For the Christmas celebrations of 1734, Johann Sebastian Bach wrote six cantatas which together form the Christmas Oratorio. This is one of Bach's most famous and frequently performed sacred works, and for many people it is the very sound of Christmas.
The first three cantatas were written for the three feast days of 25, 26 and 27 December, while the final three are based on texts associated with the New Year period, through to Twelfth Night, the Feast of the Epiphany. Several of the chorales and arias originate from secular works Bach had already written, so only part of the music was newly composed for the oratorio. The six cantatas form a coherent whole, while each has its own distinctive sound. The text combines biblical and hymn texts and relates to the stories of the birth of Jesus, the shepherds in the fields, the naming of Jesus and the Three Magi.
The first part is entitled Jauchzet, frohlocket; let the timpani resound, let the trumpets echo, and opens with festive music and a jubilant opening chorus in the regal key of D major. The Evangelist tells how Mary and Joseph must follow Emperor Augustus's decree to leave Galilee and travel to Joseph's birthplace, Bethlehem, to register for the census. The alto aria Bereite dich Zion offers a first glimpse of the great event to come, and the congregation responds with the chorale Wie soll ich dich empfangen. In the bass aria Grosser Herr, the soloist sings of the child in the manger, accompanied by a solo trumpet as a royal symbol, and the first cantata ends with a prayer that one's own heart may become a manger.
The second part opens with a pastorale featuring four oboes at the centre of the soundscape, depicting the shepherds' music. During the night, an angel appears and announces the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, telling them that he will be found in a manger. Dawn is portrayed in the chorale Bricht an, du schönes Morgenlicht, and the shepherds are urged to go to the stable and sing a lullaby for the child. Mary sings the lullaby Schlafe, mein Liebster, while the host of angels rejoices in a tutti fugue with long melismas, calling for peace on earth.
The second cantata ends with the shepherds praising what has happened. The third part concludes the story of Christmas night with a prayer from the shepherds in the stable, after which they set off for Bethlehem, spreading the news as they go. The shepherds praise the newborn King, while the chorales celebrate the great love expressed in God's gift. The third cantata concludes with a reprise of the opening chorus in radiant D major.
PROGRAMME
Johann Sebastian Bach:
Christmas Oratorio, Cantatas Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 6
Duration:
Approx. 2.5 hours, including an interval.
ORGANISER
Stavanger Symphony Orchestra
