Published by The Madrigal Choir
Corul Madrigal releases two Christmas albums
Corul Național de Cameră “Madrigal-Marin Constantin” and record label Roton Music release two new Christmas albums.
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Dedicated to the great celebration of the Nativity, this is the first project of its kind after a break of almost 20 years, featuring new recordings produced to exceptional acoustic standards. The initiative aims to bring the choir and its audience closer together in this unusual year: for the first time in the past 52 years, Madrigal will not give its eagerly awaited Christmas concerts with an audience in the hall.
Through the two albums, Corul Madrigal preserves the tradition it began in 1968, when, under communist rule, it gave its first carol concert. This act of artistic dissent brought Christmas back into Romanian homes, and for generations the sound of the Nativity became synonymous with Madrigal’s sound.
„At Christmas, we listen to Madrigal! In this difficult year, the release of these albums has a special meaning both for us and for Romanian audiences. In effect, we are drawing a symbolic arc through time: from Corul Madrigal’s first carol concert, led by maestro Marin Constantin in 1968 during the communist regime, to today, when we offer audiences this project in another extremely difficult set of circumstances. We honour this tradition, so dearly loved by Romanians, and hope that the unique sound of Madrigal’s carols will connect them with Christmas, with the emotion of concert halls and with the special energy of our concerts. Produced to exceptional technical and graphic standards together with our partners at Roton Music, this recording project is also remarkable as the first of this calibre produced by Madrigal in the past 20 years” – said Emil Pantelimon, manager of Corul Național de Cameră „Madrigal – Marin Constantin
Each CD has a distinct tracklist of some of the most highly regarded Christmas works, recorded live in concert: „Madrigal de Crăciun”, with a selection of 18 authentic Romanian carols, and „Madrigal for Christmas”, with 14 international carols, both classical and modern. The works were specially selected by Corul Madrigal’s Principal Conductor Anna Ungureanu, and are intended to offer audiences the unique atmosphere of the renowned choir’s special Christmas concerts, which have sold out in recent years at Ateneul Român and Sala „Auditorium” of Muzeul Național de Artă.
„Corul Madrigal’s Christmas concerts hold a special place in our emotional memory. So, when selecting the works for the two new albums, we had in mind our wish to reach audiences with the beauty and peace of carols this year too. These sounds are our heartfelt gifts to all the sensitive souls who listen to us”– said Anna Ungureanu, Principal Conductor of Corul Național de Cameră „Madrigal – Marin Constantin
Both recordings also include carols sung together with children from the choirs of the Cantus Mundi National Programme, the largest programme of social integration through music, founded by conductor Ion Marin, Corul Madrigal’s Honorary Director.
The albums „Madrigal de Crăciun” and „Madrigal for Christmas” are available from 16 November HERE, as well as through the Cărturești bookshop network, the Muzica shop and OMV and Lukoil petrol stations nationwide, and on the digital platforms Spotify and Appele Music (Madrigal de Crăciun and Madrigal for Christmas) and soon on the Corul Madrigal YouTube channel.
Corul Madrigal and Roton Music will soon release a third double CD, featuring a best-of compilation of Romanian- and English-language tracks selected from the first two albums.
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Corul Național de Cameră „Madrigal – Marin Constantin” is an emblem of Romanian and international musical life. Since its founding in 1963 by conductor Marin Constantin (1925–2011), Corul Madrigal has given more than 4.500 concerts acclaimed around the world, establishing itself as a true „national brand”. It is one of the world’s benchmarks for chamber choral music, with a repertoire focused on the European Renaissance, Byzantine music, and contemporary Romanian and international works.
In November 2016, Corul Naţional de Cameră „Madrigal – Marin Constantin” was officially recognised as an Ambassador of Freedom, Hope and Peace, receiving the „Jean Nussbaum and Eleanor Roosevelt” Award at the United Nations Palace in Geneva during the Global Summit on Religion, Peace and Security.
This year, Madrigal celebrates 57 years of uninterrupted activity, as one of the longest-established choirs. Following its anniversary concert in March 2020, Corul Madrigal presented Stagiunea Estivală Madrigal, featuring five concerts with different themes and repertoires: „Hora staccato”, „Madrigal cântă copiilor”, „Muzica Renașterii”, „Bijuterii corale” and „Ave Maria”. In response to audience demand, Corul Madrigal, conducted by Anna Ungureanu, gave another performance of „Ave Maria” in October 2020.
Roton Music is one of Romania’s earliest and most successful independent record labels, founded in 1994. Artists such as Compact, Mădălina Manole and Laura Stoica soon joined, and by 1996 Roton Music had become an established name in Romania’s music industry.
Its first international collaboration came in 1996 with ToCo, followed by international artists such as DJ Bobo, Sylver, Ingrid and the young Armin Van Buuren, who achieved their first successes in the Romanian charts. Between 1996 and 2004, many Romanian artists began their careers at Roton Music. Akcent, Simplu, Voltaj, Hi-Q and Proconsul are just some of the prominent names who made their mark on Romanian musical life.
By 2010, Roton Music artists such as Akcent, Inna and Fly Project were already well known internationally. This trend continued with Antonia, Amna, Alexandra Stan, Radiokiller and Manuel Riva, and by 2016 Romanian artists had topped more international charts than artists from other Eastern European countries over the previous 15 years.
Roton Music continues to deliver quality sound to audiences and to „set the tone” both in Romania and internationally, now also together with Corul Național de Cameră „Madrigal – Marin Constantin”.
