Christmas Festival - Christmas Festival - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Maurice Ravel was one of the most important French composers of the early 20th century. Born in 1875 to a Swiss father and Basque mother, he inherited from his watchmaker father a meticulous attention to detail and from his mother an affinity with Spain and all things Spanish. Aside from being the composer of some of the best known classical music - Boléro, Pavane pour une enfante défunte and Tzigane, for example - he is generally considered the finest orchestrator in musical history. Ravel combined his exceptional skill in orchestration with an impressive technical command of melody and harmony, writing in an appealing musical style that was entirely his own despite contemporary comparisons with Debussy, a composer thirteen years his senior. By the early years of the 20th century Ravel had begun to earn a reputation for himself as a composer, in spite of the hostility of certain critics. He was to fail five times to win the important Prix de Rome, the rejection of his final entry in 1905 causing a public scandal that led to the resignation of the director of the Conservatoire, who was succeeded by Fauré. During the war years Ravel served as a transport driver, his lack of weight excluding him from the more active form of military service he would have preferred. Illness and the death of his mother in 1916 both diminished his activity as a composer, but by 1920 he had completed the choreographic poem La Valseand had started work on the operatic collaboration with Colette that resulted in the delightful L'enfant et les sortilèges. The death of Debussy in 1918, followed six years later by the death of his teacher Fauré, left Ravel as the leading French composer in the eyes of his contemporaries. Various commissions helped to establish an international reputation that brought him honour abroad and the offer of the Légion d'honneur at home, a distinction he rejected. His

Album Tracks 1. A Christmas Festival 2. Gaudete Christus Est Natus (Piae Cantiones 1582) 3. The Shepherd's Carol, for Chorus 4. Nos Galan (New Year's Eve), Carol (Welsh) 5. I Wonder As I Wander (American) 6. Ave Maria, for Chorus & Orchestra 7. Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day (English) 8. Rejoice and Be Merry, for Chorus & Orchestra 9. El Noi de la Mare, Carol (Catalan) 10. A Christmas Overture, for Orchestra 11. Born on a New Day (After You Are a New Day) 12. Magical Kingdom, for Children's Chorus & Orchestra 13. Mary's Little Boy Child, Song 14. Esta Noche Nace Un Ni O (Spanish) 15. Norwegian Sleigh Ride, RT Ix/3 16. De Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy 17. New Year, for Chorus & Orchestra 18. I Wish You Christmas, for Children's Chorus, Mixed Chorus & Orchestra 19. Hark! the Herald Angels Sing (Adapted By w. H. Cummings from Mendelssoh 20. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (For the Film Meet Me in St. Lou

Buzz Brass inspired dreams with this new opus, Christmas. The quintet takes the listener out of the familiar with this majestic, elegant and refined arrangements to highlight the holiday season. The male vocal quartet Quartom joins as guest artists in 'Noël canadien' and 'The 12 days of Christmas.' The ensemble's latest volume, Inspirations, has been hailed as proof of their Inchtestament to the ensemble's sensational embouchureInch by the prestigious Gramophone magazine. Since 2002, Buzz Brass quintet has been travelling all over the globe to captivate classical music lovers. Whether it's concerts consist of brass quintet alone or together with guest musicians, the original artistic propositions it presents leave nobody cold. With over 1,600 appearances to it's credit, the ensemble has reached more than 350,000 music lovers throughout North America, Europe and China. The numerous awards and distinctions that Buzz Brass has earned over the years (Opus, ADISQ, and Trille Or) attest to both the quality and the relevance of it's musical performances.