Artist: The Netherlands Bach Society / Jos Van Veldhoven
Title: Bach: Christmas Oratorio
Year Of Release: 2009
Label: Channel Classics Records
Genre: Classical
Quality: FLAC {Tracks, 24bit/192kHz, cover, d.booklet}
Total Time: 2 CDs, 02:25:07 min
Total Size: 4,48 Gb
Bachs Christmas Oratorio Johann Sebastian Bachs Oratorium Tempore Nativitatis Christi, a cycle of six cantatas for the Christmas season, had its collective premiere from Christmas Day 1734 through Epiphany Sunday 1735 in Leipzig. One of Bachs reasons for these performances was his search for a more permanent home for the music of three large-scale occasional works. The music involved was that of the three cantatas (Drammae per Musica) for members of the princely house of Saxony: Hercules auf der Scheidewege BWV 213 (September 1733) (Hercules at the Crossroads), written for the eleventh birthday of Prince Friedrich Christian of Saxony; Tnet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten! BWV 214 (December 1733) (Sound, ye drums! Burst forth, ye trumpets!), written for the birthday of Maria Josepha, Crown Princess of Saxony and Queen of Poland, and mother of Friedrich Christian; and Preise dein Glcke, gesegnetes Sachsen BWV 215 (October 1734) (Praise thy good fortune, o blessed Saxony), written for the first anniversary of the accession of Augustus II, Crown Prince of Saxony and King of Poland. These cantatas provide the lions share of the arias and choruses for the first four cantatas of the Christmas Oratorio. The fifth cantata, in contrast, is almost completely composed of original material, and the sixth is based as a whole on a single church cantata, which has not survived in its original form. The choice may well have been due to the fact that BWV 213-215, in a sense, comprised a sort of cyclic whole, making use of similar styles of text and music. But the most important reason for this large-scale parody composition was, of course, the musical quality and festive atmosphere of the three Saxon cantatas, which could easily be translated to the Christmas story. Bach commissioned his (unknown) librettist to rewrite the chorus and aria texts in such a way that this music could essentially be re-used unaltered, but as might be expected, he could not resist the temptation to introduce numerous improvements to the original compositions as he rewrote them. Bachs surviving clean final copy of the 1734 full score provides fascinating documentation for this process. He also had a handsome libretto printed separately, above all to make it clear to his fellow citizens of Leipzig and the audience that this was a major Oratorio, in spite of its performance being spread out over the course of six Sundays and two weeks. In later years, some have been uncomfortable with the secular origins of the Christmas Oratorio: the concept that music from a group of princely birthday cantatas could also serve to celebrate the birth of Christ was difficult to accept. But in the period before the Enlightenment, reigning heads of state were seen in a theological context: their office was conferred by God and was seen as completely separate from their physical bodies and good (or bad) deeds. For this reason, music written for these Kings was by its very definition highly suitable for the birthday of that other King, Christ, and most fit to sing the praises of the Ruler of the Heavens. Pieter Dirksen, 2002
Tracklist:
CD 1 (01:15:15)
I. Cantata for Christmas Day
01. Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset (7:31)
02. Es begab sich aber zu der (1:16)
03. Nun wird mein liebster (0:57)
04. Bereite dich, Zion (5:24)
05. Wie soll ich dich empfangen (1:15)
06. Und sie gebar ihren ersten (0:23)
07. Er ist auf Erden kommen arm (3:05)
08. Großer Herr, o starker (4:36)
09. Ach, mein herzliebes (1:22)
II. Cantata for the Second Day of Christmas
10. Sinfonia (5:12)
11. Und es waren Hirten in (0:47)
12. Brich an, du schönes (1:01)
13. Und der Engel sprach zu (0:40)
14. Was Gott dem Abraham (0:44)
15. Frohe Hirten, eilt, ach eilet (3:44)
16. Und das habt zum Zeichen (0:27)
17. Schaut hin! dort liegt im (0:43)
18. So geht denn hin, ihr Hirten, (0:50)
19. Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße (8:32)
20. Und alsobald war da bei dem (0:13)
21. Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe (2:17)
22. So recht, ihr Engel, jauchzt und (0:25)
23. Wir singen dir in deinem (1:19)
III. Cantata for the Third Day of Christmas
24. Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre (1:56)
25. Und da die Engel von ihnen (0:10)
26. Lasset uns nun gehen gen (0:47)
27. Er hat sein Volk getröst’ (0:42)
28. Dies hat er alles uns getan (0:44)
29. Herr, dein Mitleid, dein (7:45)
30. Und sie kamen eilend (1:15)
31. Schließe, mein Herze, dies (4:49)
32. Ja, ja! mein Herz soll es (0:26)
33. Ich will dich mit Fleiss (0:53)
34. Und die Hirten kehrten (0:27)
35. Seid froh dieweil; [24 da capo] Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen (2:40)
CD 2 (01:09:52)
IV. Cantata for New Year's Day
01. Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben (5:46)
02. Und da acht Tage um waren (0:33)
03. Immanuel, o süßes Wort! (2:29)
04. Flößt, mein Heiland, flößt dein Namen (5:37)
05. Wohlan! dein Name soll allein (1:32)
06. Ich will nur dir zu Ehren leben (4:27)
07. Jesus richte mein Beginnen (2:01)
V. Cantata for the Sunday after New Year's Day
08. Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen (6:22)
09. Da Jesus geboren war zu Bethlehem (0:23)
10. Wo ist der neugeborne König der Jüden? (1:47)
11. Dein Glanz all Finsternis verzehrt (0:51)
12. Erleucht auch meine finstre Sinnen (4:42)
13. Da das der König Herodes hörte (0:12)
14. Warum wollt ihr erschrecken? (0:31)
15. Und ließ versammlen alle Hohepriester (1:25)
16. Ach, wenn wird die Zeit erscheinen? (5:54)
17. Mein liebster herrschet schon (0:29)
18. Zwar ist solche Herzensstube (0:58)
VI. Cantata for Epiphany
19. Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben (4:57)
20. Da berief Herodes die Weisen heimlich (0:47)
21. Du Falscher, suche nur den Herrn zu fällen (0:49)
22. Nur ein Wink von seinen Händen (4:21)
23. Als sie nun den König gehöret hatten (1:15)
24. Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier (1:08)
25. Und Gott befahl ihnen im Traum (0:23)
26. So geht! genug, mein Schatz geht nicht von hier (2:04)
27. Nun mögt ihr stolzen Feinde schrecken (4:03)
28. Was will der Höllen Schrecken nun (0:46)
29. Nun seid ihr wohl gerochen (3:19)
Personnel:
The Netherlands Bach Society
Jos van Veldhoven - conductor
Johannette Zomer - soprano
Annette Markert - alto
Gerd Türk - tenor
Peter Harvey - bass
Recorded: Muziekcentrum Frits Philips, Eindhoven, Netherlands, December 2002
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