[.ca] Missa Criolla/Navidad Nuestra

Soulful singing from José:
It seems that this cd is a matter of whether you have heard the "original" or not. I haven't, so obviously I belong to the group of people that appreciate this cd. The cd was recorded just a few days before he was diagnosed with leukaemia and I was amazed when I found out, because one should think that a disease that severe would affect his singing somewhat. But that's absolutely not the case. His singing is as wonderful as ever. His rendition of "Kyrie" is stupendous, as is his "Agnus Dei". Not to mention "Navidad en Verano. It's absolutely beautiful. The soulfullness of the song together with José's soft tones will bring you to tears. Navidad Nuestra "El Nacimiento" also qualifies in the same category. In my opinion this is a wonderful cd that will stir your emotions. The different tracks will either make you cry or dance around the house.

Magnificently Executed Piece:
This album is truly a work of art in every way, shape and form!! The music lifts one to celestial heights. Jose Carreras executes this masterpiece with such great artistry and sensitivity. His voice is a gift from God. Ariel Ramirez is a genius in combining traditional Latin American themes with classical overtones. I recommend this with the highest of marks.

It's all about Jose, not the music:
I first heard the Missa Criola in 1970 and immediately bought the LP, the one with Ramirez conducting his own works. I played the grooves off it for years. But it's not available on CD, so I had to make do with this very pale imitation. The charm and strength of this music is its folk roots, and the feature that made my old LP so incredible was the raw energy and momentum of the performance. The soloists became the music, fitting in beautifully with no attempts to raise themselves to a position of greater glory. The energy and drive of the entire production was infectious; it was impossible to sit still while listening to it. In this recording, much is made of Carreras. Yes, he's got a nice, if somewhat light-weight, voice, and were it not for his participation as one of the Three Tenors, singing with much better-known and accomplished colleagues, he probably would never have been considered for this recording. His voice is much too mannered, operatic, and light for it. In his throat, this music sounds like art songs. The choir is secondary to him, singing like a back-up group for some star, which is the reverse of the way it ought to be. And let's not even talk about the tempi. Ramirez conducted his work with zest and energy. This recording seems to equate reverence with s-l-o-w tempo, with the predictable result that the music lags and is stretched out so far as to lose all its momentum. Everything that's wrong here goes back to the fact that Ramirez wrote it in the folk idiom, and this recording is done as a finely polished vehicle for an opera star. The music has been made secondary to the performance of the tenor soloist, instead of the reverse, and the choir has been rendered insignificant, which, for this inherently choral piece, is quite an achievement, if a dubious one. There's no energy here, no drive, no... life. If this was the only way you'd ever get to hear the Missa Criola, you probably wouldn't be too interested in hearing it again. I still have my old LP. It looks like a potato chip after all these years, but I'm going to find a way to copy it onto a CD and play it instead of this. I just can't recommend this dead recording.

Not the One:
I first heard a "misa criolla" track of the Lord's Prayer ( in spanish of course) on our Classic fm station and immediately call them what is the album title. They said it is a Philips album but it is out of circulation. When I found this on the net, excitedly purchased it and listened. What a dissapointment!! I expected a folk guitar accompanied singer but all I have is too much confusion on what I am hearing. It is made with too much orchestration which require a hall not your serene listening room. Too bad I missed the folk version.

Not a folk mass:
I love misa criolla and Jose Carreras is a great tenor, but this recording is to polished for me. What makes the misa criolla unique is the use of folk rhythms and melodies. On this recording, they have become sterile compositions rather than vibrant aspects of life. I'd much prefer a grittier recording, with an imperfect orchestra, but a folksier singer (like another recording I own, with Zamba Quilpador singing the lead tenor). Nice try - too nice.

• Misa Criolla: Kyrie (vidala-babuala)
• Misa Criolla: Gloria (carnavalito - yaravi)
• Misa Criolla: Credo (chacarera trunca)
• Misa Criolla: Sanctus (carnaval cochabambino)
• Misa Criolla: Agnus Dei (estilo pampeano)
• Navidad en Verano
• Navidad Nuestra: La Anunciacion (chamame)
• Navidad Nuestra: La Peregrinacion (huella pampeana)
• Navidad Nuestra: El Nacimiento (vidala catamarquena)
• Navidad Nuestra: Los Pastores (chaya riojana)
• Navidad Nuestra: Los Reyes Magos (takirari)
• Navidad Nuestra: La Huida (vidala tucumana)