A Gala Christmas in Vienna | 
 enlarge | Artists: Christmas Traditional, Franz Xaver Gruber, Howard Blake, Anonymous, Trevor Horn / Hans Zimmer, John Francis Wade, James R. Murray, James (, Barry/ Gibb, Robin Gibb Maurice/ Gibb, Placido Jr. [son] Domingo, Roger Whittaker, Ian Anderson, Fred Coots, John Lennon / Yoko Ono, Christian Kolonovits, Steven Mercurio, Paul Bateman, Placido Domingo, Sarah Brightman, Helmut Lotti, Riccardo Cocciante
Label: Sony
Category: Music
List Price: $9.98
Buy New: $2.99
You Save: $6.99 (70%)
New (24) Used (13) from $2.99
Rating:  15 reviews
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 60396
UPC: 074646039625
EAN: 0074646039625
Release Date: September 29, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Christmas Prologue | | • | Deck the Halls - Placido Domingo, Traditional | | • | The Closing of the Year | | • | Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle | | • | Walking in Air | | • | Adeste Fideles - Placido Domingo, Traditional | | • | Away in a Manger - Placido Domingo, Traditional | | • | An Old Fashioned Christmas | | • | First of May | | • | Il Re Gesu | | • | Frohliche Weihnacht | | • | Cantemos Rapaces | | • | Christmas Is Here Again | | • | Child In a Manger | | • | Angels From the Realms of Glory | | • | Another Christmas Song | | • | Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Placido Domingo, Coots, J. Fred | | • | Happy Christmas | | • | Silent Night - Placido Domingo, Gruber, Franz | | • | Studio Version |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
You don't hear many live Christmas records, but then it's seldom you get as many operatic powerhouses under one Austrian town-hall roof with a full orchestra and large children's choir. Placido Domingo (who dominates the proceedings with his commanding tenor), Britain's own Sarah Brightman, Belgian Helmut Lotti, and Italy's Richard Cocciante raise the roof on this international gala recording from 1997 under the skilled baton of Steven Mercurio and choir master Elizabeth Ziegler. Chief among the performances during this black-tie event are the Domingo-Cocciante duet of "Walking in the Air," Brightman's chilling "First of May," (the Bee Gees song) and a strange medley of European-American songs, traditional and pop, ranging from Roger Whittaker and John Lennon and Yoko Ono to Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson and a handful of traditional Welsh, German, and Spanish works, plus that Yank standard "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." For button-down audiences only who still can appreciate pop songs in expanded and exploded arrangements. --Martin Keller
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 Not pleasant. December 28, 2008
David0001 (Colorado)
After unsuccessfully trying to enjoy this CD over the past several years, I finally decided to throw it in the trash -- and write a review to share with you all. This may have been enjoyable as a simple TV variety show, but it's unpleasant to listen to as a CD. The vocalists have such different styles and degrees of quality, that they don't belong on the same CD. The different types of songs are jarring when put on the same CD. The pairing of some of these vocalists with some of these songs is downright unpleasant. The orchestra music is simplistic, non-nuanced, and does not stand on its own; it is simply at the service of the vocalists, with songs generally starting with the briefest of orchestral introductions before some vocalist starts belting out the words. I give it 2 stars, because the title still gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling -- I LOVE the idea of Christmas in Vienna!
Gala CD December 20, 2008
Frank E. Apsey (Oscoda, MI)
The music is awesome, especially "The First Of May" and "Walking On The Air." The whole concert was a delight to listen to!
 a voice teacher and early music fan October 21, 2007
George Peabody (Carlisle,Pa. USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
FOUR FOR THE PRICE OF ONE; BUT WHO NEEDS IT!?
Herein we have four skilled vocalists who by themselves are most enjoyable, especially Brightman and Domingo. But together singing songs that are wildly different as are their voices is just painful.
Of course, we all know the reason: the commercial money-making powers that be are interested only in doing just that. And their logic we know is that four will sell better than one. NOT ALWAYS TRUE!!!!In fact, there are no two voices on this disc that blend well and somehow the Christmas Medley mixing 'Child in a Manger' with 'Santa Claus is coming to Town' I find downright offensive.
Buy it if you must,but I am certain that each of these singers have individual discs that are much more flattering to their voices.
 A Gala Christmas in Vienna January 15, 2007
David Williams (Vancouver B.C, Canada)
Excellent Christmas music with some very good vaiety of voice and composition.
Helmut Lotti and others sing for Christmas September 24, 2005
Lea Ann Morris (Seattle, WA)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I am a great fan of Helmut Lotti. This particular recording is one my husband I already own and enjoy. We purchased this one for our adult daughter. Each of the performers on this disk are first rate and the recording as a whole is well worth adding to one's holiday pleasures.
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