Schnittpunktvokal / Kvartet VITA: Weihnacht in Osterreich - A Cappella

Weihnacht in Osterreich ( Christmas in Austria ) is a collection of Austrian, Slovenian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, and other Eastern carols performed equally by the two groups, with the two collaborating on a pair of tunes, "Vom Himmel Hoch, Da Komm Ich Her" and a reprise of the male-sung disc opener, "Stille Nacht." Well-performed a cappella music is of uncommon beauty. Like instrumental music, the smaller the ensemble, the more intimate and elemental the music. The vocal quartet offers a perfect format to illustrate the role of each of the vocal pitches. With uber -precision, schnittpunktvokal dispatches 600 years of Germano-Austrian carols. Included is Michael Praetorius' "Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen," in the most perfect presentation since Chanticleer's stunning We Sing Christmas .

Whether masculine of feminine, this is quietly beautiful music that recalls a grandeur and warmth suitable for warming Keats' "Eve of St. Agnes":

St. Agnes' Eve—Ah, bitter chill it was!
The owl, for all his feathers, was a-cold;
The hare limp'd trembling through the frozen grass,
And silent was the flock in woolly fold:
Numb were the Beadsman's fingers, while he told
His rosary, and while his frosted breath,
Like pious incense from a censer old,
Seem'd taking flight for heaven, without a death,
Past the sweet Virgin's picture, while his prayer he saith.

Weilnacht in Osterreich - A Cappella is a superb holiday offering. This is music of rare invention and awe. For those of us who are tired of the same old holiday fare, a disc like this is like a drink of warm brandy on Christmas Eve. Seek out this hard-to-find disc and you will never be disappointed.

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