Praetorius - Mass for Christmas Morning

This exhilarating disc is arguably the most important record Paul McCreesh has made. Praetorius, the first great composer of Lutheran church music, wrote countless pieces based on popular Lutheran chorale tunes, ranging from simple harmonizations to flamboyant fantasias for multiple choirs with instruments. He also provided detailed instructions regarding various performance options--including ways to involve the congregation. Here, for the first time, McCreesh puts these instructions into practice, reconstructing an extravagant Christmas service. We hear elaborately scored Mass movements, simple harmonizations, the Creed (with Luther's own music), lusty congregational singing, and spirited organ improvisations. Many of the Christmas chorales Praetorius used are still well-known today, including Wachet auf (Sleepers wake) and In dulci jubilo, which gets a magnificent setting with trumpet-and-drum fanfares. --Matthew Westphal Amazon.com essential recording

Oh my sweet Lord

This is fully enthralling. As a young man I find it difficult to enjoy such music but I would give this album a thousands stars, thats all. this is genius. January 20, 2008

Marvelous Praetorius

I've been a "fan" of Michael Praetorius's works since I first purchased an LP of Terpsichore. This, one of the latest releases of some of his enormous output is just fantastic. Closing my eyes and listening to the sonorous music reflected off the high cathedral ceiling and walls takes me into the core of the music. This is "meat and potatoes" music, not like the fluff that is passed off on us nowadays - it's spiritually satisfying, and we come away feeling fed. Having grown up in the Lutheran Church way back when, I finally bolted away due to their losing their way musically and politically. This music brings me back to the foundation of the church and the rich musical heritage that it had enjoyed. January 1, 2008

This "Christmas" Music Is Year-Round Pleasure

I am incredibly taken with this recording, and listen to it throughout the year, not just at Christmas. I've studied the history of Lutheran liturgy, and McCreesh has not simply produced a replica of the musical portions of a seventeenth-century Lutheran Mass, he has done so in a beautiful and compelling way. If I could only keep ten CDs, this would certainly be one of them. August 24, 2007

***** - 8, 9, 10. There we go: 10 stars.

i have had this recording for several years now. its the first one of mccreesh's i bought. and i bought it based solely on the exceptional reviews given here on amazon (4 or 5 at the time). it is unarguably pointless to write a review now, but i am going to anyway ;o).

As if you needed any further encouragement to buy this record...i will agree with all the preceding raves. i dont even mind the rackets and crumhorns and shawms, etc. - adds character. i would like to highlight one track here against the others: Puer Natus in Bethlehem. This one never gets old. such tremendous energy and powerful joy. i honestly have to wonder about the structural integrity of Roskilde Cathedral after the performance of this one piece. Nowhere else in all of his recordings is McCreesh's unparalleled talent illustrated. His scholarship, arrangement, and interpretation of this piece is a rare treasure of this genre. Considering another comparison with the Roland Wilson on Sony Vivarte release, yes, McCreesh's effort clearly has first place. Back to the entire recording, other standouts include the opening chorale - one of the most exotic and grabbing harmonies you will ever hear, the Quempas (although the cathedral acoustics do rob some of the subtle harmonies that really make this piece), and the final hymn Puer Nobis Nascitur: simple, but, again, infectious and addictive expression of the highest joy. I would also echo a previous reviewer's comment about the Roskilde organ. The tone and sonic capabilities of this instrument are simply astonishing.

Again, this review is unnecessary so far as selling is concerned, but the work represented here deserves many more. Go ahead and pick this one up, and give it the place of honor in your entire collection. November 18, 2006

Brilliant, transcendent...

I can only pile on to the other glowing reviews: this is a tour de force of choral and solo singing as well as instrumental color. With deference to Steven Guy (who's done yeoman's service in producing public-domain versions of some of this music!), I'd have to say I can gladly overlook the historical inaccuracy of using crumhorns, racketts etc. in exchange for the sheer sense of scale and awe that McCreesh provides. I own the Musica Fiata recording he mentions, and it's excellent--but it probably won't send 10,000 volts through your skull the way the massed choirs, ensembles and organ on this disc will. November 4, 2006

More reviews at Amazon.com ...