Respighi: Lauda per la Natività del Signore

In 1930 Ottorino Respighi composed his Lauda per la Nativit del ­Signore, the only sacred choral work among his entire opus. In this hymn of praise to the miracle of Christmas, majestic sounding choral passages alternate with the soloistic roles of Maria, the Angel and the shepherd, accompanied by the sound of pastoral instruments. The music is varied, containing stylistic elements ranging from the late romantic to neo baroque, as well as echoes of Gregorian chant. In this recording by the Rundfunkchor Berlin, under the direction of Nicolas Fink and Maris Sirmais, Respighi’s composition is presented together with beautiful Christmas pieces by Poulenc, Sandström, Kaminskyand Raphael. Like Respighi, in their compositions they employed various techniques and harmonies from previous musical eras.