J.S. Bach - Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248 I (Harry Christophers) [1993]
J.S. Bach - Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248 I (Harry Christophers) [1993]
Part one / Erster Teil For the 1st Day of Christmas Am 1. Weihnachtstag 1 Chorus: Jauchzet, frohlocket! 2 Recit: Es begab sich aber zu der Zeit 3 Recit: Nun wird mein liebster Brautigam 4 Aria: Bereite dich, Zion 5 Chorale: Wie soll ich dich empfangen 6 Recit: Und sie gebar ihren ersten Sohn 7 Chorale & Recit: Er ist auf Erden kommen arm 8 Aria: Grosser Herr, o starker Konig 9 Chorale: Ach mein herzliebes Jesulein Part two / Zweiter Teil Tracks For the 2nd Day of Christmas Am 2. Weihnachtstag 10 Sinfonia; Hirtenmusik 11 Recit: Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend 12 Chorale: Brich an, o shones Morgenlicht 13 Recit: Und der Engel sprach zu ihnen 14 Recit: Was Gott dem Abraham verheissen 15 Aria: Frohe hirten, eilt, ach eilet 16 Recit: Und das Habt zum Zeichen 17 Chorale: Schaut hin, dort liegt im finstern Stall 18 Recit: So geht denn hin, ihr Hirten, geht 19 Aria: Schlafe, mein Liebster, geniesse der Ruh 20 Recit: Und alsobald war da bei dem Engel 21 Chorus: Ehre sei Gott in der Hohe 22 Recit: So recht, ihr Engel, jauchzt und singet 23 Chorale: Wir singen dir in deinem Heer Part three / Dritter Teil Tracks For the 3rd Day of Christmas Am 3. Weihnachtstag 24 Coro; Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen 25 Recit: Und da die Engel von ihnen gen Himmel 26 Chorus: Lasset uns nun gehen gen Bethlehem 27 Recit: Er hat sein Volk getrost' 28 Chorale: Dies hat er alles uns getan 29 Duet: Herr, dein Mitleid, dein Erbarmen 30 Recit: Und sie kamen eilend und funden beide 31 Aria: Schliesse, mein Herze, dies selige Wunder 32 Recit: Ja, ja, mein Herz soll es bewahren 33 Chorale: Ich will dich mit Fleiss bewahren 34 Recit: Und die Hirten kehrten wieder um 35 Chorale: Seid froh dieweil 36 Chorus: Herrscher des Himmels Lynda Russell, soprano Catherine Wyn-Rogers, contralto Mark Padmore, tenor (Evangelist) Michael George, bass Libby Crabtree, soprano (Angel, Echo) The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra Harry Christophers - conductor
The Christmas Oratorio (German: Weihnachts-Oratorium) BWV 248, is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It was written for the Christmas season of 1734 incorporating music from earlier compositions, including three secular cantatas written during 1733 and 1734 and a now lost church cantata, BWV 248a. The date is confirmed in Bach's autograph manuscript. The next performance was not until 17 December 1857 by the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin under Eduard Grell. The Christmas Oratorio is a particularly sophisticated example of parody music. The author of the text is unknown, although a likely collaborator was Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander).
The work belongs to a group of three oratorios written towards the end of Bach's career in 1734 and 1735 for major feasts, the others being the Ascension Oratorio (BWV 11) and the Easter Oratorio (BWV 249). All parody earlier compositions, although the Christmas Oratorio is by far the longest and most complex work.
The oratorio is in six parts, each part being intended for performance on one of the major feast days of the Christmas period. The piece is often presented as a whole or split into two equal parts. The total running time for the entire work is nearly three hours.
The first part (for Christmas Day) describes the Birth of Jesus, the second (for December 26) the annunciation to the shepherds, the third (for December 27) the adoration of the shepherds, the fourth (for New Year's Day) the circumcision and naming of Jesus, the fifth (for the first Sunday after New Year) the journey of the Magi, and the sixth (for Epiphany) the adoration of the Magi. ---wikipedia