The mezzo-soprano Dagmar Pecková decided to give herself and her friends and fans a very personal gift in the form of this Christmas album. The...

The mezzo-soprano Dagmar Pecková decided to give herself and her friends and fans a very personal gift in the form of this Christmas album. The listener is treated to Bohemian and Moravian carols and to the tender poetry of Christmas songs from seventeenth-century Bohemian Baroque hymnals (Michna’s Chtíc aby spal is included in the collection, naturally). Dagmar Pecková has, of course, also turned her gaze beyond the hills on her homeland’s borders. Ultimately, whether it is carp or turkey on the festive dinner table, it is the birth of the Savior that is celebrated all over Europe. Good King Wenceslas is sung in England and Lulajze Jezuniu in Poland, while Stille Nacht and Adeste fideles are sung in many places in a variety of translations. But what about in Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, or Italy? The musical treasures of those countries are found here as well. Dagmar Pecková’s taste is unerring in her choice of musicians. Jaroslav Krcek enhances the charm of these songs both as the conductor of Musica Bohemica and as the arranger: within just a few bars, his unmistakable touch, inspired by Baroque and folk music, will enchant you with an incredible range of colors, from the intimacy of chamber music to an almost symphonic sound. Adding more color are the male voices of the Gentlemen Singers and other soloists. Please accept this invitation to tour Europe at Christmastide.