Benjamin Appl (baritone)
The Christmas Album
Regensburger Domspatzen
Münchener Rundfunkorchester/Florian Helgath
rec. 2024, Wolfgangssaal der Regensburger Domspatzen, Regensburg & Studio 1 des Bayerischen Rundfunks, München (Germany)
Sung texts with translations in German, English and French.
Reviewed as 16-bit/44.1 kHz WAV download
Alpha Classics 1079 [75]
Yuletide draws near and with that the obligatory Christmas records. Normally, I don’t bother much, but seeing Benjamin Appl’s name in the flood, I immediately felt an urge to hear this versatile and stylish singer in this repertoire. When I saw the forces that Alpha had gathered for this project I became certain that this programme would be something out of the ordinary: The Munich Radio Orchestra and the Regensburger Domspatzen, one of the world’s oldest choirs, founded as early as 975 AD – and knowing that Benjamin and his two brothers had all been members of the choir in their youth, and that there were some interesting guests involved also contributed to my interest. Browsing through the contents list, I also noted that there were many unhackneyed items beside some old favourites.
In the latter category belongs Adeste fideles in David Willcocks’ arrangement – a classic indeed. A moving and solemn opening with the united choral and orchestral forces and Benjamin Appl. Reger’s Mariä Wiegenlied is sung softly and inwardly by Appl, and throughout his singing is utterly sensitive and tasteful. In Praetorius’ Es ist ein Ros entsprungen,the Domspatzen sing the first stanza on their own, while Appl takes over for the second. Cornelius’ Die Könige is also a joint effort for the soloist and the choir. It is followed by Samuel Scheidt’s O Jesulein Zart in a soft and inward arrangement by Chris Hazell and In dulci jubilo, both with the Domspatzen, and the whole programme is rounded off with Stille Nacht, which opens, as it did at the first performance, according to tradition. On Christmas Eve 1818 the cantor Franz Gruber in the church of the little village Oberndorf bei Salzburg found that mice had destroyed the bellows of the organ, so he and the author of the text, Joseph Mohr, had to perform the newly written song to guitar accompaniment. They sang it as a duet, but Benjamin Appl here sings the first stanza as a solo – but accompanied on the guitar by his mother. The second stanza is allotted to the choir, and in the third Benjamin Appl, the choir and the orchestra join forces, whereupon the song, and the whole programme ends with a soft orchestral coda.
This is the frame, but in between there is a plethora of wonderful and varied music, some of it well-known but not always expected. An aria from Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elias is sung with great warmth, 17th century composer Hammerschmidt’s hymn Machet die Tore weit is impeccably performed by the choir and rather lively. Michael Head’s The three mummers was a new acquaintance for me, even though I knew the composer from other circumstances. Two pieces from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio are of course self-evidently valuable: The bass aria Grosser Herr, o starker König from the first cantata is a true vitamin injection, lively , with springy rhythms and excellent clarino playing. The other is a chorale from the fifth cantata, here sung as a solo with a second verse added. It’s sensitively sung with devotional soft tone. Reger’s Schlafe mein Kindelein is a lovely song I can’t remember hearing before, and it is beautifully sung by the choir. A completely new name to me is Christoph Israel, born 1964. His orchestral piece O du fröhliche is a short but grand intermezzo before the light-hearted song by another 20th-century “new-comer”, Hermann Delacher. Benjamin Appl sings it with a humoristic twist, accompanied by double bass and Styrian accordion, the latter played by the conductor Florian Helgath. John Rutter has during the last forty years contributed valuably to the modernisation of the Christmas repertoire, and he is represented here with two items, Christmas Lullaby and Joseph’s Carol. The latter in particular has a really catchy melody.
Cécile Chaminade, who during the late 19th century was hailed both as an important pianist and a prominent composer of beautiful melodies, was more or less forgotten during the 20th century but has lately made comeback with several excellent recordings (review ~ review). The Christmas song included here is another pleasant surprise, charming and refreshing. A rarity, I believe, internationally, is Gustaf Nordqvist’s Jul, jul, strålande jul but in Sweden it is has for many years been one of the most beloved Christmas songs. The composer’s name may be familiar to admirers of Jussi Björling, who very often sang Till havs (At Sea). At his recitals in Sweden, it was an obligatory encore. Benjamin Appl sings it so sensitively, and his Swedish pronunciation is impressively excellent. Another unknown composer is Josef Schnabel, who lived in what today is Poland. He is known for his church music, and his Transeamus unique Bethlehem is filled with joy, as is the traditional Es werd scho glei dumpa, a simple and folksy song which Benjamin Appl sings with accompaniment by zither and double bass. A short visit to the world of opera is Humperdinck’s Abendsegen, beautifully sung by Appl, together with the excellent boy treble Ilias Grau and the Domspatzen.
It only remains to mention the profane song Have yourself a merry Christmas, also recorded by Frank Sinatra, here arranged by John Rutter, and sung with Benjamin Appl’s usual style and sensitivity, and Hans Berger’s, born 1944, beautiful Sehet den Stern, with a jubilant finale, and we have reached Stille Nacht as the conclusion of an overwhelmingly varied and convincing Christmas programme that will be my favourite Yuletide companion for years to come.
Göran Forsling
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Contents
John Francis Wade (1711-1786)
1 Adeste Fideles (Arr. By David Willcocks) Ba, Rd, Mr 3’28
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
2 Ja, Es Sollen Wohl Berge Weichen (Elias) Ba, Rd 2’47
Andreas Hammerschmidt (1612-1675)
3 Machet Die Tore Weit Rd 2’52
Max Reger (1873-1916)
4 Mariä Wiegenlied Ba, Mr 2’24
Michael Head (1900-1976)
5 The Three Mummers Ba, Mr 3’19
Michael Praetorius (1571-1621)
6 Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen Ba, Rd 2’54
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
7 Grosser Herr, O Starker König (Weihnachtsoratorium) Ba, Mr 4’35
8 Ich Steh An Deiner Krippen Hier (Weihnachtsoratorium) Ba, Mr 2’18
Max Reger
9 Schlaf, Mein Kindelein Rd 4’11
Christoph Israel (B.1964)
10 O Du Fröhliche Mr 2’07
Hermann Delacher (1918-2004)
11 Geh, Hansl, Pack Dei Binggerl Zamm Ba, Sa, Db 2’15
John Rutter (B.1945)
12 Christmas Lullaby Ba, Rd, Mr 4’33
Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944)
13 Le Noël Des Oiseaux Ba, Mr 2’41
Gustaf Nordqvist (1886-1949)
14 Jul, Jul Strålande Jul Ba, Rd 3’17
John Rutter
15 Joseph’s Carol Ba, Rd, Mr 4’03
Josef Schnabel (1767-1831)
16 Transeamus Usque Bethlehem Ba, Rd, Mr 3’18
Traditional
17 Es Werd Scho Glei Dumpa Ba, Z, Db 3’17
Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921)
18 Abendsegen (Hänsel Und Gretel) Ba, Bt, Rd 2’13
Peter Cornelius (1824-1874)
19 Die Könige Ba, Rd 2’40
Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654)
20 O Jesulein Zart (Arr. By Chris Hazell) Ba, Rd 3’18
Carl Thiel (1862-1939)
21 In Dulci Jubilo Rd 2’52
Hugh Martin (1914-2011)
22 Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Arr. By J. Rutter) Ba,Mr 3’08
Hans Berger (B.1944)
23 Sehet Den Stern Ba, Rd, Mr 3’17
Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863)
24 Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht Ba, G, Rd, Mr 3’40
