Episode 318. Christmas (Art) Songs, Part Deux
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A final offering of Christmas music on Countermelody this year, but far be it from me to rehash the usual Christmas carols! Absolutely not! In this episode I offer a follow-up to an episode posted years ago featuring Christmas-themed art song. Expect the unexpected (including a big helping of 20th Century selections by Britten, Hindemith, Martinů, Rorem, and Corigliano), alongside selections from our favorite Romantic and post-Romantic composers (Brahms, Schumann, Reger, Grieg, and Strauss). Singers include Gundula Janowitz, Hermann Prey, Maureen Forrester, Edith Mathis, Karl Erb, Janet Baker, Peter Schreier, Tom Krause, and Nicolai Gedda, among many, many others. Happy Holidays to all my fans and supporters!
RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE
George Michael: Last Christmas. A Wrong-Headed Assortment of “Opera Singers” [Wien 2014]
Traditional Spanish, arr. Joaquín Nin: Villancico Andaluz; Villancico Gallego; Villancico Castellano. Elsie Houston
Paul Hindemith, Rainer Maria Rilke: Mariä Verkündigung (Das Marienleben, No. 3, Second Version [1948]). Gundula Janowitz, Irwin Gage
Josep Soler, Rainer Maria Rilke: Mariä Verkündigung (Das Marienleben, No. 2, Second Version [1979]). Elena Gragera, Josep Soler, Jaime Rodríguez Roa, Josep Colomé, Josep Maria Ferrando, Marika Kobayashi
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, arr. Arne Dørumsgaard: Weihnachtslied. Gérard Souzay, Jacqueline Bonneau
Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart: Weihnachtslied der Hirten. Hermann Prey, Jörg Demus
Traditional German, arr. Johannes Brahms: Weihnachten (Volkskinderlieder, No. 12). Edith Mathis, Karl Engel
Robert Schumann, Hans Christian Andersen: Weihnacthslied (Liederalbum für die Jugend, Op. 79/17). Maureen Forrester, Michael Raucheisen
Engelbert Humperdinck, Hedwig Humperdinck: Der Stern von Bethlehem. Olaf Bär, Helmut Deutsch
Hermann Zilcher, traditional German: Ein gar alt fröhlich, auch andächtig Weihnachtsliedlein. Karl Erb, Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Max Reger, anonymous text: Christkindleins Wiegenlied, Op. 137/10. Peter Schreier, Norman Shetler
Peter Warlock [né Philip Heseltine], traditional Scots [after Martin Luther]: Balulalow. Janet Baker, Martin Isepp
Traditional English, arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams: On totuus tullut [The Truth from Above]. Jorma Hynninen, Tauno Äikää
Augusta Holmès: Noël [Trois anges sont venus du ciel]. Richard Verreau, André Grassi et son Orchestre
Traditional French, arr. Yvette Guilbert: Les trois mages. Geneviève Touraine, Irène Aïtoff
Traditional French, arr. Benjamin Britten: La Noël passée. Tom Brand, Jo Dusseldorp
Frank Martin, Albert Rudhardt: Image de Noël (Trois chants de Noël, No. 2). Karina Gauvin, Michael McMahon, Nora Shulman
Frank Martin, Albert Rudhardt: Les Bergers (Trois chants de Noël, No. 3). Sophie Wyss, Richard Adeney, Clifton Helliwell
Michael Head, Margaret Rose: The Little Road to Bethlehem. Sarah Walker, Roger Vignoles
Peter Erasmus Lange-Müller, Heinrich Heine: Die heiligen drei Könige. Sten Byriel, Ulrich Stærk
Jean Sibelius, Zacharias Topelius: Nu så kommer julen! [Christmas Is Coming!], Op. 1/2. Tom Krause, Irwin Gage
Alice Tegnér, Viktor Rydberg: Bethlehems Stjärn. Nicolai Gedda, Geoffrey Parsons
Ruben Liljefors, Jeanna Oterdahl: När det lider mot jul, Op. 19. Nicolai Gedda, Geoffrey Parsons
Edvard Grieg, Holger Drachmann: Jule-sne [Christmas Snow], Op. 49/5. Marianne Hirsti, Rudolf Jansen
Déodat de Sévérac, Paul Barthélemy Jeulin [writing as Paul Gravollet, l’aîné]:: Chant de Noël. François Le Roux, Graham Johnson
Bohuslav Martinů, traditional Czech: Píseň nábožná [Religious Song]. Olga Černá, Jitka Čechová
Hugo Wolf, Paul Heyse: Nun wandre, Maria (Spanisches Liederbuch, No. 3). Russell Oberlin, Douglas Williams
Richard Strauss, Friedrich Hermann Frey, writing as Martin Greif: Weihnachtsgefühl, TrV198. Simon Keenlyside, Malcolm Martineau
Rudi Stephan, Friedrich Hermann Frey, writing as Martin Greif: Weihnachtsgefühl. Tehila Nini Goldstein, Hinrich Alpers
Ernst Hermann Meyer, Johannes Robert Becher: Weihnacht. Peter Schreier, Walter Olbertz
John Corigliano, William M. Hoffman: Christmas at the Cloisters (The Cloisters, No. 3). Renata Scotto, Lorenzo Anselmi, The St. Patrick’s Cathedral Orchestra
T.S. Eliot: The Journey of the Magi. Read by John Gielgud
Benjamin Britten, T.S. Eliot: The Journey of the Magi (Canticle No. 4). Philip Langridge, Derek Lee Ragin, Gerald Finley, Steuart Bedford
Ned Rorem: Alleluia. Laura Aikin, Donald Sulzen
