Christmas Oratorio
christmas oratorio german weihnachtsoratorium bwv oratorio johann sebastian bach intended performance church christmas season six part part cantata intended performance church service feast day christmas period written christmas season incorporates music earlier composition including three secular cantata written largely lost church cantata bwv date confirmed bach autograph manuscript next complete public performance december singakademie zu berlin eduard grell christmas oratorio particularly sophisticated example parody music author text unknown although likely collaborator christian friedrich henrici picander work belongs group three oratorio written major feast two work ascension oratorio bwv easter oratorio bwv three oratorio degree parody earlier composition christmas oratorio far longest complex work three first part christmas day describes birth jesus second december annunciation shepherd third december adoration shepherd fourth new year day circumcision naming jesus fifth first sunday new year journey magi sixth epiphany adoration magi running time entire oratorio around three hour concert performance often presented split two part liturgical calendar german reformation era saxony christmas season started december christmas day ended january epiphany preceded advent followed period sunday epiphany included least three feast day called festive music religious service apart christmas nativity christ epiphany visit magi period also included new year day january bach time still often referred feast circumcision christ also december second third day christmas commonly considered feast day festive music church sunday fell december january also first sunday christmas church service music held similar sunday january second sunday christmas first sunday new year bach composed christmas oratorio – christmas season leipzig already composed christmas cantata church music seven occasion christmas season leipzig period composed part weimar cantata cycle christmas december christen ätzet diesen tag bwv first sunday christmas december tritt auf die glaubensbahn bwv – christmas season first year musical director leipzig principal church christmas day repeat performance bwv thus became part first cantata cycle part latin church music composed leipzig magnificat bwv version christmas interpolation sanctus major bwv second day christmas darzu ist erschienen der sohn gottes bwv third day christmas sehet welch eine liebe hat un der vater erzeiget bwv new year day singet dem herrn ein neues lied bwv second sunday christmas january schau lieber gott wie meine feind bwv epiphany sie werden au saba alle kommen bwv – christmas season part chorale cantata cycle except latin sanctus christmas day gelobet seist du jesu christ bwv early version sanctus six vocal part bwv iii early version second day christmas christum wir sollen loben schon bwv third day christmas ich freue mich dir bwv first sunday christmas december da neugeborne kindelein bwv new year day jesu nun sei gepreiset bwv epiphany liebster immanuel herzog der frommen bwv cantata bach third cantata cycle christmas season – – christmas day unser mund sei voll lachens bwv second day christmas selig ist der mann bwv third day christmas süßer trost mein jesus kömmt bwv first sunday christmas december gottlob nun geht da jahr zu ende bwv new year day herr gott dich loben wir bwv second sunday christmas january ach gott wie manches herzeleid bwv early version four third cycle cantata christmas season bwv text georg christian lehmss gottgefälliges kirchenopffer cantata libretto cycle published second half bach often collaborated picander librettist cantata shepherd cantata bwv first performed february one bach secular cantata early example cantata bach reused music cantata first version easter oratorio ihr häuser de himmels ihr scheinenden lichter bwv composed another secular cantata text picander shortly first performance reworked sacred cantata ihr tore zu zion bwv – picander published cantata libretto cycle leading least two christmas season cantata bach christmas day possibly ehre sei gott der höhe bwv new year day gott wie dein name ist auch dein ruhm bwv music part adapted secular cantata likewise text picander zerreißet zersprenget zertrümmert die gruft bwv christmas oratorio presented cycle six cantata performed several day christmas period uncommon bach day gottfried heinrich stölzel whose church music unknown bach leipzig churchgoer composed christmas oratorio model earlier composition early bach composed number secular cantata including kämpfet nur ihr muntern töne bwv libretto picander first performed august music lost apart later version opening chorus laßt un sorgen laßt un wachen bwv hercules crossroad libretto picander performed september tönet ihr pauken erschallet trompeten bwv performed december preise dein glücke gesegnetes sachsen bwv performed october movement bwv cantata form basis several movement christmas oratorio addition source sixth cantata based largely lost church cantata bwv least opening chorus based lost secular cantata bwv trio aria part v ach wenn wird die zeit erscheinen believed similarly lost source chorus section wo ist der neugeborne könig st mark passion bwv chorale like germanlanguage church music bach used lutheran hymn lutheran chorale tune christmas oratorio first chorale tune appears th movement part tune known herzlich tut mich verlangen hymn tune bach used st matthew passion setting several stanza paul gerhardts haupt voll blut und wunden sacred head wounded melody reappears last movement oratorio closing chorale part vi oratorio however association pain suffering evoked passion martin luther vom himmel hoch da komm ich melody appears three chorale twice text paul gerhardt part ii oratorio first time closing chorale part th stanza luther hymn text wellknown english version stanza oh dear heart young jesus sweet first stanza balulalow instance sung sting christmas oratorio exceptional contains hymn setting version hymn tune known earlier source bach composition chorale melody used oratorio appears based georg ebelings warum sollt ich mich denn grämen hymn tune zahn number ebelings original bach christmas oratorio version tune zahn first printed second volume bach fourpart chorale published birnstiel set first stanza johann rists jesu du mein liebstes leben hymn text setting bach – based known preexisting hymn tune tune used johann rists hilf herr jesu lass gelingen hymn text oratorio appears original composition bach mentioned last volume johannes zahns die melodien der deutschen evangelischen kirchenlieder first four late addition catalogue german evangelical hymn tune known hymn tune bach used lutheran hymn tune large majority sacred composition rarely one invention apart found christmas oratorio appears one partly inspired preexisting melody motet komm jesu komm bwv composed – least one entirely bach vergiss mein nicht vergiss mein nicht bwv schemellis gesangbuch published gospel narrative like oratorio passion setting bach employed narrative based gospel christmas oratorio gospel narrative oratorio followed certain extent respective gospel reading church service six cantata christmas oratorio performed first time six service christmas season – oratorio cantata performed gospel reading christmas day luke – theme nativity annunciation shepherd angel song second day christmas luke – theme adoration shepherd third day christmas john – – prologue gospel john also known hymn word new year day luke theme circumcision jesus sunday new year matthew – theme flight egypt epiphany matthew – theme wise men east usual oratorio passion evangelist character enunciated gospel text sung recitative except passage direct speech sung soloist choral group representing character spoke text according gospel narrative gospel text included bach six christmas oratorio cantata consists luke – ie part christmas day reading luke – ie second half christmas day reading luke – ie text second day christmas gospel reading luke ie new year day gospel reading matthew – ie part gospel reading epiphany feast matthew – ie second half gospel reading epiphany gospel reading third day christmas prologue gospel john sunday new year flight egypt directly used christmas oratorio detail first performance oratorio written performance six feast day christmas winter original score also contains detail part performed incorporated within service two important church leipzig st thomas st nicholas seen work performed entirety st nicholas church first performance december part – early morning st nicholas afternoon st thomas december part ii – morning st thomas afternoon st nicholas december part iii – morning st nicholas january part iv – morning st thomas afternoon st nicholas january part v – morning st nicholas january part vi – morning st thomas afternoon st nicholas ease new text fit existing music one indication successful parody christmas oratorio source musicologist alfred dürr others christoph wolff suggested bach sometime collaborator picander pen name christian friedrich henrici wrote new text working closely bach ensure perfect fit reused music may even case christmas oratorio already planned bach wrote secular cantata bwv given original work written fairly close oratorio seamless way new word fit existing music nevertheless two occasion bach abandoned original plan compelled write new music christmas oratorio alto aria part iii schließe mein herze originally set music aria durch die von eifer entflammten waffen bwv occasion however parody technique proved unsuccessful bach composed aria afresh instead used model bwv bass aria erleucht auch meine finstre sinnen part v similarly opening chorus part v ehre sei dir gott almost certainly intended set music chorus lust der völker lust der deinen bwv given close correspondence text two piece third major new piece writing notable exception recitative sublime pastoral sinfonia open part ii composed scratch new work addition new composition listed special mention must go recitative knit together oratorio coherent whole particular bach made particularly effective use recitative combining chorale part er ist auf erden kommen arm even ingeniously recitative no frame echo aria flößt mein heiland part iv complete english version christmas oratorio prepared john troutbeck music publisher novello new edition worked neil jenkins structure story defined large extent particular requirement church calendar christmas bach abandoned usual practice writing church cantata basing content upon gospel reading day order achieve coherent narrative structure followed calendar story would unfolded follows birth annunciation shepherd adoration shepherd prologue gospel john circumcision naming jesus flight egypt coming adoration magi would resulted holy family fleeing magi arrived unsuitable oratorio evidently planned coherent whole bach removed content third day christmas december john gospel split story two group visitors—shepherds magi—into two resulted understandable exposition christmas story birth annunciation shepherd adoration shepherd circumcision naming jesus journey magi adoration magi flight egypt take place end sixth part bach saw six part comprising greater unified whole evident surviving printed text structure music edition title—weihnachtsoratorium—connecting together six section section also numbered consecutively john butt mentioned point mass b minor unity beyond performance constraint church year bach express unity whole work within music part use key signature part iii written key major part ii subdominant key g major part iii similarly scored exuberant trumpet pastoral part ii referring shepherd contrast scored woodwind instrument include opening chorus part iv written f major relative key minor mark furthest musical point away oratorio opening key scored horn bach embarks upon journey back opening key via dominant major part v jubilant reassertion major final part lending overall arc piece reinforce connection beginning end work bach reuses chorale melody part wie soll ich dich empfangen final chorus part vi nun seid ihr wohl gerochen choral melody haupt voll blut und wunden bach used five time st matthew passion music represents particularly sophisticated expression parody technique existing music adapted new purpose bach took majority chorus aria work written time earlier music secular written praise royalty notable local figure outside tradition performance within church scoring refers part rather necessarily individual player adherent theory specifying small number performer even one voice per part may however choose use number approaching one instrument per named part part trumpet timpani transverse flute oboe double oboe damore violin viola continuo group part ii flute oboe damore oboe da caccia violin viola continuo part iii trumpet timpani flute oboe double oboe damore violin viola continuo part iv horn oboe violin viola continuo part v oboe damore violin viola continuo part vi trumpet timpani oboe double oboe damore violin viola continuo note section combine chorus pastoral sinfonia open part ii instead chorus chorale soloist recitative arioso aria notational convention recitative common time first englishlanguage monograph christmas oratorio published translation dutchlanguage study ignace bossuyt bossuyt ignace french johann sebastian bach christmas oratorio bwv translated bull stratton foreword philippe herreweghe leuven leuven university press isbn butt john november johann sebastian bach christmas oratorio bwv ignace bossuyt trans stratton bull pp music letter oxford university press – doimlgcl jstor dürr alfred kobayashi yoshitake ed bach werke verzeichnis kleine ausgabe – nach der von wolfgang schmieder vorgelegten ausgabe bach work catalogue small edition – wolfgang schmieders nd edition german kirsten beißwenger collaborator bwva ed wiesbaden breitkopf härtel isbn preface english german dürr alfred jones richard p cantata j bach libretto germanenglish parallel text oxford university press pp – isbn glöckner andreas ein weiterer kantatenjahrgang gottfried heinrich stölzels bach aufführungsrepertoire another cantata cycle gottfried heinrich stölzel belonged bach performance repertoire wollny peter ed bachjahrbuch bach yearbook bachjahrbuch german vol neue bachgesellschaft leipzig evangelische verlagsanstalt pp – doibjbv isbn issn hofmann klaus foreword johann sebastian bach weihnachtsoratorium – christmas oratorio – oratorium tempore nativitatis christi – bwv pdf urtext edition vocal score henry drinker english lyric paul horn piano reduction john coombs foreword translator carusverlag p v retrieved december melamed daniel r j bach german motet cambridge university press isbn rathey markus johann sebastian bach christmas oratorio music theology culture oxford university press isbn rathey markus b bach major vocal work music drama liturgy yale university press isbn terry charles sanford christmas oratorio hymn hymn melody passion oratorio bach choral vol cambridge university press pp – wessel jens köthen – j bach und die italienische oper drammi per musica für da kurfürstlichsächsische und polnische königshaus zwischen und pdf dissertation german hochschule für musik und theater hamburg pp – – zahn johannes die melodien von den achtzeiligen trochäischen bi zu den zehnzeiligen inkl enthaltend melody eight trochaic including ten line die melodien der deutschen evangelischen kirchenlieder german vol iv gütersloh bertelsmann zahn johannes schlüßband chronologisches verzeichnis der benutzten gesang melodien und choralbücher und die letzten nachträge closing volume chronological catalogue used song melody choirbooks last supplement die melodien der deutschen evangelischen kirchenlieder german vol vi gütersloh bertelsmann buelow george j late baroque era – springer isbn wolff christoph johann sebastian bach learned musician w w norton isbn complete text instrumentation part part ii part iii part iv part v part vi german bach cantata website detail recording review donald satz bottomless bucket bach – christmas oratorio april detail comparison four recording christmas oratorio score international music score library project full performance herderkirche weimar video part playlist youtube john eliot gardiner english baroque soloist monteverdi choir claron mcfadden katharine fuge soprano christoph genz tenor bernarda fink alto dietrich henschel bass complete live recording video youtube holger speck akademie für alte musik berlin ndr vokalensemble elbphilharmonie december