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Label:
  Proprius - http://www.proprius.com/
Serial:
  PRSACD7762
Title:
  Cantate Domino - Nilsson
Description:
  "Cantate Domino"

Alf Linder (organ)
Marianne Mellnäs (soprano)
Oscar's Motet Choir
Torsten Nilsson
Track listing:
  1. Enrico Bossi: Cantate Domino
2-4. Johann Gottfried Walther: Konsert för orgel A-dur
5. Otto Olson: Advent
6. Georg Friedrich Händel: Dotter Sion, fröjda dig
7. Georg Joseph Vogler: Hosianna Davids son
8. Trad: Fröjda dig, du Kristi brud (folklig koral från Gammelsvenskby)
9. Koreansk folkmelodi: Vaggsång
10. Trad: Il est né le divin enfant (fransk julsång)
11. Adolphe Adam: Julsång
12. Trad: Den signade dag (folklig koral från Mora)
13. Franz Gruber: Stille Nacht
14. Max Reger: Mariæ Wiegenlied
15. Otto Olsson: Jul
16. Tjeckisk folsång: Zither Carol
17. Irving Berlin: White Christmas
Genre:
  Classical - Vocal
Content:
  Stereo
Media:
  Hybrid
Recording type:
  Analogue
Recording info:
 

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Reviews: 7 show all

Review by sgb September 17, 2003 (8 of 8 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
I could give you a three-word sentence and be done with it: "Magnificent, buy it."

But in deference to this glorious recording — one that has been a favorite among audiophiles since its initial release — there are a number of things that need to be said that will interest those who've enjoyed it these past 27 years, and that will come anon. For those readers who know little about this famous record, let me say first, though, that Cantate Domino is a collection of religious music primarily intended for the Christmas season.

It was recorded in the Oscarskyrkan, a church in Stockholm in 1976. It features the Oscar's Motet Choir conducted by Torsten Nilsson with soprano, Marianne Mellnäs and organist, Alf Linder. Some of the selections will be unfamiliar to American listeners but others will be known immediately, even though they are sung here in a variety of languages, French, German and Swedish among them. The choir and organist perform very well, as does the featured soprano soloist who, in fact, sings "O Holy Night" better than I had ever heard it sung before — or since, for that matter. While the bulk of the recording is choral, there are several pieces for solo organ too; the album ends on a non-religious note with Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" sung in English with a Swedish accent. Linder's organ accompaniement here puts one in the mind of music being played at an ice skating rink.

As for the sound, I will have to tell you that in preparation for the arrival of this SACD, I spent the past weekend and several days since listening to my three pressings of the the original LP. In my opinion, the new Proprius SACD reissue solidly trounces my trusty old LPs in any aspect of sound quality you'd care to consider. The SACD is simply more dynamic, more transparent, and dramatically clearer. There's still a high frequency edge here and there where the choir has overloaded the equipment making the original tape, but in making numerous specific comparisons, the LP simply cannot convey the same level of detail or reveal as many of the subtle nuances that make this recording so magical. The power of the organ has never seemed so real to me as it does now on this DSD transfer, and the chorus is now so well delineated that you can pick out individual voices — that go unnoticed on the LP — with ease.

A couple audio enthusiasts wanted to know about external noises in this recording. There are many, but I do not believe that any of these are caused by traffic outside the church, but instead by goings-on inside. This is most noticed on tracks 2 through 4 where only the organ is playing.

This one goes to the head of the class. I consider this the single best transfer from analog to DSD I have yet to hear. And, given the sound of the original tape, it may be years before this one is bettered. Recommended with no reservation whatsoever.

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Review by mwagner1962 June 15, 2005 (5 of 5 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
I am going to join the growing chorus (no pun intended) in praising this SACD. This has been a SACD that I have wanted for a LONG time, but for some reason, never bought it. Well, enough was enough, and last week, it arrived.

Despite the fact that this recording is nearly 30 years old, the transfer to DSD was a complete success and once again proves that when you take a superb analogue master and do some great conversion...and since they are using some of the superb EMM Labs gear, you get results like this!!!

The sense of space, air, transparency, and all of the other audiophilia spew you can think of, is here in droves!!! The organ is magnificent, the choir is stunning, and the sound is not at all indicative of a recording of this age.

While this is a Christmas recording, I find most of the music to be quite listenable year round, as as there are only a few tracks that actually sound like Christmas tunes (at least to these non-European ears)....If this SACD had been full of tracks like "Santa Claus..." or "Rudolph...", I might have felt a little different.

I am now starting to become a serious fan of SACDs that are made from quality analogue masters and then transfered to DSD via EMM Labs gear. Also, this is one of a number of growing SACDs that used Pearl microphones. WaterLily Acoustic uses Pearl Microphone, and those SACDs sound superb as well.

This SACD is HIGHLY recommended!!!!

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Review by Twu May 19, 2004 (5 of 5 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
I would highly recommend this SACD to anyone who enjoys the kind of music. It is absolutely great recording - very clean sound, very good frequency response over the spectrum, the ambience sound of the church is beautifully captured. Even though it's a two-channel recording, the effect of "church" is so clearly and easily reproduced, possibly on any equipment, that I double and double check to make sure it is really a stereo SACD! The sounds from the organ is truely awesome. It is powerful, and yet so sweat and so real. As truely must have SACD, at a very attractive price too! :)

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Works: 6  

Adolphe Adam - Christmas song
Irving Berlin - White Christmas
Enrico Bossi - Cantate Domino
Franz Gruber - Stille Nacht
Otto Olsson - Advent
Otto Olsson - Jul