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(More customer reviews)If you are looking for the genuine German Christmas expression - this is it! Having been raised by a German mother, this is about as authentic Deutsch as you will find - as least in the traditional context that keeps Christmas holy.
With Silent Night serving as the hallmark of the style, Germans have a wonderfully wholesome tradition when it comes to Christmas and honoring the holiness of the event with equally reverent music. The DVD captures this through a live recording of a candle lit evening performance set in a beautifully decorated Bavarian church.
The concert is a mix of fully orchestrated arrangements and more traditional German folk pieces done by smaller ensembles in the Bavarian tradition, all performed in an order to tell the Christmas story by talented musicians dressed in southern German attire. While the DVD issue date is 2000, the performance seems to be early 1990s or even late 1980s. Nevertheless, the quality is high and the performances are timeless. Some purists might note that the Bavarian style does not represent "all of Germany", but most of German heritage will immediately appreciate the integrity of the overall experience. Non-German speakers also benefit from optional English text translations to the music and story line, but this is IMO a bonus feature, given that the music alone captures so much even if you don't understand the language -- making this a wonderful stand-alone music CD.
All said, this is a magnificent find in an age when this sacred holiday season is largely overshadowed by commercialization and secularist holiday entertainment. It is also a wonderful way to truly see first hand the unique warmth that Germans have brought to the Christmas celebration.
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