Noël

Review-capsulated

9/8 -Classics Today

Here's a refreshing change from the usual big-name vocalist Christmas recording: a collection mostly of little-known songs (many from the singer's native Sweden) accompanied not by overblown orchestral arrangements but only by the singer's long-time collaborator, pianist Bengt Forsberg. Scattered among the vocal selections are seven solos by Forsberg, including Percy Grainger's arrangements of Bach's Schafe konnen sicher weiden from cantata BWV 208 and the Sussex Mummer's Carol, Sibelius' Granen (The Spruce) and Talvikuva (Winter Scene), Myra Hess' arrangement of Bach's Jesu bleibet meine Freude, and Busoni's setting of Bach's Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland. It's great to have these piano selections rendered in Forsberg's confident, ardently expressive style, but the acoustic for these tracks gives the piano an unsettling and unnecessarily larger presence than for the tracks with voice. And even in some of the vocal songs, the piano balances occasionally weigh too forcefully.

Nevertheless, the singing is never less than excellent--Anne Sofie von Otter is a sensitive artist who's always committed to her material, and it's certainly the case here, especially with the Swedish songs and the Sibelius selections sung in Swedish. Otter also offers some beguiling songs in English, including Roger Quilter's The Cradle in Bethlehem, the English folksong So Blest a Sight (arranged by Walter Ehret), and Michael Head's The Three Mummers. This is a consistently fine, intimate, unusual collection that should happily attract and easily appeal to fans of the singer and to listeners looking for a holiday-season change of pace, highlighted by rarely-heard repertoire with a Swedish accent.

-Classics Today

Read About This Recording

For this holiday offering (every singer's career must have at least one, and this is her second), Anne Sophie von Otter again shows exquisite musical taste and finds material that shows off the purity of her voice. The lovely and charming tunes come out in abundance - there are 28 of them - from a list of obscure Swedish composers, a Spanish composer, and better known names, such as Jean Sibelius, Charles Gounod, Max Reger and J.S. Bach, with arrangements by Percy Grainger.

There are also a few of the anonymous carols that are known to most lovers of English-language Christmas carols. Perhaps the finest lieder interpreter in the world, von Otter finds a magnificent collection that actually works well.

-Ronald Gregory

Quotes

A consistently fine, intimate, unusual collection that should happily attract and easily appeal to fans of the singer and to listeners looking for a holiday-season change of pace, highlighted by rarely-heard repertoire with a Swedish accent. -Classics Today

Contents

Nordquist: Jul, jul, stralande jul; Wideen: Glans over sjo och strand; Grondahl: Melodi, Op. 41 No. 5; Lyapunov: Chanteurs de noels, Op. 41 No. 3; Sibelius: Nu sa kommer julen, Op. 1 No. 2; Giv mig ej glans, ej guld, ej prakt, Op. 1 No. 4; Granen, Op. 75 No. 5; Talvikuva, Op. 114 No. 2; Grieg: Julens vuggesang; Bach: Blithe Bells (after the Aria Schafe konnen sicher welden, BWV208); Jesu bleibet meine Freude (from BWV147); Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier, BWV469; Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland, BWV659; Quilter: The Cradle in Bethlehem; Head: The Three Mummers; Chaminade: Le Noel des oiseaux; Gounod: Noel; Reger: Maria Wiegenlied, Op. 76 No. 52; Cornelius: Christbaum; Die Hirten; Die Konige; Nin/Castellanos: Villancico Vasco; Villancico Castellano; Villancico de Cordoba; Villancico Andaluz; Swedish Folk Song: Pris vare Gud; English Folk Songs: The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol; So Blest a Sight.

Anne Sofie von Otter, Mezzo-soprano; Bengt Forsberg, Piano.