Bach: Christmas Oratorio (Weihnachts Oratorium) | Bach, The Sixteen, ...

Bach: Christmas Oratorio (Weihnachts Oratorium) | Bach, The Sixteen, ... | Weihnachts Oratorium, Christmas Oratorio, J.S. Bach

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Bach: Christmas Or...

	Bach: Christmas Oratorio (Weihnachts Oratorium) Bach, The Sixteen, ... Coro, 2003 average customer review:based on 3 reviews view larger image
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For his first Christmas Day service in the new job, Bach composed an impressive Sanctus, which he later incorporated into his Mass in B minor. The Christmas Oratorio was not written until 1734. Because of the pressure of work, and since at that time there were limited opportunities for repeat performances, Bach borrowed extensively from other pieces that he had written previously, both sacred and secular. This was standard practice for the period. The result was one of Bach?s most popular (and largest scale) composition.

Outstanding performance

Harry Christopher and The Sixteen offer up a lively, energetic reading of Bach's (so-called) Christmas Oratorio, a work that should be heard more often in the USA than it is.
The performance of the first chorus of Cantata I, "Jauchzet, frohlocket," bursts with exuberance and energy, but is never rushed. The sopranos are especially to be commended for their performance; the writing requires them to go from the very bottom of their range to the top of it in short order. The opening phrase, set low in all voices, does not have a pushed, chest-voice quality that one usually hears in these opening bars. As the treble instruments pile one entrance on another in downward scales, the trumpets arpeggiate upward-- the excitement Bach meant to convey is readily apparent in this performance. And that's just the first movement.
Choices for tempi, phrasing, and voicing are very carefully made, yet the entire performance seems spontaneous, exuberant, youthful. Intonation is spot on and few if any technical flaws distract from the vitality of the performance.
For many years, I viewed the Christmas Oratorio as an interesting work, but not one I cared to know beyond my previous experiences, no doubt tainted by poorly prepared and executed performances. Would that this recording were my first exposure to this beautiful and exciting work! If you don't have a recording of this work, this is the recording to get to know it by. If you have one, this is a great addition to your collection.

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Weihnachts Oratorium, Christmas Oratorio, J.S. Bach

Beautiful in German, Bach's oratorio, is prized for its place in the liturgy, and its quality as music. The Sixteen's have a wonderful well done classic.

Christmas Oratorio / JS Bach

A beautiful performance of this work. I enjoyed the choral sections as well as the soloists.

Tracks
For the 1st Day of Christmas: Chorus | For the 1st Day of Christmas: Recitative (Evangelist) | For the 1st Day of Christmas: Recitative (Alto) | For the 1st Day of Christmas: Aria (Alto) | For the 1st Day of Christmas: Chorale | For the 1st Day of Christmas: Recitative (Evangelist) | For the 1st Day of Christmas: Chorale (Sopranos) with recitative (Bass) | For the 1st Day of Christmas: Aria (Bass) | For the 1st Day of Christmas: Chorale | For the 2nd Day of Christmas: Sinfonia | For the 2nd Day of Christmas: Recitative (Evangelist) | For the 2nd Day of Christmas: Chorale | For the 2nd Day of Christmas: Recitative (Evangelist and Angel) | For the 2nd Day of Christmas: Recitative (Bass) | For the 2nd Day of Christmas: Aria (Tenor) | For the 2nd Day of Christmas: Recitative (Evangelist) | For the 2nd Day of Christmas: Chorale | For the 2nd Day of Christmas: Recitative (Bass) | For the 2nd Day of Christmas: Aria (Alto) | For the 2nd Day of Christmas: Recitative (Evangelist) | For the 2nd Day of Christmas: Chorus | For the 2nd Day of Christmas: Recitative (Bass) | For the 2nd Day of Christmas: Chorale | For the 3rd Day of Christmas: Chorus | For the 3rd Day of Christmas: Recitative (Evangelist) | For the 3rd Day of Christmas: Chorus | For the 3rd Day of Christmas: Recitative (Bass) | For the 3rd Day of Christmas: Chorale | For the 3rd Day of Christmas: Duet (Soprano and Bass) | For the 3rd Day of Christmas: Recitative (Evangelist) | For the 3rd Day of Christmas: Aria (Alto) | For the 3rd Day of Christmas: Recitative (Alto) | For the 3rd Day of Christmas: Chorale | For the 3rd Day of Christmas: Recitative (Evangelist) | For the 3rd Day of Christmas: Chorale | For the 3rd Day of Christmas: Chorus | For the Feast of the Circumcision: Chorus | For the Feast of the Circumcision: Recitative (Evangelist) | For the Feast of the Circumcision: Recitative with Chorale (Bass, Soprano)/Recitative (Bass) | For the Feast of the Circumcision: Aria (Soprano and Echo-Soprano) | For the Feast of the Circumcision: Recitative (Bass) with Chorale Recitative (Bass, Soprano) | For the Feast of the Circumcision: Aria (Tenor) | For the Feast of the Circumcision: Chorale | For the 1st Sunday in the New Year: Chorus | For the 1st Sunday in the New Year: Recitative (Evangelist) | For the 1st Sunday in the New Year: Chorus with Recitative (Alto) | For the 1st Sunday in the New Year: Chorale | For the 1st Sunday in the New Year: Aria (Bass) | For the 1st Sunday in the New Year: Recitative (Evangelist) | For the 1st Sunday in the New Year: Recitative (Alto) | For the 1st Sunday in the New Year: Recitative (Evangelist) | For the 1st Sunday in the New Year: Trio | For the 1st Sunday in the New Year: Recitative (Alto) | For the 1st Sunday in the New Year: Chorale | For the Feast of the Epiphany: Chorus | For the Feast of the Epiphany: Recitative (Evangelist and Herod) | For the Feast of the Epiphany: Recitative (Soprano) | For the Feast of the Epiphany: Aria (Soprano) | For the Feast of the Epiphany: Recitative (Evangelist) | For the Feast of the Epiphany: Chorale | For the Feast of the Epiphany: Recitative (Evangelist) | For the Feast of the Epiphany: Recitative (Tenor) | For the Feast of the Epiphany: Aria (Tenor) | For the Feast of the Epiphany: Recitative (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) | For the Feast of the Epiphany: Chorale

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