Bach's Christmas Oratorio

Happy New Year, Sir G.! I saw in the new year with that CD and Track 18 in my version was fine.

 

Happy new year to you too, with plenty of Bach and all that sort of thing

Well, I'll e-mail Z. about this track problem, they've been very responsive so far, I'm quite sure they'll replace the defective CD.

 

Hope they can. When I tried to order the set for a friend in Oz, they were sold out. Hopefully it was so popular that they'll get in more.

 

It's that time of year again, and they've all had an outing again. I must say, it's been the Gardiner that's really got me going this year - and No. 41 from Cantata No.4 (New Year), in particular, is just breathtaking (especially for the Tenor soloist!). The standard of musicianship is amazing, the pace of the aria breakneck (too fast, I think, but exhilarating nevertheless) and the sense of risk triumphantly overcome palpable. Magic.

 

I always do the Gardiner DVD (the live performance from the Herderkirche, Weimar), which, apart from the visual element, knocks spots off every other version musically, in my opinion. I never fail to be awed by the precision machine that is the Monteverdi Choir. My favourite is the opening chorus from Cantata No.5 Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen. To nick your word, utterly exhilarating.

 

Tones, do you find that the sound is out of sync with the picture? I listened to the DTS sound track, and had to fiddle with the lip sync time delay settings, and never really got it right. I haven't tried the Dolby Digital or stereo tracks this year - I wonder if they're any better. Maybe just best to turn off the picture!

 

I must say I assumed it would be all right and it was (a bit like my attitude to hi-fi! I assume cables make no difference and they don't!). However, if it had been badly out, I'm sure I would have noticed. I shall look again and pay more attention.

I know there are folk who get bored with the picture, but I never do - it fascinates me to watch it all come together (and I enjoy Gardiner obviously having the time of his life making it all happen).

P.S. Just did a check on mine. I selected bits here and there and found them in absolutely perfect sync every time. So thanks, ol' bud, for an excuse to see and hear something marvellous again. I hope the folk in the Herderkirche on those nights realise that they heard something extraordinary.

 

They seemed a bit luke-warm to me.

Strage that the sync should be ok on yours. When it's out, it's really noticeable - and irritating.

 

One thing I forgot to mention - I have no idea what "DTS" is, and I wouldn't know where to find lip sync - I didn't know such facilities existed. I usually watch my DVD on the computer with the headphones on, and occasionally on the TV with the sound coming through the stereo. I think you've clearly a more exotic AV system than I.