Christmas with Los Romeros - Away in a Manger, Joy, to the World, Ave, Maria

Album Summary
Notes & Reviews
Also Purchased
Works Details

Album Summary

Handel, George Frideric : Messiah

Kirkpatrick, William J. : Away in a manger

Handel, George Frideric : Joy to the World (theme by Handel)

Schubert, Franz : Ave Maria

Leontovych, Mykola : Carol of the Bells

Traditional, Christmas : El Noi de la Mare, carol (Catalan)

Gruber, Franz : Silent Night

Davis, Katherine K. : The Little Drummer Boy "Carol of the Drum"

Traditional, Christmas : Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming) (Alte geistliche Kirchengesäng 1599)

Paris, Massimo : X'mas Suite, for 4 guitars & chamber orchestra

Mendelson, Lee : Christmas Time is Here

Gounod, Charles : Ave Maria

Siktberg, Stephen C. : Medley

Performers

Los Romeros (Guitar)
Los Romeros (Guitars)

Conductor

Paris, Massimo

Ensemble

Composers

Notes & Reviews:

Recording information: Sala María Cristina, Málaga (04/2011-05/2011).

The Christmas album and the guitar ensemble are two of the most consistent sales drivers in classical music, and it may seem odd that the two haven't been yoked together more often. This release by the perennially popular family group Los Romeros should help address any lack, however. It's a pleasing, diverse collection that provides plenty of opportunity for the Romeros to display their relaxed way with a simple tune. But it changes gears enough that it doesn't fall into a monotonous groove. Concerto Málaga conductor Massimo Paris takes on the black belt of crossover composition, the creation of original Christmas music, with his X'Mas Suite, an attractive five movements that shift among different moods and idioms while still connoting the holiday. That piece is nicely balanced between chamber music and guitars (there are four, and the work was written for Los Romeros). The balance in some of the other orchestral pieces, most of which Paris had a hand in, is not so successful; the strings get the tune in the two excerpts from Handel's Messiah, with the guitars a bit overshadowed in figuration below. But most of the limpid traditional tunes, traditional and not so much, do not use the orchestra at all. These aren't perfectly integrated with the orchestral pieces, but any one of them shows the Romeros at their best, with the sheer melodic smoothness that has garnered countless fans without even any particular interest in guitar music. The bottom line is that this is likely to prove a pleasing holiday album for a great many listeners. ~ James Manheim

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Also Purchased

Works Details

Handel, George Frideric : Messiah :: For unto us a Child is born

Performers: Los Romeros (Guitar); Los Romeros (Guitars)
Conductor: Massimo Paris
Running Time: 4 min. 20 sec.
Period Time: Baroque
Form: Cantata/Oratorio
Written: 1741

Kirkpatrick, William J. : Away in a manger :: Cradle Song) (New English Hymnal 22)

Performers: Los Romeros (Guitar); Los Romeros (Guitars)
Running Time: 1 min. 45 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1885