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Here is a truly special holiday treat.

Originally released in Europe three years ago under the Mercury label, The Christmas Album arrived in U.S. stores this fall as a Philips release. It was worth the wait. Although not a household name here, Nana Mouskouri is a remarkable world-wide phenomenon. Born Ioana ("Nana") Mouskouri with only one vocal chord nearly 70 years ago, this unique Greek songstress has endlessly fascinated audiences with her distinctive soprano voice. She is massively multilingual (fluent in Greek, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and English), prolific (a recent check of Amazon.com revealed nearly 70 Mouskouri CDs currently available for purchase!), and has an incredible repertoire (from jazz to classical to pop to French cabaret songs).

Mouskouri's multilingual vocal talents shine on The Christmas Album. In over an hour of music, the artist presents 24 holiday songs, and only seven are in English. Still, most of the melodies are familiar, even if presented in a variety of languages. In fact, because Mouskouri's English pronunciation is occasionally a bit disconcerting (i.e., "Deck the halls with bows--as in ribbons & bows--of holly"), I found myself preferring the wonderful array of numbers sung in French, Greek, and German.

Her distinctive voice reflects an unusual purity, an almost crystalline clarity. The vocal presentation is relatively straightforward, never overproduced. The accompaniment is light, lovely, and appropriate, permitting Mouskouri to showcase her remarkable abilities.

The Christmas Album reflects a wide range of holiday stylings, making this CD accessible to a broad audience. Mouskouri handles popular, classical, and traditional folk pieces with aplomb. For those who favor serious classical offerings, her two versions of Ave Maria are stunningly beautiful. For those who prefer popular holiday numbers, Mouskouri delivers, adopting an unusual vocal treatment in White Christmas that is breathy and nearly ethereal. Two other favorite classics here are God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, which charms with its unadorned simplicity, and L'Enfant au Tambour (the French version of Little Drummer Boy), which emotes a similarly joyful, but understated, message. The traditional folk songs--like Ich Steh an Deiner Krippe Hier--are warm and playful. Overall, the music is gentle, charming, and welcoming.

If you favor the vocal stylings of Barbra Streisand, Maureen McGovern, and Bernadette Peters, this CD should be an easy choice for you. Since this is my first Nana Mouskouri CD, I cannot pretend to be a long-time fan. I can, however, report that The Christmas Album has already spent considerable time on my CD player and will likely become an old favorite before the 2003 holiday season draws to a close. Enjoy!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2003)

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From the liner notes:

   "In mingled dreams and reality, sadness and joy,
   Christmas Carols bring each one of us an inner
   Peace and Serenity. Christmas Carols stir a need
   in us to recover a sense of simple, human emotion and
   lead us to gaze deeply into the eyes of a child to feel
   the divine nature of love.
   They help us believe: in the innocence
   of these eyes that awaken the hope of a miracle,
   in the hope of a better future for our children
   and that there is hope for the world."
   --Nana Mouskouri

Music performed with Les Choeurs de France (titles #5, 14, 24) and the Knabenchor St. Nicolai (titles #1,4, 12, 17, 19)

From the Universal Music Group promotional release:

"The Christmas Album is a celebratory collection of some of the best-known holiday songs from around the world. This album features twenty-four of the season's most beloved songs…. Each track is delivered with power and passion from a woman who sings effortlessly, never disappointing her ever-growing legion of admirers. The Guardian has previously stated that Mouskouri's music 'appeals to the most simple and basic emotion in everyone, anywhere."

"Nana Mouskouri is one of the best-selling female artists in the world with a career spanning more than 40 years. She has been awarded more than 350 gold and platinum records since the inception of her career in 1961."

Nana Mouskouri

The Christmas Album

Artist link

Track List