Praetorius - Mass for Christmas Morning

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Music reviews of Praetorius - Mass for Christmas Morning

Music Review: Beware the wayward crumhorn!
Rating: 3 Stars

So why does McCreesh use all these weirdo instruments? Beats me!
Thirty years ago there weren't mute cornett players or Renaissance transverse flute players readily available and David Munrow's recording was colourful and interesting but only hinted at how this music might actually sound.
Unlike Munrow, McCreesh uses female voices instead of boys - Praetorius goes as far as printed the word 'puer' next to soprano parts in some of his scores!

Don't think I'm being too harsh - the performances on this CD are good - "Puer natus in Bethlehem" and "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern" are very good apart from the use of crumhorns and rackets in these pieces. The Missa: gantz Teudsch is generally good but there are good boy sopranos around - why weren't they used for the solos in the Mass? (Boys appear in some of the other works on this CD)

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Music lovers looking for an exciting and HIP recording of the music of Praetorius need look no further than the Polyhymnia Caduceatrix & Panegyrica recording made by La Capella Ducale/Musica Fiata directed by Roland Wilson. This double CD is on SONY S2K 62 929. This is the recording of Praetorius you need!

The Gabrieli Consort & Players' recording of Praetorius?
A disappointment for a number of reasons and a chance missed to bring Praetorius out into the open as one of the finest Northern European composers between Lassus and Schütz.

Buy this, if you must, but don't waste a moment and buy the Musica Fiata recording!

Description of Praetorius - Mass for Christmas Morning

Classical CDs

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