Our Review
Merry: A Holiday Journey is definitely a trip; this is not your classic classical recording. Virtuoso violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg (NSS) is known for her bold interpretations and free spirit; here, she lets it all hang out. The album displays diverse genres, from gentle jazz (vocalist Judy Blazer on Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas) to opera (soprano Sarah Gartshore on O Holy Night) to ragtime (the piano opening to The Wassail Song), and the results are sometimes a bit overwhelming, but always compelling.
The musicianship is excellent, particularly NSS's extraordinary violin. The artist's bow sails at lightning speed through the various holiday classics, leaving the listener breathless. Her opening Santa Claus Is Coming to Town is a rip-roaring violin extravaganza! My favorite piece may be the unusual interpretation of Silent Night, which features Clarice Assad's multi-layered, sometimes atonal, vocalizations under NSS's flawless violin.
This album is a creative mix that commands the listener's attention through every twist and turn. The journey closes with a satisfying classical classic, Adeste Fideles. Nice!
--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2007)
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From the liner notes:
Nadja Salerna-Sonnenberg: Violinist
Friends:
Gustavo Amarante, bassist
Orest Artymiw, violinist
Clarice Assad, jazz pianist and vocals
Odair Assad, guitarist
Sergio Assad, guitarist
Judy Blazer, vocals
Sarah Gartshore, soprano
Richard Hotchikiss, cellist
Mathias Kunzli, drummer
Ray Mase, trumpet
Anne-Marie McDermott, pianist
Richard Raub, organist
Fred Sherry, cellist
Ellen Trainer, violist
John Tenaglia, Choir Director
St. Peter Adult Choir of St. Peter Roman Catholic Church
Album Producer and Editor: Elizabeth Ostrow
Engineers: Tom Lazarus, Bill Maylone, George Blood, Bart Migal
Studios: Right Track, Avatar, Classic Sound in New York, WFMT in Chicago
Editing: Classic Sound
Music Arrangement: Clarice Assad, Sergio Assad
Graphic Design: CH Major Group
Executive Producer: Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
Merry: A Holiday Journey
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Label: NSS Music
Length: 44 minutes
Genre: Classical
Release: 2006
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Santa Claus Is Coming to Town |
| Carol of the Bells |
| Silent Night |
| I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas |
| The Wassail Song/O Christmas Tree |
| O Little Town of Bethlehem |
| The Twelve Days of Christmas |
| O Holy Night |
| A Christmas Medley |
| Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas |
| Adeste Fideles |