Tour of European Wonders-Christmas Goes Baroque/Handel (2002)

CHRISTMAS GOES BAROQUE: Zurich's bustling holiday shoppers; twinkling lights reflected in magical window displays; the famed Toy Museum in Nuremberg; a bountiful Christmas feast; an elaborate Nativity scene; the snow covered landscape of Switzerland. These are the joyously evocative images of the Christmas season and inspiration for some of the most beloved Christmas carols of all time. This volume takes you on a magical European holiday tour swept up by the sounds of such holiday favorites as "Jingle Bells," "Silent Night," "The First Noel," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "O Tannenbaum" and many more. These eternal favorites are performed in the baroque style of Bach, Handel and Vivaldi--the sound of music as timeless as Christmas itself.

HANDEL: THE MESSIAH: From the sounds of Christmas carols drifting through the night air to the clang-clang of bells to the bustle of holiday shoppers, these are the familiar sounds of the holiday season. Some of the world's greatest classical compositions have been inspired by the joyous and spiritual season, with none more moving than Handel's extraordinary Messiah. This volume of the Naxos Musical Journey takes you inside Bavaria's famed Benedictine Abbey Church for both an intimate and spectacular view of this holy architectural wonder. Handel's profound music soars through the church on a wave of choral voices, echoing across the ages and across the world. This classic holiday favorite is as sacred and enduring as the Benedictine Abbey itself, with its religious paintings, ornate rococo design, altars, and three towering organs. This is music for the ages, to be enjoyed season after season.