Review: On this new holiday album of choral favorites, Hans-Christoph Rademann leads the world-famous RIAS Kammerchor in a musical retelling of the Christmas Story. With music ranging from Mendelssohn to Part, this collection leads the listener to the heart of Christmas Night and to rejoicing at the Savior's birth.

Songlist: O Heiland, reiss die Himmel auf, In der Christnacht, Ave Maria, Virga Jesse floruit, Ich lag in tiefer Todesnacht, Nun liebe Seel, nun ist es Zeit, Ubers Gebirg Maria geht, Ave Maris Stella, Die Nacht ist vorgedrungen, Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, Frohlocket, ihr Volker auf Erden, Magnificat, Quatre motets pour le temps de Noel, Salve Regina, In dulci jubilo, Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen, Hodie Christus natus est

Review: "It is an art to conceal art" : Mendelssohn had never presented a more perfect illustration of this maxim than in his Motets, Op.69. Composed in the year of his death, they are probably the finest works of religious music by this composer whom Berlioz had accused of being "a little too fond of the dead". But the most romantic of Bach's votaries had more than one trick up his sleeve and it would be a mistake to underestimate these extraodinary psalms and motets that Mendelssohn went on producing throughout his life, in spite of his rather strained relationship with the eccelsiastic authorities. Tradition and inventiveness are the leading principles of an artistic credo based on the skilful and beguiling mixture of counterpoint and melody, of harmony and brilliant orchestration. After having devoted three universally acclaimed recordings to the choral music of Brahms, the RIAS-Kammerchor is here on familiar ground

Songlist: Psalm 100: "Jauchzet dem Herrn alle Welt", Psalm 2 op. 78 Nr. 1: "Warum toben die Heiden", Psalm 43 op. 78 Nr. 2: "Richte mich, Gott", Psalm 22 op. 78 Nr. 3: "Mein Gott, warum hast du mich verlassen?", Choralmotette op. 23 Nr. 3: "Mitten wir im Leben sind", Motette op. 69 Nr. 1: "Herr, nun lassest du deinen Diener in Frieden fahren", Motette op. 69 Nr. 2: "Jachzet dem Herm alle Welt", Motette op. 69 Nr. 3: "Mein Herz erhebet Gott, den Herrn", Missa breve, Zum Abendsegen: "Herr, sei gnadig unserm Flehn"

Review: Poulenc's choral works constitute a high point in the choral art of the twentieth century. Figure humaine is probably Poulenc's most original choral score. Written in the middle of World War II, this cantata set to eluard's texts includes the famous Liberte, a poem that the RAF dropped in the form of leaflets over France. Quatre petites prieres de saint Francois d'Assise was composed in 1948 at the request of the composer's nephew, Brother Jerome Poulenc. These four short prayers to texts by Saint Francis of Assisi are dedicated to the Friars Minor of Champfleury. Poulenc's Sept chansons for mixed chorus bring together poems by Apollinaire and eluard. Influenced by Monteverdi, they belong to the tradition of Debussy's Trois chansons de Charles d'Orleans. Since its foundation after the Second World War, the RIAS-Kammerchor has played an important role in the musical life of Berlin. Contemporary music has always been at the heart of its repertoire and these performances, led by Daniel Reuss are presented with innate understanding and deep reverence.

Songlist: Sept Chansons, Un Soir De Neige, Figure humaine, cantata for 12 voices, Quatre Petites De St. Francois d'Assise, Chanson a boire, for male chorus

Review: Considered by W. Siegmund-Schultze as 'formally the most perfect of Schumann's choral compositions', The Pilgrimage of the Rose was composed in 1851, a few months after the composer had received a manuscript from the poet Moritz Horn with a subject he found fascinating. This fairy tale, deeply impregnated by the spirit of the Biedermeier period, tells the story of a little rose that aspires to the human condition - and thus, to love. In a few weeks Schumann composed this huge fresco for chorus, soloists and piano, orchestrating it in 1851-52 with the aim of reaching a larger audience. But it is undoubtedly in its original form that the work is most pertinent, because it is entirely in the glorious tradition of the Romantic Lied.

Songlist: Die Fruhlingslufte bringen, Johannis war gekommen, Elfenreigen: Wir tanzen, wir tanzen, Und wie sie sangen, So sangen sie, Bin ein armes Waisenkind, Es war der Rose erster Schmerz!, Wie Blatter am Baum, Die letzte Scholl' hinunterrollt, Gebet: Dank, Herr, dir dort im Sternenland, Ins Haus des Totengrabers, Zwischen grunen Baumen, Von dem Greis geleitet, Bald hat das neue Tochterlein, Bist du im Wald gewandelt, Im Wald, gelehnt am Stamme, Der Abendschlummer, O sel'ge Zeit, Wer kommt am Sonntagsmorgen, Ei Muhle, liebe Muhle, Was klingen denn die Horner, Im Hause des Mullers, Und wie ein Jahr verronnen ist, Roslein!

Review:

Songlist:

Review: Christmas has always been a feast of particular importance in German tradition. A large number of works have been written specially for the occasion, right up to the twentieth century. This anthology offers a specific choice of Romantic and post-Romantic pieces for a cappella choir.

Songlist: Tristet mein Volk, Macht hoch die Tur - Lasset uns frohlocken, Unser lieben Frauen Traum, Es kommt ein Schiff geladen, Das Volk, das im Finstern wandelt, Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her, Ehre sei Gott in der Hohe, Kommt und laBt uns Christum ehren, Un dulci jubilo - O freudenreicher Tag, LaBt uns das Kindelein wiegen, Mein Herz will ich dir schenken, Schlaf, mein Kindelein, Das Wort ward Fleisch, Kommet, ihr Hirten - Auf, auf, ihr Hirten, Herbei, o ihr Glaub'gen, Kindelein zart - O Jesulein suB, Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, Frohlocket, ihr Volker auf Erden - O du frohliche

Review: Between the late Baroque and the twentieth century, musical literature was enriched by a great variety of choral forms. From the simplest (the Lutheran chorale as practised by Bach, or the chorus a cappella) to the most complex (double choruses, combinations with soloists and orchestra), they are all here in this exhaustive survey drawing on the finest recordings of one of the world's most highly acclaimed choirs, the RIAS-Kammerchor of Berlin.

Songlist: CD One: 18th Century, Christmas Oratorio, Famous Opera Choirs, The Seasons, CD Two: 19th Century, Choral Lieder, Motet, Choral Works, Motette, Vier Gesange, Zigeunerlieder, CD Three: 20th Century, Shakespeare Songs, Motets Pour Le Temps de Noel, Choral Works, Sacred And Profane