Editorial Review:

Amazon.com:
Heinrich Schütz's Christmas Story, besides being a historical milestone, has always been one of 17th-century music's crowd-pleasers--the former because it's the ancestor of Christmas oratorios by Bach, Charpentier, and even Berlioz; the latter because it presents engaging depictions of the characters in the Nativity story with a cornucopia of colorful instruments (piping recorders for the shepherds, a galumphing bassoon (representing the gait of the camels?) for the three wise men, regally blaring cornets for King Herod, and pompous trombones for his priests). As you might expect, there are a number of fine recordings of this proto-oratorio, from the graceful and somewhat delicate rendition of René Jacobs to the high-energy performance of Robert King. As usual, Paul McCreesh goes where no one has gone before, showing us the context for which Schütz probably wrote the work in the first place: a Christmas Day Vespers service at the court in Dresden where the composer was chapel master. McCreesh's reconstruction includes thrilling performances of two Christmas hymns (with tunes by Luther himself), organ music by Scheidt, a psalm from Schütz's collection Psalmen Davids, a delicate motet for four soloists, and (in an electrifying reading) a lavish multiple-choir Magnificat. Alongside all these, McCreesh's rendition of the Christmas Story seems--well, not lackluster, exactly (it's very skillfully done, and Susan Hemington Jones as the Angel is a particular treat), but a bit less inspired than the rest of the program. So if that one work is all you care about, you may want to consider the Jacobs or King versions; otherwise, this disc won't disappoint--it's as exciting a Christmas record as you'll find. --Matthew Westphal

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Disc 1:

1. La Piva (Prelude) - Heinrich Schütz, Anonymous
2. Deus in Auditorium (Chant) - Heinrich Schütz, Schutz, Heinrich
3. Warum Toben Die Heiden - Heinrich Schütz, Schutz, Heinrich
4. Christum Wir Sollen Loben Schon (Prelude) - Heinrich Schütz, Anonymous
5. Historia Der Geburt Jesu Christi: Eingang: Die Geburt Unseres Herren Je
6. Es Begab Sich Aber Zu Derselbigen Zeit (Recitation)
7. Intermedium I (Der Engel): Fürchtet Euch Nicht
8. Und Alsbald War da Bei Dem Engel (Recitation)
9. Intermedium II (Die Menge Der Engel): Ehre Sei Gott in Der Höhe
10. Und da Die Engel (Recitation)
11. Intermedium III (Die Hirten Auf Dem Felde): Lasset Uns Nun Gehen Gen Be
12. Und Die Kamen Eilend (Recitation)
13. Intermedium IV (Die Weisen Aus Dem Morgenlande): Wo Ist Der Neugeborne
14. Da das Der König Gehöret Hatte (Recitation)
15. Intermedium V (Die Hohepriester): Zu Bethlehem Im Jüdischen Lande
16. Da Berief Herodes Die Weisen Heimlich (Recitation)
17. Intermedium VI (Herodes): Ziehet Hin und Forscht Fleißig
18. Als Sie Nun Den König Gehöret Hatten (Recitation)
19. Intermedium VII (Der Engel Zu Joseph): Stehe Auf, Joseph
20. Und Er Stund Auf und Nahm das Kindlein (Recitation)
21. Intermedium VIII (Der Engel Zu Joseph in Egypten): Stehe Auf, Joseph
22. Und Er Stund Auf und Nahm das Kindlein (Recitation)
23. Beschluss: Dank Sagen Wir Alle Gott
24. Magnificat: Magnificat Anima Mea - Et Exultavit - Quia Respexit
25. Wir Christenleut Habn Itzund Freud (Hymn)
26. Quia Fecit Mihi Magna - Et Misericordia - Fecit Potentiam - Deposuit Po
27. Lobt Gott, Ihr Chrsiten All Zugleich (Hymn)
28. Esurientes Implevit Bonis - Suscepit Israel - Sicut Locutus Est
29. In Dulci Jubilo (Hymn)
30. Gloria Patri, et Filio - Sicut Erat in Principio
31. O Bone Jesu, Fili Mariae - Heinrich Schütz, Schutz, Heinrich
32. Gelobet Seist du, Jesu Christ (Hymn) - Heinrich Schütz, Anonymous
33. Collect and Blessing (Chant) - Heinrich Schütz, Schutz, Heinrich
34. Benedicamus Domino (Postlude) - Heinrich Schütz, Warlock, Peter

Rating: - * Wonderful--but get another Oratorio for comparison ... First of all, I was enthralled by the singing and the organ sound: very rich and musical in every way. The congregational singing, specifically, is superb, and the CD is worth buying for everything that comes before and after the Christmas Historia. The historia, though, is an edition that is disconcerting to me. Perhaps I have heard versions that are less "authentic" than this one, but there are enough differences between the McCreesh and other versions I have heard that I must assume others will be affected the same way. Rating: - * Splendid choral sound and fabulous organ in superb acoustic ... This fine recording continues the tradition started by the Consort with their Praetorius Christmas recording released several seasons ago. The organ sound is rich and impressive, and the choral sound is, as usual, impeccable. Charles Daniels is an effective evangelist in the Schutz Christmas Oratorio, though he is not as sonorous as John Mark Ainsley on Hyperion. This as close as I come to a cavil regarding this very fine recording.