the seatbelt. Oh, that we were there.
LTZ
I was one that snapped it up along with Pr. Zimmerman back in those lazy, hazy, crazy days at the Fort.
ReplyDeleteI agree. The final hymn is worthy of cranking up GOOD AND LOUD. All stops out on the organ. It brings chills and goosebumps writing about it.
Today I downloaded through Amazon the MP3 of Kings College Cambridge singing of The Nine Lessons and Carols. We'll be doing our version next Sunday afternoon (12/23).
Looking forward to an afternoon of carols and Scripture today via MP3 as the snow falls in east-central Kankakee County, IL.
Anyone know where you can find the texts of this work? I can't seem to find it. It looks like most of the words should be familiar, but it would be good to see the german at least once.
ReplyDeleteWell...if you bought the CD rather than downloading it, it's in the notes.
ReplyDelete:-)
But I'm not entirely sure. The first (or maybe its the second I'm not quite sure) is "Puer natus in Bethlehem" and "Ein kind gebornen zu Bethlehem" (The Latin and German of the same song.) You can probably find that online. The last one is "in dulci jubilo" I know some of the words for that, but the one they have is longer than the one I know.
And yes, that album is absolutely amazing. Also worth checking out (though not Christmassy) is John Eliot Gardiner's recording of Schutz's Muschalische exsequien (I may have spelled that wrong, just search on Amazon for Schutz and Gardiner). It's outstanding.
This CD is a gem. I am a proud owner of it and I break it out every Christmas and it makes me long to hear these hymns again in Church, but I'm Eastern Rite so that's not going to happen.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to Lutheranism that it would willingly sacrifice the musical heritage of such great composers like Praetorius, Hassler, Schutz, Scheidt, Schein, Tellemon and, above all, Bach for poppy tunes? Sad.
I'm a proud owner of a very similar CD, Praetorius's Mass for Christmas Morning. Wonderful wonderful stuff. Vom Himmel Hoch rocks.
ReplyDeleteDan
I have owned this CD for years, and it has always been mandatory listening on Christmas Morning while opening presents! Nice and loud at 6am!
ReplyDeleteAnother worthy work for the Advent/Christmas season (it is completely in German but all Lutherans will recognize the selections) is "J.S. Bach Christmas Music", featuring the Thomanerchor/Leipzig et al.
ReplyDeleteTo hear "Vom Himmel Hoch" and "Lobet den Herrn alle Heiden" always fills me with Christmas joy.
Three more comments.
ReplyDelete(1) NecessaryRoughness: The CD Pr. Weedon describes is the identical one to yours. Pr. Weedon's just happened to have the title in German. I almost made the same mistake.
(2) Another album to own or download is JS Bach's Epiphany Mass from the same group (Gabrieli Consort and Players). You'd likely be able to order it this week and receive it in time for January 6. It is like the Praetorius album, in that the conductor, Paul McCreesh, is interested in "re-creating" what the Divine Service may have been like. The album notes include writings from Robin Leaver.
While it might not be as "high-tempo" as the Praetorius CD (something about the difference between the Renaissance and Baroque), it is still majestic. There is some overlap between the two albums in music selection, but you get to hear the different treatment that the composers give to it. The Bach album includes two cantatas, as well as the mass order, so it is two CDs long.
(3) Another album that is also worth a spin is the Schutz Christmas Vespers, again from the Gabrieli Consort and Players. It is a step below the Praetorius and Bach albums, but it includes the order of Vespers with Schutz's Weihnachts-Historie between the office hymn and the Magnificat. There are also a number of 15/16th Century German Christmas hymns included.
LTZ