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Our Review

I was a student of the Russians in my younger years, so it comes as a rare treat to have the opportunity to comment on Christmas Fantastique, the new holiday delight featuring the Moscow Symphony Orchestra.

Not really paying enough attention, I missed the first bit of it the first time through by not having the volume up sufficiently to hear the rich, lively instrumental flavor of the MSO. So, I backed it up to the beginning and listened with ears tuned. It's all adjectives from here: lush, dramatic, Disneyesque; this is the sort of musical score one expects from Chaikovsky's people. They have a lot of chairs in this orchestra, so they have the capacity to go both high and wide, and high and wide they do go. Though capable of some delicacy, the vibe I get is an emotional arc, with a flair for the sentimental, that ranges from dramatic, to even more dramatic. But all the drama makes for more fun, and these textured arrangements, many by Todd Hayen and Ron Goldstein, but with one by Scott McRae and another by Chris Ridenhour, are wonderful when put into the hands of the MSO.

The selections are mostly the usual suspects, though definitely some of the better ones, but the arrangements along with the masterful performance by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, well, are worth a listen, and worthy of the highest superlatives. Dramatique! Epique! Fantastique! Check it out!

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2006)

Our Review

Fabulous fanfare! High drama! As the initial strains of Christmas Fantastique emerge, you sense yourself sitting in the movie theater, and a blockbuster release is coming up on the screen. Is it "Raiders of the Lost Ark"? The "Lord of the Rings" series? You get that tingling sensation of great things to come, and they do. The 80-person Moscow Symphony Orchestra ("MSO") masterfully handles 17 holiday tracks in a generous hour of lush music, making the full-bodied orchestral arrangements of renowned Hollywood composers/arrangers come to glorious life.

After hearing quite a few instrumental holiday offerings that rely heavily on the bare-bones simplicity of one musical instrument or only a few, the MSO's powerful regiment of players has a stunning impact. The music is flawlessly executed, of course, and each track demands your complete attention. This CD is no wimpy background player; it would be difficult to use Christmas Fantastique as background filler for your holiday affair. If you attempted to do so, conversations would periodically grind to a halt as your guests stop to listen to the compelling phrasing of these familiar tunes.

The Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella Medley is extremely cool, combining two of my favorite Christmas numbers (including The Coventry Carol). Perhaps because I am in a contemplative mood this morning, some of the slower, more restrained pieces resonated particularly well. What Child Is This? and Gesu Bambino effectively convey the magical discovery of the babe (I especially enjoyed the counterpoint of flute and tuba at the close of the former cut). The somewhat mystical O Come, O Come, Emmanuel is deeply moving, and the relatively understated O Holy Night is a sweet discovery, combining innocence and intense joy.

MSO's main story line here, however, is the grandeur of breathtakingly big production numbers, the exquisite construction of dynamic holiday skyscrapers that sweep you to the stars. The opening Joy to the World Medley, which melds the most exciting bits from Joy to the World, The First Noel, and O Come, All Ye Faithful, will have you in that darkened movie theater, cheering with the highs, and holding your breath with the lows. Virtually every bar of this album will keep you emotionally charged. Christmas Fantastique is a sensational ride! Bravo!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2007)

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From the liner notes:

Marrying the majesty and soaring power of Christmas melodies with the mythic sweep of music for the cinema was the core mission and inspiration behind Christmas Fantastique. These lush creations for full orchestra quite intentionally embody the bold, dramatic spirit that film music captures so elegantly. It was quite natural, then, that we should turn to the world-renowned Moscow Symphony Orchestra to breathe passionate new life into these Christmas classics.

Under the imminently capable and soulful baton of Konstantin Krimets, the first-class musicians of this prestigious 80-person ensemble take us on a dramatic journey through the land of Christmas. In addition to acclaimed performances in its home city of Moscow, the MSO has toured extensively throughout the world, including Europe, China and Japan. With over a hundred recordings to its name, the Moscow Symphony Orchestra has recently contributed extensively to soundtracks and video games and in 2006 was nominated for a Grammy for it's recording of The Adventures of Mark Twain.

executive producers: Todd Hayen and Scott McRae
produced by: Todd Hayen, Scott McRae and Michael Aarvold
recorded by: Michael Aarvold at Tonstudios, Moscow
mixed by Akalku Takashi at Syn Studio, Tokyo; mastered by: Michael Aarvold
performed by: The Moscow Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Kinstantin Krimets
orchestra managers: Marina Levine and Ellen Levine
CD digital imaging by: Judy Howieson

Moscow Symphony Orchestra

Christmas Fantastique

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Track List