Une nouvelle année pour deux

The irrepressible Dave Federman is back with another carefully chosen collection for you - 40 songs themed to "a new year for two."

Here's Dave now with his introductory essay:

I was already headed into 2025 with a troubled mind when my wife and I tested positive for Covid on Christmas Eve. So while I wanted to spend the last night of 2024 in the Great Indoors with my wife listening to music that shuts down, if not out, the world, I did not think it would be in a context of quarantine. Nevertheless, I suspect many of you who are reading this share my pre-Covid need. The idea is to enjoy as light and sweet-hearted an evening as possible, which given coming events may seem impossible.

Think of this New Year's as a time out from time itself spent with a spouse, partner or significant other. Stay suspended in the time and space between years and let there be peace on earth for the last few hours before and after the last and first midnight of the old and new year. If such intimacy and timelessness sound inviting, you’ve come to the right place for its music soundtrack.

Yes, there is a countdown of sorts to midnight, but it is a midnight of intimacy that could happen on any night where two people have time on their hands only for each other. Tonight all dreams come true - or are dreams you would want to see do so. Give the last hours of seasonal gaiety safe harbor. Three’s a crowd tonight. All this music is meant to give affection renewal by reminding of the depth it can have, resume or take. New Year's can be a real Valentine’s Day. Don’t wait till February. This is your night of nights and day of days.

As usual, this music mostly spans the 20th century, starting in 1908 and making its way into the 1960s. A few selections inch closer to the present, but the purpose of these songs is to lift spirits in times of adversity. And music is not as successful these days in credible, well-crafted and enduring sentimentality. Lots of love is found or regained here with records meant to mark its arrival and pledge eternal tenancy. Don’t make promises with fingers crossed but entwined in those of your partner. All hands on deck where walls are still decked with holly.

LINK

A 18th Century Czech Christmas

A Prague staging of Ryba's Christmas Mass

The most famous Czech musical tradition for the holiday is Jakub Jan Ryba's Christmas Mass, an enchanting work dating from 1796 that is still widely performed

This celebrated work is part of a tradition of pastoral carols - or pastorellas - that arose in the 18th century. Today we have a fine 1966 recording of the Mass as led by Vaclav Smetáček, plus a second (and equally outstanding) LP devoted to seven examples of the pastorella.

Ryba - Czech Christmas Mass

Jakub Jan Ryba (1765-1815) was a Czech teacher and composer of classical music. He was born near Plzeň. After graduation from school, he worked as a teacher and musician, before becoming the head of a school in Rožmitál pod Třemšínem, where he wrote his Czech Christmas Mass. He did well but was unhappy because of conflicts with the pastor and local council. Poor and exhausted, he committed suicide in 1815.

Jakub Jan Ryba

Let me call on Brian Kenety of Radio Prague for more about the Mass: "[Y]ou’d be hard pressed to find a Czech who doesn’t associate the season with composer Jakub Jan Ryba’s pastoral classic Christmas Mass ... it is the most popular piece of Czech Christmas music ever written. At this time of the year, it resounds in churches and concert halls around the country.

"[T]he Kyrie - Hej mistře, describes a village scene where a young shepherd wakes up his master to tell him about a strange heavenly light and wondrous music coming from afar.

"There are nine parts in all of the work, often described as a Christmas cantata, all based on pastoral motifs. Although it has the structure of a classical Latin mass, instead of taking place in Bethlehem, the scenes unfold somewhere in snow-covered Central Bohemia. Because of its folk character and simplicity, it was excluded from the traditional Catholic liturgy."

Vaclav Smetáček

Our performance is a starry one, from the Prague Symphony and conductor Vaclav Smetáček (1906-86).  He was chief conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK (Film–Opera–Concert) from 1942 until the 1970s.

Jaroslava Vymazalová

The talented cast including soprano Jaroslava Vymazalová, alto Marie Mrázová, tenor Beno Blachut and bass Zdenĕk Kroupa.

Helena Tattermuschová

The LP also includes one example of a pastorella, Ryba's Sweet Nightingale, which also appears in the collection below, in an earlier recording. The soprano soloist here is Helena Tattermuschová.

LINK to the Czech Christmas Mass

Czech Christmas Pastorellas

Let me get some musicological matters over first, citing that unimpeachable source, Wikipedia: "In Baroque music, a pastorale [i.e., pastorella] is a movement of a melody in thirds over a drone bass, recalling the Christmas music of pifferari, players of the traditional Italian bagpipe (zampogna) and reed pipe (piffero)." And there for us on the cover is one of the reed pipe players.

Wiki tell us that pastorales "resemble a slowed-down version of a tarantella, encompassing many of the same rhythms and melodic phrases."

I think you will find that these pastorellas are characteristic of the baroque era, here well performed in striking 1954-55 recordings.

But what of their cultural significance? From Dr. Sp-El's cover notes: "Hundreds upon hundreds of carols from all parts of the country were preserved. Their lovely melodies are both pious and joyful, their texts poetic and witty. Children and adults hummed them and sang them and rejoiced in them and during the whole Christmas season they were sung in both homes and the churches."

Milada Šubrtová, heard in the Ryba pastorella

For this recording, Ryba returns with his Sweet Nightingale, here called My Lovely Nightingale. Jiří Ignac Linek (1725-91) is represented by two works: Good Night, My Little Jesus and Pastorella Jucunda. The composer lived and worked in a small town in northern Bohemia as a schoolmaster, choirmaster and town scribe.

Jiří Ignac Linek

Our next composer, Tomáš Norbert Koutník (1698-1775) was a schoolmaster and choirmaster in a small town in eastern Bohemia. He is represented by his relatively elaborate Pastorella in C (Gloria).

Miluše Dvořáková, heard in the Skřivánek and Suchánek works 

The balance of the works are by composers of whom little is known. Tomáš Skřivánek provides his Pastorella in G, D. Milčinský a Pastorella a Tres Voces in A and a composer named Suchánek with his Cantus Pastoralis Pro Nativite Domine. The Milčinský is notable for being the only non-vocal work on the program.

Ladislav Šíp

Conductor Ladislav Šíp was an official with Supraphon when these recordings were made. He became head of the opera of the National Theatre in Prague in 1973. From 1976–86 he was the director of the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK, which again is the ensemble heard here.

LINK to Czech Christmas Pastorellas

Ray Anthony, Billy Eckstine and Christmas Seals for 1954 and 1957

A Christmas Seals appeal from 1954

Here's a second set of holiday materials from the Christmas Seals people, from both 1954 and 1957. From the former year, we have bandleader Ray Anthony in a Christmas show, another selection of Christmas Seals promos from the celebrities of the day, and the official Christmas Seals song, as presented by Kitty Kallen.

For 1957, there is the Christmas Seals song for that year as presented by Billy Eckstine along with several lead-in promos, and additional renditions by George Beverly Shea, Sister Rosetta Sharpe and the Statesmen Quartet with Hovie Lister.

Christmas Seals materials from both 1954 and 1957 have appeared her before. From 1954, we've had programs from Eddie Fisher and Tennessee Ernie, along with celebrity spots (find these here), and last year's post of shows featuring Julius La Rosa and Jack Benny (which are here). From 1957, we have had shows starring Lena Horne and Gordon MacRae (here).

The Ray Anthony Show

Ray Anthony completes my cache of Christmas Seals shows from 1954 (well, except for Guy Lombardo, which I haven't transferred). Ray was riding high in 1954 with one of the most popular bands in the land.

His program for Christmas Seals was one of those where the celebrity just spins his current records, with no pause for Christmas music. For Anthony, this went so far as programming his hit "The Bunny Hop." (Perhaps he thought he was doing an Easter Seals show?)

A how-to on the Bunny Hop (click to enlarge).
Don't get so carried away that you knock over the Christmas tree.

Two of Anthony's other selections were dances, too - "Cat Dancin'" and "Dance My Heart." Finally, he added "Say Hey" - a tribute to center fielder Willie Mays, overshooting the baseball season by a few months.

The performances are good (they are Ray's Capitol recordings) and the sound is, too.

LINK to Ray Anthony Show

More Celebrity Spots from 1954

This group of 10 celebrities is composed mainly of actors, with the addition of Eartha Kitt and Eddie Fisher, best known as singers.

Robert Stack, Eartha Kitt

Once again, the notables make their support of Christmas Seals known, in spots that last from 20 seconds to a minute.

Here is the complete roster of participants: 

• Robert Stack
• William Bendix
• Mona Freeman
• Eartha Kitt
• Eddie Fisher
• Celeste Holm
• George Murphy
• Gene Raymond
• Barbara Stanwyck
• Loretta Young

Celeste Holm, William Bendix

LINK to Celebrity Spots

The 1954 Christmas Seals Song

The official Christmas Seals song for 1954 didn't get much traction in the market and is little remembered, although it was written by one of the finest songwriting duos of the time - Matt Dennis and Tom Adair.

Kitty Kallen had the honor of recording the number, but on the picture sleeve above, Decca oddly decided to emphasize the flip side, "Baby Brother (Santa Claus, Dear Santa Claus)," issuing the song in its children's series, to boot.

I suppose Kallen was chosen because her child-like voice was suited to "Baby Brother," but this could have and should have been much better.

I have shared this record before, but this version is newly refurbished.

LINK to 1954 Christmas Seals song

The 1957 Christmas Seals Song

For 1957, Christmas Seals adopted an existing song, "If I Can Help Somebody," written by Alma Bazel Androzzo in 1946 and recorded soon after by Turner Layton, a songwriter ("After You're Gone, "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans") and cabaret performer.

Alma Bazel Androzzo

Androzzo (1912-2001) was born in Tennessee but lived a good part of her life in Pennsylvania. "If I Can Help Somebody," her most famous song, was taken up by such luminaries as Mahalia Jackson and Martin Luther King, Jr. A recording by tenor Josef Locke enjoyed some success in 1951.

Billy Eckstine

For Christmas Seals, there were at least two versions of the song in the market and on radio shows. The first is what is being featured today - the recording by the sonorous Billy Eckstine. Mr. B is strikingly fine in this version, sincere and convincing.

Mercury promotional cover

Mercury sent the record out to radio stations with four different promotional messages to introduce the record - by Sarah Vaughan, Patti Page, Eckstine himself, and bandleader David Carroll.

My friend Ernie alerted me that there was another promotional version issued at the same time, this one by gospel singer George Beverly Shea. I don't have the promotional material, but I have added Shea's rendition to the package.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, George Beverly Shea

The song's simple but inspiring message was taken up by many other gospel singers. I've also added the contemporary recordings by Sister Rosetta Tharpe and the Statesmen Quartet with Hovie Lister. The Statesmen performance features their tenor, Rosie Rozell.

Here are the opening lyrics of the song, which demonstrate why the work was appealing to the Christmas Seals people, and to many singers through the years:

If I can help somebody, as I travel along

If I can help somebody, with a word or song

If I can help somebody, from doing wrong

No, my living shall not be in vain

LINK to 1957 Christmas Seals song 

Hanukkahmas 2024

Here from the indefatigable Dave Federman is his contribution to the holiday season - 46 tracks in all. 

And here's Dave to introduce the proceedings:

Thankfully, Christmas and Hanukkah coincide this year, each of its durations (12 and 8 days apiece) beginning on December 25. So this presents all sorts of opportunities for fresh song synergy as we celebrate a mixed-denomination night of nights. Indeed, this is a time when the holidays regain old meanings of commingling and mixing of traditions - meaning multiculturalism calls the tunes. So I have prepared a dance hall medley where all who celebrate simultaneous Judeo-Christian festivities gather together to dance, sing, and, perhaps, drink. Smoking is prohibited.

Too many compilations don't take dares with their music selection. This is the worst year for holiday music that I, a collector of it for more than 40 years, can remember. Even the vintage Christmas compilations offer slim pickings. The vaults are nearly empty. Only Bear Family found fresh fare in its releases. Who knew Bob Chester made a fabulous recording of “Winter Weather” in 1941? Although I’ve used Joe Williams and Harry “Sweets” Edison’s 1961 recording, Bob's version will find its way into a future mix.

Other selections owe much to my Jewish upbringing and its Latin-laden dance styles. Only Jews could have meshugina mambos, and now the whole world can remember just how Havana-tinged was "Hava Nagila" on these crazy dancehall holiday nights. I get to include recordings by Borscht Belt biggies like Ruth Wallis and Leo Fuchs. Leo Fuld's "Zigany Melody" outdoes "O Mein Papa" for schmaltz and kletzmer trumpet finesse.

 

Only at the end do I get quasi-religious with two lost 45 treasures by Jo Stafford and Norman Luboff that can speak (or sing) to all monotheists, although they have a strong Christian flavor. Bob and Ray open the festivities with a Christmas murder-mystery that will send you rushing outdoors to escape to my dance pavilion on the edge of town.

While I am holding a combined musical celebration of the two greatest consumerist holidays in the Judeo-Christian world, don't worry. The music is strictly for your dancing pleasure. No mention is made of gifts or gift suggestions given (although there is one inevitable marriage proposal song, "Here's a Little Package," from 1932, that is a private reminder of my long years spent as a jewelry journalist).

Christmas is so much more than a holiday. It is now a global occasion with so many connotations of intimacy, love and sharing. So please enjoy this potpourri of recordings!

LINK

Two Views of Britten's 'Ceremony of Carols'

Benjamin Britten

Benjamin Britten wrote his A Ceremony of Carols in 1942, for boys' voices and harp. Today we have two recordings of this gorgeous work, from two distinguished choirs - the women's voices of the Robert Shaw Chorale and the Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge.

The St. John's Choir, led by George Guest, also includes Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb and Missa Brevis. Shaw fills out his disc - or rather leads it - with Poulenc's Mass in G.

The Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge

Britten had a well-known antipathy for the cultured singing such as produced the more famous ensemble at Cambridge, the Choir of King's College Chapel. (That did not deter King's from recording the work, however.)

The critic Edward Greenfield characterized the singing of the Københavns Drengekor, which the composer conducted in a 1953 recording, as "tough." He was, however, impressed with the St. John's version: "[T]ime after time in my comparisons I have been delighted by the extra responsiveness of the St. John’s singing. The Danish boys may just outshine St. John’s in the jazzy rhythms of 'Deo Gracias' or in the Orff-like narration of the same carol, but the word-pointing and the contrasts of tone and dynamic are far better controlled throughout by the Cambridge boys and the crescendo at the end is over-whelming," he wrote in The Gramophone.

Britten may have been less pleased. The Decca Discography contains this parenthetical note: "Following publication, the composer requested a re-make of incorrect passages, which was done on 8 Aug 66 and that version was used for subsequent copies." I believe the transfer here is from the revised version. The original recording sessions were in December 1964.

George Guest

My own view is that this record is a fine achievement, not just for the Ceremony of Carols, but for the Missa Brevis and Rejoice in the Lamb. The Welsh conductor George Guest (1924-2002) led the St. John's Choir from 1951-91, greatly enhancing its international reputation.

Marisa Robles

I believe this may have been the first recording for the harpist Marisa Robles. Greenfield presciently predicted a great career for her, which has been the case.

This performance benefits from atmospheric stereo from St. John's.

LINK to the St. John's disc

The Robert Shaw Chorale

Robert Shaw must have liked A Ceremony of Carols. He recorded it twice for RCA Victor (in 1949 and 1964) and for Telarc (in 1997).

In 1949, Victor apparently did not have high hopes for the Britten work - the LP cover subordinates his composition to Poulenc's Mass in G.

Britten wrote A Ceremony of Carols for a boys' choir, but Shaw recorded it with six women's voices from his chorale. Not all critics were pleased. Irving Kolodin wrote in the Saturday Review, "1t is heartening to see the appreciation of a good work, such as Britten’s 'Ceremony of Carols,' implemented by the vast resources of publicity and distribution possessed by RCA Victor. It is less heartening to observe a treatment which accords with the great American penchant for expediency (that is to say, the use of an available women’s choir, rather than the more desirable boys’ voices)."

Seventy-five years later, it is possible to admire the artistry of these singers and their conductor, while also noting that the recording presents little of the atmosphere that can be found in the St. John's performance - the ceremonial aspect is missing.

Laura Newell

The harp in this performance is played by the versatile Laura Newell, who has been heard here before in Debussy and as a member of the swing group The New Friends of Rhythm.

Francis Poulenc

Poulenc's Mass in G was the subject of extravagant praise from the critics of the day. The American Record Guide was overwhelmed: "This Mass, stark, bare, unadorned as it may be, in the fifteen minutes duration is as filled with the distilled essence of devotion, of genuine religious feeling as any of the full-length scores of the classical or baroque periods. 1 know of no unaccompanied work in the modern idiom that can approach it; one would have to travel as back as Palestrina for serious competition." I mostly hear the stark, bare, unadorned aspect of the work, although it is earnest and well performed here.

Victor's sound is typical of the time - clear and not very atmospheric.

LINK to the Robert Shaw Chorale disc

Note: I have uploaded quite a few of Shaw's recordings in the past. You can find them here - including his 1946 and 1952 Christmas albums.

Christmas with Kaempfert

Records by the German arranger-composer Bert Kaempfert (1923-80) are by no means unusual, but I did want to present this one because it is a favorite of mine.

Admittedly, it's a nostalgic choice. Bert became popular when I was 11 with "Wonderland by Night," and continued with the hits for several more years.

Bert Kaempfert recording at Polydor

His stylized approach is not to everyone's taste. Most songs contain some combination of growl trumpet, the so-called "knack" bass, brass and woodwind choirs, an occasional organ, wordless choral singing, and/or ethereal soprano. The songs are perfectly assembled like a music box from the Black Forest - except that Kaempfert was from Hamburg, at the other end of Germany.

Today we have Bert's 1963 Christmas record Christmastide with Kaempfert, and, as a bonus, his first LP, Wonderland by Night, from 1960.

Christmastide with Kaempfert

If the album cover above and its title are unfamiliar to you, it's because it is a release from German Polydor. In this country, the LP is mostly seen in its Decca incarnation, Christmas Wonderland. That alternate title comes from one of Kaempfert's songs on the album, and also is a nod to his first hit.

Decca ad, showing the US cover

So why the two labels? The story is that the bandleader could not get the Hamburg label Polydor to record "Wonderland by Night," so be took the song to Milt Gabler at its American affiliate, Decca, who was happy to cooperate, much to the delight of Decca's coffers. So from then on, Decca released Bert's material in the US, and Polydor in Europe.

The trouble with this theory is that some of the Polydors were produced in the US. The Wonderland by Night LP below, for example, was pressed in America. So I have as many Polydors as Deccas in my own Kaempfert collection.

Decca ad for "Jingo Jango"

But on to the contents of the LP, which are identical between the labels. The album is notable for the presence of five Kaempfert compositions, two with his longtime collaborator Herbert Rehbein. The best known are probably Bert's "Holiday for Bells" and the Bert-Herbert "Jingo Jango," both issued as singles. If you were around at the time, these will likely be familiar to you.

The other originals are "Children's Christmas Dream," "Toy Parade" and "Christmas Wonderland," all excellent.

In the studio: Herbert Rehbein, Kaempfert, engineer Peter Klemt, trumpeter Manfred Moch, Milt Gabler of Decca

By 1963, the elements of the Kaempfert sound were firmly in place. The growl trumpet for this record was provided, I believe, by Manfred Moch. His work is in the tradition of such Ellington trumpeters as Bubber Miley and Cootie Williams, although the material is much different. That said, Kaempfert may have been an Ellingtonian - some of his writing for reeds is reminiscent of early Duke.

Ladi Geisler

Perhaps the most distinctive element of the Kaempfert music sound was provided by Ladislav "Ladi" Geisler, with his "knack-bass" (that is, crack-bass) sound. Geisler produced it by plucking the bass guitar in its high register without any sustain. I remember hearing the resulting "ka-thump" sound through the huge Voice-of-the-Theater speakers that were common in the big movies palaces of the day. Bert and his music were popular fare before the film began in the days before endless ads and trailers. 

The knack-bass and the superb production by Polydor made Kaempfert records sonically arresting. (They still are.)

LINK to Christmastide with Kaempfert

Wonderland by Night

Kaempfert had been a Polydor producer and bandleader for several years before "Wonderland by Night" came along in 1959.

It's not clear if the song had been recorded at the time Bert met with Decca's Milt Gabler. It had been arranged, however. 

For the US audience, Gabler turned "Wunderland bei Nacht" into "Wonderland by Night" and Berthold Kämpfert into Bert Kaempfert. It worked, and the song became a huge hit, first in America and then in other countries.

Bert gets his gold record for "Wonderland by Night"

"Wonderland by Night" is not a Christmas song, but with its peaceful, radiant feel, it well could be. Kaempfert did not write it; it is by Klaus Günter Neumann and Willi Stanke.

Charly Tabor

The song already bears the Kaempfert hallmarks as discussed above - the knack-bass, the prominent trumpet (here played by the spectacular Charly Tabor), wordless vocals from groups and soprano, an organ, and so on.

Billboard ad showing the Decca cover

Kaempfert himself wrote several of the songs on the LP - "Stay with Me," "Lullaby for Lovers," "Happiness Never Comes Too Late," "Dreaming the Blues" and "This Song is Yours Alone."

This 1960 LP is not quite as polished sonically as the 1963 album above - but it still sounds very good.

LINK to Wonderland by Night

Schütz's Beautiful 'Christmas Story'

The Christmas Story by Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) is a glorious work from the early Baroque period, here, appropriately enough, performed by the Heinrich Schütz Choir and a starry group of singers and instrumentalists directed by Roger Norrington (now Sir Roger) in this 1970 recording.

Roger Norrington

The performance is graced by the presence of one of my favorite singers, tenor Ian Partridge, who assumes the important role of the Evangelist. His recitatives are interspersed with Intermedia, which are taken by characters from the familiar story - the angel and angelic host, the shepherds, the three kings, the high priests and scribes, and Herod.

Ian Partridge

Partridge came in for particular praise from the critics. Jeremy Noble wrote in The Gramophone that "his combination of simplicity, excellent German diction and sensitivity to every nuance of the biblical words is beyond praise."

Felicity Palmer

The Angel is Felicity Palmer, now Dame Felicity, who also is splendid. There are familiar names among the other roles as well. The shepherds are James Bowman, Derek McCullough and Philip Langridge; the wise men Langridge, Martyn Hill and Christopher Keyte, and Herod Eric Stannard. The instrumentalists include Robert Spencer on chittarone, and David Munrow and Philip Pickett on recorders, along with the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble.

The performance was - as were many records of the day - a combination of traditional and historically informed practices. Noble complained about revisions to the orchestration: "it seems odd to take one of the works for which Schütz has given us a specific instrumentation and then reorchestrate it (to a much greater extent than is implied in the informative sleeve-note, by the way)."

Heinrich Schütz

A quick note about the composer, edited from Wikipedia: "Heinrich Schütz was a German early Baroque composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach and one of the most important composers of the 17th century. He is credited with bringing the Italian style to Germany and continuing its evolution from the Renaissance into the early Baroque. Most of his surviving music was written for the Lutheran church, primarily for the Electoral Chapel in Dresden."

The sound from this disc is excellent.

LINK

Gramophone, October 1971