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Editorial Reviews

Composer, producer, and creative guiding light Paul O'Neill is taking his Trans-Siberian Orchestra concept into a new chapter of the Christmas story with The Lost Christmas Eve. In this symphonic rock opera, the screaming guitars, pounding percussion, orchestral crescendos, and wailing vocals tell the story of a group of disparate and desperate New York City characters from different walks of life whose fates are intertwined in a Christmas Eve saga that moves from loss to redemption. It's typical, rousing TSO fare, encompassing muscular interpretations of seasonal classics, such as the driving, hard-rock take on "The Last Noel," retitled here as "Faith Noel," and a melodramatic rendition of "What Child Is This," complete with hard-rock guitar chording and an ominous, stuttering string section. Additionally, TSO offers more subtle explorations of other genres ("Christmas Jazz"), Jim Steinman–like anthems ("Christmas Dreams"), and electrifying twists on classical fare such as "Christmas Canon Rock," a rocking approach to the timeless Canon in D by Pachelbel, and "Wish Liszt (Toy Shop Madness)," whose source is obvious. Sometimes these transformations are truly startling: "What Child Is This" builds from a tender reading of the traditional carol into a bruising, soaring meditation on a wasted life, with a thundering arrangement to match the urgency of the vocal reading, only to be followed by a reverent solo acoustic guitar version of "O Come All Ye Faithful." O'Neill's latest seasonal installment is, as usual, a feast for the ears. David McGee, Barnes & Noble

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