Search - André Kostelanetz :: Christmas Concert

Excellent Orchestra And Chorus CD

rodney wiltin | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | 08/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First thing first, this is not a live christmas cd but a compilation of songs from various studio recorded christmas albums.



The above aside, this is a fantastic christmas cd that takes several christmas songs ANDRE KOSTELANETZ has recorded and puts them together for this now 'discontinued' item. Why it's been discontinued, I don't know. It's a fantastic 1950's/1960's styled orchestra christmas cd with a chorus on several of the songs. If you like the christmas albums of HENRY MANCINI, PERCY FAITH, LIVING STRINGS (or LIVING STRINGS AND LIVING VOICES), etc...... you should like this alot. On this release, I would say that even though Andre Kostelanetz is often compared to PERCY FAITH, the songs here sound more like HENRY MANICNI'S 1966 christmas album, A MERRY MANCINI CHRISTMAS, rather than PERCY FAITH'S christmas albums throughout the years. The reason for this is that the orchestra, especially in the songs that have a chorus in them (but some of the straight orchestra songs too), don't stand out as flashy as in PERCY FAITH'S christmas albums. This isn't a bad thing, though, as this ANDRE KOSTELANETZ release gives a bit of a different sound than the PERCY FAITH stuff.



The orchestra does jump out at you in some songs like the fastest version of SLEIGHRIDE I have ever heard (and one of the best and most classic versions, too). Also the medley of RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER/JINGLE BELLS stands out orhchestrally as does the medley of THE FIRST NOEL/IT CAME UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR/O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL.



Tamer orchestral songs such as MARCH OF THE TOYS/TOYLAND and CHRISTMAS CHIMES (really, CAROL OF THE BELLS) hit a calmer but nice christmasy mood.



The chorus stands out in songs such as in O HOLY NIGHT and in the medley AWAY IN A MANGER/WE THREE KINGS OF ORIENT ARE. Here, the orchestra would be second to the chorus as these would be more chorus oriented songs (but still very nice and songs that reflect the christmas atmosphere to a high degree).



What we really need is to have the ANDRE KOSTELANETZ christmas albums released on cd rather than compilations such as this one but until then, I just can't understand why this cd has been discontinued as it offers some very beautiful christmas music that can make the christmas holidfays so much better.



If you can find this anywhere such as from individual sellers here on Amazon, I would highly recommend you get this cd, especially if you like HENRY MANCINI, PERCY FAITH, and the LIVING STRINGS (or the LIVING STRINGS AND LIVING VOICES christmas music).



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