Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is a cycle of six cantatas for the Christmas season. It 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.
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.Total time: 02:24:35
Additional information
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | 30809 |
| Qualities | |
| Channels | 2ch Stereo, 5 Channel Surround Sound, 2ch Stereo & 5ch Surround |
| Artists | |
| Composers | |
| Genres | |
| Cables | van den Hul |
| Digital Converters | Meitner DSD AD |
| Mastering Engineer | Jared Sacks |
| Mastering Equipment | B&W 803 Diamond series |
| Microphones | Bruel & Kjaer, Schoeps |
| Mixing Board | Rens Heijnis custom made |
| Conductors | |
| Instruments | |
| Original Recording Format | |
| Producer | Jared Sacks |
| Recording Engineer | Jared Sacks |
| Recording location | Eindhovem Holland |
| Recording Software | Pyramix |
| Recording Type & Bit Rate | DSD64 |
| Speakers | AudioLab Holland |
| Release Date | February 23, 2014 |
Press reviews
Der Tagesspiegel
Daher mssen diesem Chor höchstes Lob gezollt werden: das ist eine Leistung der Superklasse! Nie bringt eine Stimmlage aus, nie gibt eine Stimme nach, die wirklich schnellen Koloraturen werden entwaffnend souverän gesungen, die Stimmen sitzen und sind ständig präsent, nie aufdringlich. Jos van Veldhoven: seine Interpretation ist eine der besten auf dem Gebiet der bislang eingespielten Bachschen Weihnachtsoratorien. diese Doppel-CD ist jedenfalls wärmstens zu empfehlen und kommt vor dem Weihnachtsfest gerade recht, um etwas abzuschalten. Toccata () Feststimmung fr Auge und Ohr.
GALA
Die edle Verpackung findet ihre feine Entsprechung im musikalischen Inhalt. Herausragender Klang, vorzüglich die Solisten, der Chor und das Orchester.
Rondo
Solisten, Chor und Orchester interpretieren das beliebte Werk frisch und geradlinig, mit schlankem transparenten Klang, zudem rumlich gut abgebildet im mehrkanaligen SACD-Format.
Classica
Ce coffre témoigne dun effort editorial exceptionnel: glisse dans un beau fourreau en velours, ce double SACD hybride possède un magnifique livret cartonne de 190 pages, dot dune riche iconographie religieuse sur la nativité. (…) () ‘interprtation de Jos van Veldhoven et de son ensemble sur instruments depoque est la hauteur de son emballage. () () Excellente prise de son, chaleureusement reverbre mais tres precise et detaille, rend les instruments tres presents, sans tre durs ou surexposa () () Trs belle version!!
Crescendo
Unusual distinguished instrumental playing () () Anyone who received it as a gift over the Christmas season has reason to feel very grateful indeed. Fanfare () extravagant choice for Christmas () The singing is casual, warm singing atmosphere () Arts & Entertainment () exceptional clarity, singing and playing with virtuoso exuberance () () This is one of the best performances in the Christmas Oratorio sweepstakes, but what puts it on top is its sound, which is so natural that I felt I could walk up to the speakers and touch the players and singers. Ultra-audio.com () Impressionant! () () une realisation instrumentale de toute beaut () Crescendo (…) als bibliofiel en als audiofiel ben je verkocht voor de uitvoering en de opname. SACD Gids () Impressionnant!! () une realisation instrumentale de toute beaut qui met en valeur tant collectivement quindividuellement les instrumentistes de la Socit de Bach Nerlandaise. ()
Classics today.com
this is one of those occasions where beauty and artistry are reflected not only on the surface but right through to the core. This is a marvelous performance of Bach’s six-cantata cycle that offers ravishing choral singing, sharply detailed orchestral playing, and superior contributions from the four solo vocalists, all presented in state-of-the-art sound. … Channel Classics and its partners have put together a potential classic, one that deserves not only to be held, but also to be heard. David Vernier/
The Sunday Times.
The Dutch soprano Johannette Zomer, German alto and tenor, Annett Markert and Gerd Türk, and the British bass Peter Harvey all excellent. The performance is unfailingly stylish, moving in the retelling of the Nativity and appropriately joyful.
Classics Today.com
The deep red velours-covered box with gold lettering cries out: “Hold me, hold me!” () (.) this is one of the occasions where beauty and artistry are reflected not only in the surface but right to the core. A Marvellous performance of Bachs six cantata cycle that offers ravishing coral singing () () superior contributions from the four solo vocalists ()
Klassieke Zaken
Koor en orkest musiceren gedreven en zijn prachtig van klank, prachtige zijden achtige strijkers en heldere, ronde blazers. () () Johannette Zomer krijgt een eervolle vermelding met haar bijzondere fraaie en heldere timbre () () deze produktie kan niet anders verwelkomd worden met een welgemeend en hartgrondig Jauchzet! en Frohlocket!
BBC Music Magazine
A sumptuous Bach presentation from the Netherlands … fresh voices and polished playing by the Netherlands Bach Society … Excellend solists …the sound-sepctrum is spacious but immediate
Elsevier
Bach blijft verbazen, zekerer als hij door de Nederlandse Bachvereniging – ovl Jos van Veldhoven, met solisten als de sopraan Johannette Zomer zo superieur wordt uitgevoerd.
Dagblad de Limburger
King size solisten … de nieuwste SACD techniek die het beeld bijzonder transparant en natuurlijk-warm kleurt ()
Volkskrant
Schitterend is het boekwerkje bij de cd, met een weelde aan herders, Marias en kindje Jezus, uit de collectie van het Museum Catharijneconvent Jos van Veldhoven weet er veel boeiende aan toe te voegen, dankzij het feit dat hij de koorzang tot in de puntjes verzorgd houdt. Subtiel is de engelenzang
The Absolute sound
The Best in New-Format Software October/November 2004
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