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Christmas Oratorio

January 20, 2023

For other uses, see Christmas Oratorio (disambiguation).

The Christmas Oratorio (German: Weihnachtsoratorium), BWV 248, is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It is in six parts, each part a cantata intended for performance in a church service on a feast day of the Christmas period. It was written for the Christmas season of 1734 and incorporates music from earlier compositions, including three secular cantatas written during 1733 and 1734 and a largely lost church cantata, BWV 248a. The date is confirmed in Bach's autograph manuscript. The next complete public performance was not until 17 December 1857 by the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin under Eduard Grell.[1] The Christmas Oratorio is a particularly sophisticated example of parody music.[2] The author of the text is unknown, although a likely collaborator was Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander).

First page of the first part of the Christmas Oratorio

The work belongs to a group of three oratorios written in 1734 and 1735 for major feasts, the other two works being the Ascension Oratorio (BWV 11) and the Easter Oratorio (BWV 249). All three of these oratorios to some degree parody earlier compositions.[2] The Christmas Oratorio is by far the longest and most complex work of the three.[3]

The first part (for Christmas Day) describes the Birth of Jesus, the second (for 26 December) the annunciation to the shepherds, the third (for 27 December) 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.

The running time for the entire oratorio is around three hours. In concert performance, it is often presented split into two parts.

History

 
First two pages of the libretto of Bach's Christmas Oratorio, as printed in 1734.[4]
See also: Church cantata (Bach) § Christmas

In the liturgical calendar of the German reformation era in Saxony, the Christmas season started on 25 December (Christmas Day) and ended on 6 January (Epiphany). It was preceded by Advent, and followed by the period of the Sundays after Epiphany. It included at least three feast days that called for festive music during religious services: apart from Christmas (Nativity of Christ) and Epiphany (Visit of the Magi) the period also included New Year's Day (1 January), in Bach's time still often referred to as the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ. Also 26 and 27 December (second and third day of Christmas) were commonly considered feast days, with festive music in church. If a Sunday fell between 27 December and 1 January, also on this first Sunday after Christmas a church service with music was held, and similar for a Sunday between 1 and 6 January (second Sunday after Christmas, or: first Sunday after New Year).

1714–1729

Before Bach composed his Christmas Oratorio for the 1734–35 Christmas season in Leipzig, he had already composed Christmas cantatas and other church music for all seven occasions of the Christmas season:

Four of these third cycle cantatas for the Christmas season, BWV 110, 57, 151 and 16, were on a text from Georg Christian Lehms's Gottgefälliges Kirchen-Opffer cantata libretto cycle, which had been published in 1711.[26][27] In the second half of the 1720s Bach often collaborated with Picander as a librettist for his cantatas. The Shepherd Cantata, BWV 249a, first performed on 23 February 1725, one of Bach's secular cantatas, is an early example of such cantata.[28] Bach reused the music of this cantata in the 1725 first version of his Easter Oratorio.[29] Ihr Häuser des Himmels, ihr scheinenden Lichter, BWV 193a, composed in 1727, is another secular cantata on a text by Picander which was, shortly after its first performance, reworked into a sacred cantata (Ihr Tore zu Zion, BWV 193).[30] In 1728–29 Picander published a cantata libretto cycle, leading to at least two further Christmas season cantatas by Bach:

A Christmas oratorio presented as a cycle of six cantatas, to be performed on several days during the Christmas period, was not uncommon in Bach's day: Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel, whose church music was not unknown to Bach and Leipzig churchgoers,[33] had composed such Christmas oratorios in 1719 and 1728.[34][35][36]

1730s

See also: Late church cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach § Christmas to Epiphany

Models from earlier compositions

In the early 1730s, Bach composed a number of secular cantatas, including:

Movements from the BWV 213, 214 and 215 cantatas form the basis of several movements of the Christmas Oratorio.[38][39][40] In addition to these sources, the sixth cantata is based on a largely lost church cantata, BWV 248a, of which at least the opening chorus is based on the lost secular cantata BWV 1160.[37][41] The trio aria in Part V "Ach, wenn wird die Zeit erscheinen?" is believed to be from a similarly lost source, and the chorus from the same section "Wo ist der neugeborne König" is from the 1731 St Mark Passion, BWV 247.[42]

Cantata movements reused in Christmas Oratorio[43][44]
Cantata Movement Type BWV 248 Movement
BWV 213/1 Lasst uns sorgen, lasst uns wachen Chorus (SATB) 36 (IV/1) Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben
BWV 213/3 Schlafe, mein Liebster, und pflege der Ruh Aria (s→a) 19 (II/10) Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh
BWV 213/5 Treues Echo dieser Orten Aria (a→s) 39 (IV/4) Flößt, mein Heiland, flößt dein Namen
BWV 213/7 Auf meinen Flügeln sollst du schweben Aria (t) 41 (IV/6) Ich will nur dir zu Ehren leben
BWV 213/9 Ich will dich nicht hören Aria (a) 04 (I/4) Bereite, dich, Zion
BWV 213/11 Ich bin deine, du bist meine Duet (at→sb) 29 (III/6) Herr, dein Mitleid, dein Erbarmen
BWV 214/1 Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten Chorus (SATB) 01 (I/1) Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage
BWV 214/5 Fromme Musen! meine Glieder Aria (a→t) 15 (II/6) Frohe Hirten, eilt, ach eilet
BWV 214/7 Kron und Preis gekrönter Damen Aria (b) 08 (I/8) Großer Herr, o starker König
BWV 214/9 Blühet, ihr Linden in Sachsen, wie Zedern Chorus (SATB) 24 (III/1&13) Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen
BWV 215/7 Durch die von Eifer entflammten Waffen Aria (s→b) 47 (V/5) Erleucht auch meine finstre Sinnen
BWV 247/43 Pfui dich, wie fein zerbrichst du den Tempel Chorus (SATB) 45 (V/3) Wo ist der neugeborne König der Juden
BWV 248a/1 — Chorus (SATB) 54 (VI/1) Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben
BWV 248a/2 — Recitative (→s) 56 (VI/3) Du Falscher, suche nur den Herrn zu fällen
BWV 248a/3 — Aria (→s) 57 (VI/4) Nur ein Wink von seinen Händen
BWV 248a/4 — Recitative (→t) 61 (VI/8) So geht! Genug, mein Schatz geht nicht von hier
BWV 248a/5 — Aria (→t) 62 (VI/9) Nun mögt ihr stolzen Feinde schrecken
BWV 248a/6 — Recitative (→satb) 63 (VI/10) Was will der Höllen Schrecken nun
BWV 248a/7 — Chorus (SATB) 64 (VI/11) Nun seid ihr wohl gerochen
? — Trio (→sat) 51 (V/9) Ach! wann wird die Zeit erscheinen?

Chorales

See also: List of chorale harmonisations by Johann Sebastian Bach § BWV 248

Like for most of his German-language church music, Bach used Lutheran hymns, and their Lutheran chorale tunes, in his Christmas Oratorio.[45][46][47] The first chorale tune appears in the 5th movement of Part I: it is the tune known as Herzlich tut mich verlangen, that is, the same hymn tune which Bach used in his St Matthew Passion for setting several stanzas of Paul Gerhardt's "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden" ("O Sacred Head, Now Wounded"). The same melody reappears in the last movement of the oratorio (No. 64, closing chorale of Part VI). In the oratorio there is, however, no association with the pain and suffering evoked in the Passion.[48]

Martin Luther's 1539 "Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her" melody appears in three chorales: twice on a text by Paul Gerhardt in Part II of the oratorio, and the first time, in the closing chorale of Part I, with the 13th stanza of Luther's hymn as text. A well-known English version of that stanza is "Oh, my dear heart, young Jesus sweet", the first stanza of "Balulalow", as, for instance, sung by Sting:[49][50]

The Christmas Oratorio is exceptional in that it contains a few hymn settings, or versions of hymn tunes, for which there is no known earlier source than Bach's composition:[51][52]

There are very few known hymn tunes by Bach (he used Lutheran hymn tunes in the large majority of his sacred compositions, but rarely one of his own invention): apart from what can be found in the Christmas Oratorio, there appears to be one, partly inspired by a pre-existing melody, in the motet Komm, Jesu, komm, BWV 229 (composed before 1731–32),[58] and at least one entirely by Bach, "Vergiss mein nicht, vergiss mein nicht", BWV 505, in Schemellis Gesangbuch (published in 1736).[59]

Chorales in Christmas Oratorio[56]
Author Date Hymn; Stanza Stanza incipit Melody Composer Date Zahn BWV 248
Gerhardt 1653 Wie soll ich dich empfangen 01 Wie soll ich dich empfangen Herzlich tut mich verlangen Hassler 1601 5385a[60] 05 (I/5)
Luther 1524 Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ 06 Er ist auf Erden kommen arm Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ Luther 1524 1947 07 (I/7)
Luther 1535 Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her 13 Ach mein herzliebes Jesulein Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her Luther 1539 0346[61] 09 (I/9)
Rist 1641 Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist 09 Brich an, o schönes Morgenlicht Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist Schop/Crüger 1648 5741b[62] 12 (II/3)
Gerhardt 1667 Schaut, schaut, was ist für Wunder dar 08 Schaut hin! dort liegt im finstern Stall Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her Luther 1539 0346[63] 17 (II/8)
Gerhardt 1656 Wir singen dir, Immanuel 02 Wir singen dir in deinem Heer Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her Luther 1539 0346[64] 23 (II/14)
Luther 1524 Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ 07 Dies hat er alles uns getan Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ Luther 1524 1947[65] 28 (III/5)
Gerhardt 1653 Fröhlich soll mein Herze springen 15 Ich will dich mit Fleiß bewahren Warum sollt ich mich denn grämen Ebeling/Bach 1734 6462[55] 33 (III/10)
Runge [s:de] 1653 Laßt Furcht und Pein 04 Seid froh, dieweil Wir Christenleut habn jetzund Freud Füger 1593 2072[66] 35 (III/12)
Rist 1642 Jesu, du mein liebstes Leben 01a Jesu, du mein liebstes Leben — Bach 1734 — 38 (IV/3)
Rist 1642 Jesu, du mein liebstes Leben 01b Jesu, meine Freud und Wonne — Bach 1734 — 40 (IV/5)
Rist 1642 Hilf, Herr Jesu, laß gelingen 15 Jesus richte mein Beginnen Hilf, Herr Jesu, laß gelingen Bach 1734 Vol. VI p. 566[57] 42 (IV/7)
Weissel 1642 Nun, liebe Seel, nun ist es Zeit 05 Dein Glanz all' Finsternis verzehrt In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr (Nürnberg) 1581 2461c[67] 46 (V/4)
Franck 1655 Ihr Gestirn, ihr hohlen Lüfte 09 Zwar ist solche Herzensstube Gott des Himmels und der Erden Albert/(Darmstadt) 1687 3614b[68] 53 (V/11)
Gerhardt 1656 Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier 01 Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier Nun freut euch, lieben Christen gmein (Wittenberg) 1529 4429a[69] 59 (VI/6)
Werner 1648 Ihr Christen auserkoren 04 Nun seid ihr wohl gerochen Herzlich tut mich verlangen Hassler 1601 5385a[70] 64 (VI/11)

Gospel narrative

Like for his other oratorios, and his Passion settings, Bach employed a narrative based on the Gospel in his Christmas Oratorio. The Gospel narrative of this oratorio followed, to a certain extent, the respective Gospel readings of the church services where the six cantatas of the Christmas Oratorio were to be performed for the first time. The six services of the Christmas season 1734–35 where the oratorio's cantatas were to be performed had these Gospel readings:

  1. Christmas Day: Luke 2:1–14 (theme: Nativity, Annunciation to the shepherds and the angels' song).
  2. Second Day of Christmas: Luke 2:15–20 (theme: Adoration of the Shepherds).
  3. Third Day of Christmas: John 1:1–14 – prologue of the Gospel of John, also known as Hymn to the Word.
  4. New Year's Day: Luke 2:21 (theme: Circumcision of Jesus)
  5. Sunday after New Year: Matthew 2:13–23 (theme: the Flight into Egypt)
  6. Epiphany: Matthew 2:1–12 (theme: Wise Men From the East)

As usual in most of his oratorios, and all of his Passions, the Evangelist character enunciated the Gospel text in sung recitatives, except the passages in direct speech, which were sung by soloists or choral groups representing the characters who spoke these texts according to the Gospel narrative. The Gospel text included by Bach in his six Christmas Oratorio cantatas consists of:

  1. Luke 2:1, 3–7, i.e. part of the Christmas Day reading.
  2. Luke 2:8–14, i.e. second half of the Christmas Day reading.
  3. Luke 2:15–20, i.e. text of the Second Day of Christmas Gospel reading.
  4. Luke 2:21, i.e. the New Year's Day Gospel reading
  5. Matthew 2:1–6, i.e. part of the Gospel reading for the Epiphany feast
  6. Matthew 2:7–12, i.e. second half of the Gospel reading for Epiphany

The Gospel readings for the Third Day of Christmas (Prologue of the Gospel of John), and for the Sunday after New Year (the Flight to Egypt) are not directly used in the Christmas Oratorio. In detail:

Gospel readings in Christmas Oratorio
Day Reading BWV 248 Occasion Movement
Christmas 1 Luke 2:1 02 (I/2a) Christmas 1 Es begab sich aber zu der Zeit
Luke 2:2 —
Luke 2:3–6 02 (I/2b) Christmas 1 Und jedermann ging
Luke 2:7 06 (I/6) Und sie gebar ihren ersten Sohn
Luke 2:8–9 11 (II/2) Christmas 2 Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend
Luke 2:10–11 13 (II/4) Und der Engel sprach zu ihnen
Luke 2:12 16 (II/7) Und das habt zum Zeichen
Luke 2:13 20 (II/11) Und alsobald war da bei dem Engel
Luke 2:14 21 (II/12) Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe
Christmas 2 Luke 2:15a 25 (III/2) Christmas 3 Und da die Engel von ihnen gen Himmel fuhren
Luke 2:15b 26 (III/3) Lasset uns nun gehen gen Bethlehem
Luke 2:16–19 30 (III/7) Und sie kamen eilend
Luke 2:20 34 (III/11) Und die Hirten kehrten wieder um
Christmas 3 John 1:1–14 —
New Year Luke 2:21 37 (IV/2) New Year Und da acht Tage um waren
New Year I Matthew 2:13–23 —
Epiphany Matthew 2:1 44 (V/2) New Year I Da Jesus geboren war zu Bethlehem
Matthew 2:2 45 (V/3) Wo ist der neugeborne König der Juden
Matthew 2:3 48 (V/6) Da das der König Herodes hörte
Matthew 2:4–6 50 (V/8) Und ließ versammeln alle Hohenpriester
Matthew 2:7–8 55 (VI/2) Epiphany Da berief Herodes die Weisen heimlich
Matthew 2:9–11 58 (VI/5) Als sie nun den König gehöret hatten
Matthew 2:12 60 (VI/7) Und Gott befahl ihnen im Traum

First performance

The oratorio was written for performance on six feast days of Christmas during the winter of 1734 and 1735. The original score also contains details of when each part was performed. It was incorporated within services of the two most important churches in Leipzig, St. Thomas and St. Nicholas. As can be seen below, the work was only performed in its entirety at the St. Nicholas Church.

First performances:

  • 25 December 1734: Part I – 'early in the morning' at St. Nicholas; 'in the afternoon' at St. Thomas
  • 26 December 1734: Part II – morning at St. Thomas; afternoon at St. Nicholas
  • 27 December 1734: Part III – morning at St. Nicholas
  • 1 January 1735: Part IV – morning at St. Thomas; afternoon at St. Nicholas
  • 2 January 1735: Part V – morning at St Nicholas
  • 6 January 1735: Part VI – morning at St. Thomas; afternoon at St. Nicholas

Text

 
Conrad von Soest: Birth of Christ (1404)
 
Georges de La Tour: Adoration of the Shepherds (1644)
 
Giotto: Angels at the Nativity (c. 1300)
 
Rembrandt: Circumcision of Christ (1661)
 
Magi before Herod; France, early 15th century
 
Rogier van der Weyden: Adoration of the Magi (c. 1430–60)
 
Rembrandt: Flight into Egypt (1627)

The ease with which the new text fits the existing music is one of the indications of how successful a parody the Christmas Oratorio is of its sources. Musicologist Alfred Dürr[71] and others, such as Christoph Wolff[72] have suggested that Bach's sometime collaborator Picander (the pen name of Christian Friedrich Henrici) wrote the new text, working closely with Bach to ensure a perfect fit with the re-used music. It may have even been the case that the Christmas Oratorio was already planned when Bach wrote the secular cantatas BWV 213, 214 and 215, given that the original works were written fairly close to the oratorio and the seamless way with which the new words fit the existing music.[72]

Nevertheless, on two occasions Bach abandoned the original plan and was compelled to write new music for the Christmas Oratorio. The alto aria in Part III, "Schließe, mein Herze" was originally to have been set to the music for the aria "Durch die von Eifer entflammten Waffen" from BWV 215. On this occasion, however, the parody technique proved to be unsuccessful and Bach composed the aria afresh. Instead, he used the model from BWV 215 for the bass aria "Erleucht' auch meine finstre Sinnen" in Part V. Similarly, the opening chorus to Part V, "Ehre sei dir Gott!" was almost certainly intended to be set to the music of the chorus "Lust der Völker, Lust der Deinen" from BWV 213, given the close correspondence between the texts of the two pieces. The third major new piece of writing (with the notable exception of the recitatives), the sublime pastoral Sinfonia which opens Part II, was composed from scratch for the new work.

In addition to the new compositions listed above, special mention must go to the recitatives, which knit together the oratorio into a coherent whole. In particular, Bach made particularly effective use of recitative when combining it with chorales in no. 7 of part I ("Er ist auf Erden kommen arm") and even more ingeniously in the recitatives nos. 38 and 40 which frame the "Echo Aria" ("Flößt, mein Heiland"), no. 39 in part IV.

Until 1999 the only complete English version of the Christmas Oratorio was that prepared in 1874 by John Troutbeck for the music publisher Novello.[73] A new edition has been worked up by Neil Jenkins.

Narrative structure

The structure of the story is defined to a large extent by the particular requirements of the church calendar for Christmas 1734/35. Bach abandoned his usual practice when writing church cantatas of basing the content upon the Gospel reading for that day in order to achieve a coherent narrative structure. Were he to have followed the calendar, the story would have unfolded as follows:

  1. Birth and Annunciation to the Shepherds
  2. The Adoration of the Shepherds
  3. Prologue to the Gospel of John
  4. Circumcision and Naming of Jesus
  5. The Flight into Egypt
  6. The Coming and Adoration of the Magi

This would have resulted in the Holy Family fleeing before the Magi had arrived, which was unsuitable for an oratorio evidently planned as a coherent whole. Bach removed the content for the Third Day of Christmas (27 December), John's Gospel, and split the story of the two groups of visitors—Shepherds and Magi—into two. This resulted in a more understandable exposition of the Christmas story:

  1. The Birth
  2. The Annunciation to the Shepherds
  3. The Adoration of the Shepherds
  4. The Circumcision and Naming of Jesus
  5. The Journey of the Magi
  6. The Adoration of the Magi

The Flight into Egypt takes place after the end of the sixth part.

That Bach saw the six parts as comprising a greater, unified whole is evident both from the surviving printed text and from the structure of the music itself. The edition has not only a title—Weihnachts-Oratorium—connecting together the six sections, but these sections are also numbered consecutively. As John Butt has mentioned,[74] this points, as in the Mass in B minor, to a unity beyond the performance constraints of the church year.

Music

Bach expresses the unity of the whole work within the music itself, in part through his use of key signatures. Parts I and III are written in the keys of D major, part II in its subdominant key G major. Parts I and III are similarly scored for exuberant trumpets, while the Pastoral Part II (referring to the Shepherds) is, by contrast, scored for woodwind instruments and does not include an opening chorus. Part IV is written in F major (the relative key to D minor) and marks the furthest musical point away from the oratorio's opening key, scored for horns. Bach then embarks upon a journey back to the opening key, via the dominant A major of Part V to the jubilant re-assertion of D major in the final part, lending an overall arc to the piece. To reinforce this connection, between the beginning and the end of the work, Bach re-uses the chorale melody of Part I's "Wie soll ich dich empfangen" in the final chorus of Part VI, "Nun seid ihr wohl gerochen"; this choral melody is the same as of "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden", which Bach used five times in his St Matthew Passion.

The music represents a particularly sophisticated expression of the parody technique, by which existing music is adapted to a new purpose. Bach took the majority of the choruses and arias from works which had been written some time earlier. Most of this music was 'secular', that is written in praise of royalty or notable local figures, outside the tradition of performance within the church.[75]

Instrumentation

The scoring below[74] refers to parts, rather than necessarily to individual players. Adherents of theories specifying small numbers of performers (even to 'One Voice Per Part') may however choose to use numbers approaching one instrument per named part.

Part I
3 trumpets, timpani, 2 transverse flutes, 2 oboes (both of which double on oboe d'amore) 2 violins, viola, continuo group[I 1][I 2]
Part II
2 flutes, 2 oboes d'amore, 2 oboes da caccia, 2 violins, viola, continuo
Part III
3 trumpets, timpani, 2 flutes, 2 oboes (both of which double on oboe d'amore), 2 violins, viola, continuo
Part IV
2 horns, 2 oboes, 2 violins, viola, continuo
Part V
2 oboes d'amore, 2 violins, viola, continuo
Part VI
3 trumpets, timpani, 2 oboes (both of which double on oboe d'amore), 2 violins, viola, continuo
Notes
  1. ^ The continuo part is open to interpretation in matters of scoring. Examples: for his 1973 recording, Nikolaus Harnoncourt employed bassoon, violoncello, violone (double bass) and organ;[76] Peter Schreier (1987) used violoncello, double bass, bassoon, organ and harpsichord;[77] René Jacobs in 1997 chose violoncello, double bass, lute, bassoon, organ and harpsichord;[78] and Jos van Veldhoven in 2003 opted for violoncello, double bass, bassoon, organ, harpsichord and theorbo.[79]
  2. ^ The different types of oboes referred to above are mostly called for at different points in each section. However, numbers 10, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19 and 21 in Part II call for 2 oboe d'amore and 2 oboe da caccia. This scoring was intended to symbolise the shepherds who are the subject of the second part. It is a reference to the pastoral music tradition of shepherds playing shawm-like instruments at Christmas. Similarly, the pastoral sinfony in Handel's Messiah (1741) is known as the 'Pifa' after the Italian piffero or piffaro, similar to the shawm and an ancestor of the oboe.

Parts and numbers

Each section combines choruses (a pastoral Sinfonia opens Part II instead of a chorus), chorales and from the soloists recitatives, ariosos and arias.

By notational convention the recitatives are in common time.

Part I

See also: Jauchzet, frohlocket! BWV 248 I
Part I: For the First Day of Christmas
No.   Key Time First line Scoring Source – Audio
1 Chorus D major 3/8 Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage 3 trumpets, timpani, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, strings (violin I, II, viola) and continuo (cello, violone, organ and bassoon) BWV 214: Chorus, Tönet, ihr Pauken!
01 Jauchzet, frohlocket
2 Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) Es begab sich aber zu der Zeit Continuo Luke 2:1-6
02 Es begab sich aber
3 Recitative (alto) Nun wird mein liebster Bräutigam 2 oboe d'amore, continuo
03 Nun wird mein liebster
4 Aria (alto) A min 3/8 Bereite dich, Zion, mit zärtlichen Trieben Oboe d'amore I, violin I, continuo BWV 213: Aria, Ich will dich nicht hören
04 Bereite dich, Zion
5 Chorale E-Phrygian[80][81] Common Wie soll ich dich empfangen 2 flutes, 2 oboes, strings and continuo "Wie soll ich dich empfangen", v. 1 (Paul Gerhardt, 1653); Zahn 5385a (Hans Leo Hassler, 1601)[82]
05 Wie soll ich dich
6 Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) Und sie gebar ihren ersten Sohn Continuo Luke 2:7
06 Und sie gebar ihren
7 Chorale (sopranos)

Recitative (bass)

G major 3/4
Common		 Er ist auf Erden kommen arm

Wer will die Liebe recht erhöhn

2 oboe d'amore, continuo "Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ", v. 6 (Martin Luther, 1524); Zahn 1947 (Wittenberg 1524)[83][84]
07 Er ist auf Erden
8 Aria (bass) D major 2/4 Großer Herr, o starker König Trumpet I, flute I, strings, continuo BWV 214: Aria, Kron und Preis gekrönter Damen
08 Großer Herr
9 Chorale D major Common Ach mein herzliebes Jesulein! 3 trumpets, timpani, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, strings and continuo (cello, violone, organ and bassoon) "Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her", v. 13 (Martin Luther, 1535); Zahn 346 (Martin Luther, 1539)[85]
09 Ach mein herzliebes

Part II

See also: Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend, BWV 248 II
Part II: For the Second Day of Christmas
No.   Key Time First line Scoring Source – Audio
10 Sinfonia G major 12/8 — 2 flutes, 2 oboe d'amore, 2 oboe da caccia, strings, continuo
10 Sinfonia
11 Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend Continuo Luke 2:8-9
11 Und es waren Hirten
12 Chorale G major Common Brich an, o schönes Morgenlicht 2 flutes, 2 oboe d'amore, 2 oboe da caccia, strings, continuo "Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist", v. 9 (Johann Rist, 1641); Zahn 5741 (Johann Schop, 1641)[86]
12 Brich an o schones
13 Recitative (Evangelist, tenor; Angel, soprano) Und der Engel sprach zu ihnen
Fürchtet euch nicht		 Strings, continuo Luke 2:10-11
13 Und der Engel sprach
14 Recitative (bass) Was Gott dem Abraham verheißen 2 oboe d'amore, 2 oboe da caccia, strings, continuo
14 Was Gott dem Abraham
15 Aria (tenor) E minor 3/8 Frohe Hirten, eilt, ach eilet Flute I, continuo BWV 214: Aria, Fromme Musen! meine Glieder
15 Frohe Hirten
16 Recitative (Evangelist, tenor)[II 1] Und das habt zum Zeichen Continuo Luke 2:12
16 Und das habt zum Zeichen
17 Chorale C major Common Schaut hin! dort liegt im finstern Stall 2 flutes, 2 oboe d'amore, 2 oboe da caccia, strings, continuo "Schaut, schaut, was ist für Wunder dar", v. 8 (Paul Gerhardt, 1667); Zahn 346 (Martin Luther, 1539)[87]
17 Schaut hin
18 Recitative (bass) So geht denn hin! 2 oboe d'amore, 2 oboe da caccia, continuo
18 So geht denn hin
19 Aria (alto) G maj/E min 2/4 Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh' Flute I (colla parte an octave above the alto soloist throughout), 2 oboe d'amore, 2 oboe da caccia, strings, continuo BWV 213: Aria, Schlafe, mein Liebster, und pflege der Ruh
19 Schlafe, mein Liebster
20 Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) Und alsobald war da bei dem Engel Continuo Luke 2:13
20 Und alsobald war da
21 Chorus G major Split Common (2/2) Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe 2 flutes, 2 oboe d'amore, 2 oboe da caccia, strings, continuo Luke 2:14
21 Ehre sei Gott
22 Recitative (bass) So recht, ihr Engel, jauchzt und singet Continuo
22 So recht, ihr Engel
23 Chorale G major 12/8 Wir singen dir in deinem Heer 2 flutes, 2 oboe d'amore, 2 oboe da caccia, strings, continuo "Wir singen dir, Immanuel", v. 2 (Paul Gerhardt, 1656); Zahn 346 (Martin Luther, 1539)[88]
23 Wir singen dir
  1. ^ In some performances sung by the Angel (soprano).

Part III

See also: Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen, BWV 248 III
Part III: For the Third Day of Christmas
No.   Key Time First line Scoring Source – Audio
24 Chorus D major 3/8 Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen Trumpet I, II, III, timpani, flute I, II, oboe I, II, strings, continuo BWV 214: Chorus, Blühet, ihr Linden in Sachsen, wie Zedern
24 Herrscher des Himmels
25 Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) Und da die Engel von ihnen gen Himmel fuhren Continuo Luke 2:15
25 Und da die Engel
26 Chorus A major 3/4 Lasset uns nun gehen gen Bethlehem Flute I, II, oboe d'amore I, II, strings, continuo
26 Lasset uns nun gehen
27 Recitative (bass) Er hat sein Volk getröst't Flute I, II, continuo
27 Er hat sein Volk
28 Chorale D major Common Dies hat er alles uns getan Flute I, II, oboe I, II, strings, continuo "Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ", v. 7 (Martin Luther, 1524); Zahn 1947 (Wittenberg 1524)[83][84]
28 Dies hat er alles
29 Duet (soprano, bass) A major 3/8 Herr, dein Mitleid, dein Erbarmen Oboe d'amore I, II, continuo BWV 213: Aria, Ich bin deine, du bist meine
29 Herr, dein Mitleid
30 Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) Und sie kamen eilend Continuo Luke 2:16-19
30 Und sie kamen eilend
31 Aria (alto) D maj/B min 2/4 Schließe, mein Herze, dies selige Wunder Violin solo, continuo
31 Schliesse mein Herze
32 Recitative (alto) Ja, ja! mein Herz soll es bewahren Flute I, II, continuo
32 Ja, ja, mein Herz
33 Chorale G major Common Ich will dich mit Fleiß bewahren Flute I, II, oboe I, II, strings, continuo "Fröhlich soll mein Herze springen", v. 15 (Paul Gerhardt, 1653); Zahn 6461 (Georg Ebeling, 1666)[89]
33 Ich will dich mit
34 Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) Und die Hirten kehrten wieder um Continuo Luke 2:20
34 Und die Hirten
35 Chorale F♯ minor Common Seid froh, dieweil Flute I, II, oboe I, II, strings, continuo "Laßt Furcht und Pein", v. 4 (Christoph Runge, 1653); Zahn 2072 (Kaspar Füger, 1593)[90]
35 Seid froh, dieweil
24 Chorus da capo D major 3/8 Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen Trumpet I, II, III, timpani, flute I, II, oboe I, II, strings, continuo BWV 214: Chorus, Blühet, ihr Linden in Sachsen, wie Zedern

Part IV

See also: Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben, BWV 248 IV
Part IV: For New Year's Day (Feast of the Circumcision)
No.   Key Time First line Scoring Source
36 Chorus F major 3/8 Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben Horns I, II, oboe I, II, strings, continuo BWV 213: Chorus, Lasst uns sorgen, lasst uns wachen
37 Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) Und da acht Tage um waren Continuo Luke 2:21
38 Recitative (bass)
Arioso (sopr./bass)		 Immanuel, o süßes Wort
Jesu, du mein liebstes Leben		 Strings, continuo  
39 Aria (soprano & 'Echo' soprano) C major 6/8 Flößt, mein Heiland, flößt dein Namen Oboe I solo, continuo BWV 213: Aria, Treues Echo dieser Orten
40 Recitative (bass)
Arioso (soprano)		 Wohlan! dein Name soll allein
Jesu, meine Freud' und Wonne		 Strings, continuo  
41 Aria (tenor) D minor Common Ich will nur dir zu Ehren leben Violin I, II, continuo BWV 213: Aria, Auf meinen Flügeln sollst du schweben
42 Chorale F major 3/4 Jesus richte mein Beginnen Horns I, II, oboe I, II, strings, continuo Words: Johann Rist, 1642

Part V

See also: Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen, BWV 248 V
Part V: For the First Sunday in the New Year[V 1]
No.   Key Time First line Scoring Source
43 Chorus A maj/F♯ min 3/4 Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen Oboe d'amore I, II, strings, continuo  
44 Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) Da Jesus geboren war zu Bethlehem Continuo Matthew 2:1
45 Chorus
Recitative (alto)
Chorus		 D major Common Wo ist der neugeborne König der Juden[V 2]
Sucht ihn in meiner Brust
Wir haben seinen Stern gesehen		 Oboe d'amore I, II, strings, continuo BWV 247: St Mark Passion, Chorus,
Pfui dich, wie fein zerbrichst du den Tempel[42]
46 Chorale A major Common Dein Glanz all' Finsternis verzehrt Oboe d'amore I, II, strings, continuo Words: Georg Weissel, 1642
47 Aria (bass) F♯ minor 2/4 Erleucht' auch meine finstre Sinnen Oboe d'amore I solo, organ (continuo tacet)[91] BWV 215: Aria, Durch die von Eifer entflammeten Waffen
48 Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) Da das der König Herodes hörte Continuo Matthew 2:3
49 Recitative (alto) Warum wollt ihr erschrecken Strings, continuo  
50 Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) Und ließ versammeln alle Hohenpriester Continuo Matthew 2:4-6
51 Trio (sopr., alto, ten.) B minor 2/4 Ach! wann wird die Zeit erscheinen? Violin I solo, continuo unknown
52 Recitative (alto) Mein Liebster herrschet schon Continuo  
53 Chorale A major Common Zwar ist solche Herzensstube Oboe d'amore I, II, strings, continuo Words: Johann Franck, 1655
  1. ^ Part V is meant to be performed on the Sunday between New Year's Day and Epiphany on 6 January; in some years there is no such day, e.g in 2017, 2018 & 2019.
  2. ^ Matthew 2:2

Part VI

See also: Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben, BWV 248 VI
Part VI: For the Feast of Epiphany
No.   Key Time First line Scoring Source
54 Chorus D major 3/8 Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben Trumpet I, II, III, timpani, oboe I, II, strings, continuo BWV 248a (lost church cantata)
55 Recitative (Evangelist, tenor; Herod, bass) Da berief Herodes die Weisen heimlich

Ziehet hin und forschet fleißig		 Continuo Matthew 2:7-8
56 Recitative (soprano) Du Falscher, suche nur den Herrn zu fällen Strings, continuo BWV 248a (lost church cantata)
57 Aria (soprano) A maj/F♯ min/A maj 3/4 Nur ein Wink von seinen Händen Oboe d'amore I, strings, continuo BWV 248a (lost church cantata)
58 Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) Als sie nun den König gehöret hatten Continuo Matthew 2:9-11
59 Chorale G major Common Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier Oboe I, II, strings, continuo Words: Paul Gerhardt, 1656
60 Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) Und Gott befahl ihnen im Traum' Continuo Matthew 2:12
61 Recitative (tenor) So geht! Genug, mein Schatz geht nicht von hier Oboe d'amore I, II, continuo BWV 248a (lost church cantata)
62 Aria (tenor) B minor 2/4 Nun mögt ihr stolzen Feinde schrecken Oboe d'amore I, II, continuo BWV 248a (lost church cantata)
63 Recitative (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) Was will der Höllen Schrecken nun Continuo BWV 248a (lost church cantata)
64 Chorale D major Common Nun seid ihr wohl gerochen Trumpet I, II, III, timpani, oboe I, II, strings, continuo BWV 248a (lost church cantata); Words: Georg Werner, 1648

Reception

The first English-language monograph on the Christmas Oratorio was published in 2004.[92] It was a translation of a 2002 Dutch-language study by Ignace Bossuyt [fr; nl].[93]

Recordings

Main article: Christmas Oratorio discography

References

  1. ^ Rathey 2016, p. 456.
  2. ^ a b Rathey2016b, pp. vii, viii, passim.
  3. ^ Rathey 2016b, p. 143.
  4. ^ Bach Digital Source D-LEm I. B. 2a
  5. ^ a b Bach Digital Work 00079
  6. ^ Bach Digital Work 00186
  7. ^ Bach Digital Works 00303 and 00297
  8. ^ Bach Digital Work 00055
  9. ^ Bach Digital Work 00080
  10. ^ Bach Digital Work 00230
  11. ^ Bach Digital Work 00187
  12. ^ Bach Digital Work 00081
  13. ^ Bach Digital Work 00116
  14. ^ Bach Digital Work 11391
  15. ^ Bach Digital Work 00148
  16. ^ Bach Digital Work 00163
  17. ^ Bach Digital Work 00149
  18. ^ Bach Digital Work 00056
  19. ^ Bach Digital Work 00150
  20. ^ Bach Digital Work 00135
  21. ^ Bach Digital Work 00072
  22. ^ Bach Digital Work 00185
  23. ^ Bach Digital Work 00035
  24. ^ Bach Digital Work 00018
  25. ^ Bach Digital Work 00074
  26. ^ Dürr & Jones 2006, pp. pp. 36–43.
  27. ^ Georg Christian Lehms. Gottgefälliges Kirchen-Opffer in einem gantzen Jahr-Gange Andächtiger Betrachtungen/ über die gewöhnlichen Sonn- und Festtags-Texte GOtt zu Ehren und der Darmstättischen Schloß-Capelle zu seiner Früh- und Mittags-Erbauung. Darmstadt: 1711.
  28. ^ Bach Digital Work 00318
  29. ^ Bach Digital Work 00317
  30. ^ Bach Digital Works 00235 and 00234
  31. ^ Bach Digital Work 00245
  32. ^ Bach Digital Works 00206 and 00255
  33. ^ Glöckner 2009.
  34. ^ (in German) Irmgard Scheitler. Deutschsprachige Oratorienlibretti: von den Anfängen bis 1730. Schöningh, 2005. ISBN 3-506-72955-1, pp. 338–345
  35. ^ Samantha Owens, Barbara M. Reul, Janice B. Stockigt Music at German Courts, 1715–1760: Changing Artistic Priorities. Boydell & Brewer, 2011 (reprint 2015). ISBN 978-1-78327-058-3, p. 204
  36. ^ Texte zu einem Weihnachts-Oratorium 1728 – at the Wayback Machine (archived 17 September 2016) at www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/mielorth/stoelzel
  37. ^ a b Bach Digital Work 01318
  38. ^ a b Bach Digital Work 00269
  39. ^ a b Bach Digital Work 00270
  40. ^ a b Bach Digital Work 00271
  41. ^ Bach Digital Work 00315
  42. ^ a b Werner Breig, sleeve notes to John Eliot Gardiner's recording of the Christmas Oratorio (Deutsche Grammophon Archiv, 4232322, 1987)
  43. ^ Hofmann 2005.
  44. ^ Wessel 2015, p. 47.
  45. ^ Sortable Index of the Chorales by J.S. Bach at www.bach-chorales.com
  46. ^ Bach Digital Work 11270
  47. ^ Terry 1915.
  48. ^ Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 105.
  49. ^ Robert Chambers. Popular rhymes of Scotland, pp. 12–13 (1870)
  50. ^ Sting (2009). If on a Winter's Night..., track 11.
  51. ^ a b Zahn IV, p. 78.
  52. ^ a b Zahn VI, p. 566–567.
  53. ^ BWV 248(3).33(10) at www.bach-chorales.com.
  54. ^ Zahn IV, p. 75.
  55. ^ a b Bach Digital Work 11264
  56. ^ a b Rathey 2016, p. 127.
  57. ^ a b Bach Digital Work 11266
  58. ^ Melamed 1995, pp. 38–39 and 102.
  59. ^ Dürr & Kobayashi 1998, p. 304.
  60. ^ Bach Digital Work 11279
  61. ^ Bach Digital Work 11280
  62. ^ Bach Digital Work 11260
  63. ^ Bach Digital Work 11261
  64. ^ Bach Digital Work 11281
  65. ^ Bach Digital Work 11262
  66. ^ Bach Digital Work 11263
  67. ^ Bach Digital Work 11265
  68. ^ Bach Digital Work 11267
  69. ^ Bach Digital Work 11268
  70. ^ Bach Digital Work 11269
  71. ^ Alfred Dürr, sleeve notes to Nikolaus Harnoncourt's first recording of the Christmas Oratorio (Warner Das Alte Werk, 2564698540, 1972, p. 10) and repeated in the notes to Harnoncourt's 2nd recording of the work (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, 88697112252, 2007, p. 22)
  72. ^ a b Christoph Wolff, sleeve notes to Ton Koopman's recording of the Christmas Oratorio (Warner Erato, 0630-14635-2, 1997)
  73. ^ Background note by Neil Jenkins on his translation of Bach's Christmas Oratorio, 1999
  74. ^ a b Sleeve notes to Philip Pickett's recording of the Christmas Oratorio (Decca, 458 838, 1997)
  75. ^ Rathey 2016b, pp. 70 and passim.
  76. ^ Das Alte Werk (Warner), 2564698540 (1973, re-released 2008)
  77. ^ Decca (Philips), 4759155 (1987, re-released 2007)
  78. ^ Harmonia Mundi, HMX 2901630.31 (1997, re-released 2004)
  79. ^ Channel Classics Records, CCS SA 20103 (2003)
  80. ^ Dürr, Alfred (2005). The Cantatas of J. S. Bach. Translated by Richard D. P. Jones. Oxford University Press. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-19-816707-5.
  81. ^ Rolf Wischnath (2015). "Eine Predigt über den Prediger: Zu Johann Sebastian Bachs Weihnachtsoratorium". In Marco Hofheinz; Georg Plasger; Annegreth Schilling (eds.). Verbindlich werden: Reformierte Existenz in ökumenischer Begegnung (in German). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. p. 122. ISBN 978-3-7887-2909-7.
  82. ^ Luke Dahn (2018). BWV 248(1)/5 at www.bach-chorales.com.
  83. ^ a b BWV2a (1998), p. 474.
  84. ^ a b Luke Dahn (2018). BWV 248(3)/28(5) at www.bach-chorales.com.
  85. ^ Luke Dahn (2018). BWV 248(1)/9 at www.bach-chorales.com.
  86. ^ Luke Dahn (2018). BWV 248(2)/12(3) at www.bach-chorales.com.
  87. ^ Luke Dahn (2018). BWV 248(2)/17(8) at www.bach-chorales.com.
  88. ^ Luke Dahn (2018). BWV 248(2)/23(14) at www.bach-chorales.com.
  89. ^ Luke Dahn (2018). BWV 248(3)/33(10) at www.bach-chorales.com.
  90. ^ Luke Dahn (2018). BWV 248(3)/35(12) at www.bach-chorales.com.
  91. ^ Walter Blankenburg; Alfred Dürr, eds. (1960). "47. Aria". Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248. Neue Bach-Ausgabe. Bärenreiter. p. 223. ISMN 9790006461585.
  92. ^ Butt 2006.
  93. ^ Bossuyt 2004, p. 9.

Cited sources

Further reading

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Christmas Oratorio.
  • Complete text and instrumentation: , , , , , (in German)
  • Bach Cantatas Website: Details, recordings & reviews
  • Donald Satz: A Bottomless Bucket of Bach – Christmas Oratorio (April 2000): Details and comparison of four recordings
  • Christmas Oratorio: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
  • Video with John Eliot Gardiner, English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir: part 1 (cantatas 1–3) part 2 (cantatas 4–6)
  • Video with Nicolas Harnoncourt, Concentus Musicus, 1982

January 20, 2023
christmas, oratorio, other, uses, disambiguation, german, weihnachtsoratorium, oratorio, johann, sebastian, bach, intended, performance, church, during, christmas, season, parts, each, part, cantata, intended, performance, church, service, feast, christmas, pe. For other uses see Christmas Oratorio disambiguation The Christmas Oratorio German Weihnachtsoratorium BWV 248 is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season It is in six parts each part a cantata intended for performance in a church service on a feast day of the Christmas period It was written for the Christmas season of 1734 and incorporates music from earlier compositions including three secular cantatas written during 1733 and 1734 and a largely lost church cantata BWV 248a The date is confirmed in Bach s autograph manuscript The next complete public performance was not until 17 December 1857 by the Sing Akademie zu Berlin under Eduard Grell 1 The Christmas Oratorio is a particularly sophisticated example of parody music 2 The author of the text is unknown although a likely collaborator was Christian Friedrich Henrici Picander First page of the first part of the Christmas Oratorio The work belongs to a group of three oratorios written in 1734 and 1735 for major feasts the other two works being the Ascension Oratorio BWV 11 and the Easter Oratorio BWV 249 All three of these oratorios to some degree parody earlier compositions 2 The Christmas Oratorio is by far the longest and most complex work of the three 3 The first part for Christmas Day describes the Birth of Jesus the second for 26 December the annunciation to the shepherds the third for 27 December 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 The running time for the entire oratorio is around three hours In concert performance it is often presented split into two parts Contents 1 History 1 1 1714 1729 1 2 1730s 1 2 1 Models from earlier compositions 1 2 2 Chorales 1 2 3 Gospel narrative 1 2 4 First performance 2 Text 2 1 Narrative structure 3 Music 3 1 Instrumentation 4 Parts and numbers 4 1 Part I 4 2 Part II 4 3 Part III 4 4 Part IV 4 5 Part V 4 6 Part VI 5 Reception 6 Recordings 7 References 8 Cited sources 9 Further reading 10 External linksHistory Edit First two pages of the libretto of Bach s Christmas Oratorio as printed in 1734 4 St Nicholas Church St Thomas Church See also Church cantata Bach Christmas In the liturgical calendar of the German reformation era in Saxony the Christmas season started on 25 December Christmas Day and ended on 6 January Epiphany It was preceded by Advent and followed by the period of the Sundays after Epiphany It included at least three feast days that called for festive music during religious services apart from Christmas Nativity of Christ and Epiphany Visit of the Magi the period also included New Year s Day 1 January in Bach s time still often referred to as the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ Also 26 and 27 December second and third day of Christmas were commonly considered feast days with festive music in church If a Sunday fell between 27 December and 1 January also on this first Sunday after Christmas a church service with music was held and similar for a Sunday between 1 and 6 January second Sunday after Christmas or first Sunday after New Year 1714 1729 Edit Before Bach composed his Christmas Oratorio for the 1734 35 Christmas season in Leipzig he had already composed Christmas cantatas and other church music for all seven occasions of the Christmas season Before his Leipzig period he composed as part of his Weimar cantata cycle Christmas 25 December 1714 Christen atzet diesen Tag BWV 63 5 First Sunday after Christmas 30 December 1714 Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn BWV 152 6 For the 1723 24 Christmas season during his first year as musical director of Leipzig s principal churches Christmas Day repeat performance of BWV 63 5 which thus became part of his first cantata cycle and as part of the Latin Church music he composed for Leipzig his Magnificat BWV 243a version with Christmas interpolations and Sanctus in D major BWV 238 7 Second Day of Christmas Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes BWV 40 8 Third Day of Christmas Sehet welch eine Liebe hat uns der Vater erzeiget BWV 64 9 New Year s Day Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied BWV 190 10 Second Sunday after Christmas 2 January Schau lieber Gott wie meine Feind BWV 153 11 Epiphany Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen BWV 65 12 For the 1724 25 Christmas season as part of his chorale cantata cycle except for the Latin Sanctus Christmas Day Gelobet seist du Jesu Christ BWV 91 early version 13 and Sanctus for six vocal parts BWV 232 III early version 14 Second Day of Christmas Christum wir sollen loben schon BWV 121 15 Third Day of Christmas Ich freue mich in dir BWV 133 16 First Sunday after Christmas 31 December Das neugeborne Kindelein BWV 122 17 New Year s Day Jesu nun sei gepreiset BWV 41 18 Epiphany Liebster Immanuel Herzog der Frommen BWV 123 19 Cantatas of Bach s third cantata cycle for the Christmas seasons of 1725 26 and 1726 27 Christmas Day 1725 Unser Mund sei voll Lachens BWV 110 20 Second Day of Christmas 1725 Selig ist der Mann BWV 57 21 Third Day of Christmas 1725 Susser Trost mein Jesus kommt BWV 151 22 First Sunday after Christmas 30 December 1725 Gottlob nun geht das Jahr zu Ende BWV 28 23 New Year s Day 1726 Herr Gott dich loben wir BWV 16 24 Second Sunday after Christmas 5 January 1727 Ach Gott wie manches Herzeleid BWV 58 early version 25 Four of these third cycle cantatas for the Christmas season BWV 110 57 151 and 16 were on a text from Georg Christian Lehms s Gottgefalliges Kirchen Opffer cantata libretto cycle which had been published in 1711 26 27 In the second half of the 1720s Bach often collaborated with Picander as a librettist for his cantatas The Shepherd Cantata BWV 249a first performed on 23 February 1725 one of Bach s secular cantatas is an early example of such cantata 28 Bach reused the music of this cantata in the 1725 first version of his Easter Oratorio 29 Ihr Hauser des Himmels ihr scheinenden Lichter BWV 193a composed in 1727 is another secular cantata on a text by Picander which was shortly after its first performance reworked into a sacred cantata Ihr Tore zu Zion BWV 193 30 In 1728 29 Picander published a cantata libretto cycle leading to at least two further Christmas season cantatas by Bach Christmas Day 1728 or possibly 1729 Ehre sei Gott in der Hohe BWV 197a 31 New Year s Day 1729 Gott wie dein Name so ist auch dein Ruhm BWV 171 with music in part adapted from the secular cantata likewise on a text by Picander Zerreisset zersprenget zertrummert die Gruft BWV 205 32 A Christmas oratorio presented as a cycle of six cantatas to be performed on several days during the Christmas period was not uncommon in Bach s day Gottfried Heinrich Stolzel whose church music was not unknown to Bach and Leipzig churchgoers 33 had composed such Christmas oratorios in 1719 and 1728 34 35 36 1730s Edit See also Late church cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach Christmas to Epiphany Models from earlier compositions Edit In the early 1730s Bach composed a number of secular cantatas including So kampfet nur ihr muntern Tone BWV 1160 on a libretto by Picander first performed on 25 August 1731 music lost apart from later versions of the opening chorus 37 Lasst uns sorgen lasst uns wachen BWV 213 Hercules at the Crossroads on a libretto by Picander performed on 5 September 1733 38 Tonet ihr Pauken Erschallet Trompeten BWV 214 performed on 8 December 1733 39 Preise dein Glucke gesegnetes Sachsen BWV 215 performed on 5 October 1734 40 Movements from the BWV 213 214 and 215 cantatas form the basis of several movements of the Christmas Oratorio 38 39 40 In addition to these sources the sixth cantata is based on a largely lost church cantata BWV 248a of which at least the opening chorus is based on the lost secular cantata BWV 1160 37 41 The trio aria in Part V Ach wenn wird die Zeit erscheinen is believed to be from a similarly lost source and the chorus from the same section Wo ist der neugeborne Konig is from the 1731 St Mark Passion BWV 247 42 Cantata movements reused in Christmas Oratorio 43 44 Cantata Movement Type BWV 248 MovementBWV 213 1 Lasst uns sorgen lasst uns wachen Chorus SATB 36 IV 1 Fallt mit Danken fallt mit LobenBWV 213 3 Schlafe mein Liebster und pflege der Ruh Aria s a 19 II 10 Schlafe mein Liebster geniesse der RuhBWV 213 5 Treues Echo dieser Orten Aria a s 39 IV 4 Flosst mein Heiland flosst dein NamenBWV 213 7 Auf meinen Flugeln sollst du schweben Aria t 41 IV 6 Ich will nur dir zu Ehren lebenBWV 213 9 Ich will dich nicht horen Aria a 0 4 I 4 Bereite dich ZionBWV 213 11 Ich bin deine du bist meine Duet at sb 29 III 6 Herr dein Mitleid dein ErbarmenBWV 214 1 Tonet ihr Pauken Erschallet Trompeten Chorus SATB 0 1 I 1 Jauchzet frohlocket auf preiset die TageBWV 214 5 Fromme Musen meine Glieder Aria a t 15 II 6 Frohe Hirten eilt ach eiletBWV 214 7 Kron und Preis gekronter Damen Aria b 0 8 I 8 Grosser Herr o starker KonigBWV 214 9 Bluhet ihr Linden in Sachsen wie Zedern Chorus SATB 24 III 1 amp 13 Herrscher des Himmels erhore das LallenBWV 215 7 Durch die von Eifer entflammten Waffen Aria s b 47 V 5 Erleucht auch meine finstre SinnenBWV 247 43 Pfui dich wie fein zerbrichst du den Tempel Chorus SATB 45 V 3 Wo ist der neugeborne Konig der JudenBWV 248a 1 Chorus SATB 54 VI 1 Herr wenn die stolzen Feinde schnaubenBWV 248a 2 Recitative s 56 VI 3 Du Falscher suche nur den Herrn zu fallenBWV 248a 3 Aria s 57 VI 4 Nur ein Wink von seinen HandenBWV 248a 4 Recitative t 61 VI 8 So geht Genug mein Schatz geht nicht von hierBWV 248a 5 Aria t 62 VI 9 Nun mogt ihr stolzen Feinde schreckenBWV 248a 6 Recitative satb 63 VI 10 Was will der Hollen Schrecken nunBWV 248a 7 Chorus SATB 64 VI 11 Nun seid ihr wohl gerochen Trio sat 51 V 9 Ach wann wird die Zeit erscheinen Chorales Edit See also List of chorale harmonisations by Johann Sebastian Bach BWV 248 Like for most of his German language church music Bach used Lutheran hymns and their Lutheran chorale tunes in his Christmas Oratorio 45 46 47 The first chorale tune appears in the 5th movement of Part I it is the tune known as Herzlich tut mich verlangen that is the same hymn tune which Bach used in his St Matthew Passion for setting several stanzas of Paul Gerhardt s O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden O Sacred Head Now Wounded The same melody reappears in the last movement of the oratorio No 64 closing chorale of Part VI In the oratorio there is however no association with the pain and suffering evoked in the Passion 48 Martin Luther s 1539 Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her melody appears in three chorales twice on a text by Paul Gerhardt in Part II of the oratorio and the first time in the closing chorale of Part I with the 13th stanza of Luther s hymn as text A well known English version of that stanza is Oh my dear heart young Jesus sweet the first stanza of Balulalow as for instance sung by Sting 49 50 Ach mein herzliebes Jesulein Mach dir ein rein sanft Bettelein Zu ruhn in meines Herzens Schrein Dass ich nimmer vergesse dein Oh my deir hert young Jesus sweit Prepare thy creddil in my spreit And I sall rock thee in my hert And never mair from thee depart lyrics of Christmas Oratorio Part I Popular rhymes of Scotland p 13The Christmas Oratorio is exceptional in that it contains a few hymn settings or versions of hymn tunes for which there is no known earlier source than Bach s composition 51 52 The chorale melody used in No 33 of the oratorio appears to be based on Georg Ebeling s 1666 Warum sollt ich mich denn gramen hymn tune 53 The Zahn number of Ebeling s original is 6456a 54 Bach s Christmas Oratorio version of the tune is Zahn 6462 first printed in 1769 as No 143 in the second volume of Bach s four part chorales published by Birnstiel 55 51 No 38 and 40 set the first stanza of Johann Rist s Jesu du mein liebstes Leben hymn text the setting is Bach s it is not based on any known pre existing hymn tune 56 The tune used for Johann Rist s Hilf Herr Jesu lass gelingen hymn text in No 42 of the oratorio appears to be an original composition by Bach 57 It is mentioned as such in the last volume of Johannes Zahn s Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder scores as first of four late additions to his catalogue of German Evangelical hymn tunes 52 There are very few known hymn tunes by Bach he used Lutheran hymn tunes in the large majority of his sacred compositions but rarely one of his own invention apart from what can be found in the Christmas Oratorio there appears to be one partly inspired by a pre existing melody in the motet Komm Jesu komm BWV 229 composed before 1731 32 58 and at least one entirely by Bach Vergiss mein nicht vergiss mein nicht BWV 505 in Schemellis Gesangbuch published in 1736 59 Chorales in Christmas Oratorio 56 Author Date Hymn Stanza Stanza incipit Melody Composer Date Zahn BWV 248Gerhardt 1653 Wie soll ich dich empfangen 0 1 Wie soll ich dich empfangen Herzlich tut mich verlangen Hassler 1601 5385a 60 0 5 I 5 Luther 1524 Gelobet seist du Jesu Christ 0 6 Er ist auf Erden kommen arm Gelobet seist du Jesu Christ Luther 1524 1947 0 7 I 7 Luther 1535 Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her 13 Ach mein herzliebes Jesulein Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her Luther 1539 0 346 61 0 9 I 9 Rist 1641 Ermuntre dich mein schwacher Geist 0 9 Brich an o schones Morgenlicht Ermuntre dich mein schwacher Geist Schop Cruger 1648 5741b 62 12 II 3 Gerhardt 1667 Schaut schaut was ist fur Wunder dar 0 8 Schaut hin dort liegt im finstern Stall Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her Luther 1539 0 346 63 17 II 8 Gerhardt 1656 Wir singen dir Immanuel 0 2 Wir singen dir in deinem Heer Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her Luther 1539 0 346 64 23 II 14 Luther 1524 Gelobet seist du Jesu Christ 0 7 Dies hat er alles uns getan Gelobet seist du Jesu Christ Luther 1524 1947 65 28 III 5 Gerhardt 1653 Frohlich soll mein Herze springen 15 Ich will dich mit Fleiss bewahren Warum sollt ich mich denn gramen Ebeling Bach 1734 6462 55 33 III 10 Runge s de 1653 Lasst Furcht und Pein 0 4 Seid froh dieweil Wir Christenleut habn jetzund Freud Fuger 1593 2072 66 35 III 12 Rist 1642 Jesu du mein liebstes Leben 0 1a Jesu du mein liebstes Leben Bach 1734 38 IV 3 Rist 1642 Jesu du mein liebstes Leben 0 1b Jesu meine Freud und Wonne Bach 1734 40 IV 5 Rist 1642 Hilf Herr Jesu lass gelingen 15 Jesus richte mein Beginnen Hilf Herr Jesu lass gelingen Bach 1734 Vol VI p 566 57 42 IV 7 Weissel 1642 Nun liebe Seel nun ist es Zeit 0 5 Dein Glanz all Finsternis verzehrt In dich hab ich gehoffet Herr Nurnberg 1581 2461c 67 46 V 4 Franck 1655 Ihr Gestirn ihr hohlen Lufte 0 9 Zwar ist solche Herzensstube Gott des Himmels und der Erden Albert Darmstadt 1687 3614b 68 53 V 11 Gerhardt 1656 Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier 0 1 Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier Nun freut euch lieben Christen gmein Wittenberg 1529 4429a 69 59 VI 6 Werner 1648 Ihr Christen auserkoren 0 4 Nun seid ihr wohl gerochen Herzlich tut mich verlangen Hassler 1601 5385a 70 64 VI 11 Gospel narrative Edit Like for his other oratorios and his Passion settings Bach employed a narrative based on the Gospel in his Christmas Oratorio The Gospel narrative of this oratorio followed to a certain extent the respective Gospel readings of the church services where the six cantatas of the Christmas Oratorio were to be performed for the first time The six services of the Christmas season 1734 35 where the oratorio s cantatas were to be performed had these Gospel readings Christmas Day Luke 2 1 14 theme Nativity Annunciation to the shepherds and the angels song Second Day of Christmas Luke 2 15 20 theme Adoration of the Shepherds Third Day of Christmas John 1 1 14 prologue of the Gospel of John also known as Hymn to the Word New Year s Day Luke 2 21 theme Circumcision of Jesus Sunday after New Year Matthew 2 13 23 theme the Flight into Egypt Epiphany Matthew 2 1 12 theme Wise Men From the East As usual in most of his oratorios and all of his Passions the Evangelist character enunciated the Gospel text in sung recitatives except the passages in direct speech which were sung by soloists or choral groups representing the characters who spoke these texts according to the Gospel narrative The Gospel text included by Bach in his six Christmas Oratorio cantatas consists of Luke 2 1 3 7 i e part of the Christmas Day reading Luke 2 8 14 i e second half of the Christmas Day reading Luke 2 15 20 i e text of the Second Day of Christmas Gospel reading Luke 2 21 i e the New Year s Day Gospel reading Matthew 2 1 6 i e part of the Gospel reading for the Epiphany feast Matthew 2 7 12 i e second half of the Gospel reading for EpiphanyThe Gospel readings for the Third Day of Christmas Prologue of the Gospel of John and for the Sunday after New Year the Flight to Egypt are not directly used in the Christmas Oratorio In detail Gospel readings in Christmas Oratorio Day Reading BWV 248 Occasion MovementChristmas 1 Luke 2 1 0 2 I 2a Christmas 1 Es begab sich aber zu der ZeitLuke 2 2 Luke 2 3 6 0 2 I 2b Christmas 1 Und jedermann gingLuke 2 7 0 6 I 6 Und sie gebar ihren ersten SohnLuke 2 8 9 11 II 2 Christmas 2 Und es waren Hirten in derselben GegendLuke 2 10 11 13 II 4 Und der Engel sprach zu ihnenLuke 2 12 16 II 7 Und das habt zum ZeichenLuke 2 13 20 II 11 Und alsobald war da bei dem EngelLuke 2 14 21 II 12 Ehre sei Gott in der HoheChristmas 2 Luke 2 15a 25 III 2 Christmas 3 Und da die Engel von ihnen gen Himmel fuhrenLuke 2 15b 26 III 3 Lasset uns nun gehen gen BethlehemLuke 2 16 19 30 III 7 Und sie kamen eilendLuke 2 20 34 III 11 Und die Hirten kehrten wieder umChristmas 3 John 1 1 14 New Year Luke 2 21 37 IV 2 New Year Und da acht Tage um warenNew Year I Matthew 2 13 23 Epiphany Matthew 2 1 44 V 2 New Year I Da Jesus geboren war zu BethlehemMatthew 2 2 45 V 3 Wo ist der neugeborne Konig der JudenMatthew 2 3 48 V 6 Da das der Konig Herodes horteMatthew 2 4 6 50 V 8 Und liess versammeln alle HohenpriesterMatthew 2 7 8 55 VI 2 Epiphany Da berief Herodes die Weisen heimlichMatthew 2 9 11 58 VI 5 Als sie nun den Konig gehoret hattenMatthew 2 12 60 VI 7 Und Gott befahl ihnen im TraumFirst performance Edit The oratorio was written for performance on six feast days of Christmas during the winter of 1734 and 1735 The original score also contains details of when each part was performed It was incorporated within services of the two most important churches in Leipzig St Thomas and St Nicholas As can be seen below the work was only performed in its entirety at the St Nicholas Church First performances 25 December 1734 Part I early in the morning at St Nicholas in the afternoon at St Thomas 26 December 1734 Part II morning at St Thomas afternoon at St Nicholas 27 December 1734 Part III morning at St Nicholas 1 January 1735 Part IV morning at St Thomas afternoon at St Nicholas 2 January 1735 Part V morning at St Nicholas 6 January 1735 Part VI morning at St Thomas afternoon at St NicholasText Edit Conrad von Soest Birth of Christ 1404 Georges de La Tour Adoration of the Shepherds 1644 Giotto Angels at the Nativity c 1300 Rembrandt Circumcision of Christ 1661 Magi before Herod France early 15th century Rogier van der Weyden Adoration of the Magi c 1430 60 Rembrandt Flight into Egypt 1627 The ease with which the new text fits the existing music is one of the indications of how successful a parody the Christmas Oratorio is of its sources Musicologist Alfred Durr 71 and others such as Christoph Wolff 72 have suggested that Bach s sometime collaborator Picander the pen name of Christian Friedrich Henrici wrote the new text working closely with Bach to ensure a perfect fit with the re used music It may have even been the case that the Christmas Oratorio was already planned when Bach wrote the secular cantatas BWV 213 214 and 215 given that the original works were written fairly close to the oratorio and the seamless way with which the new words fit the existing music 72 Nevertheless on two occasions Bach abandoned the original plan and was compelled to write new music for the Christmas Oratorio The alto aria in Part III Schliesse mein Herze was originally to have been set to the music for the aria Durch die von Eifer entflammten Waffen from BWV 215 On this occasion however the parody technique proved to be unsuccessful and Bach composed the aria afresh Instead he used the model from BWV 215 for the bass aria Erleucht auch meine finstre Sinnen in Part V Similarly the opening chorus to Part V Ehre sei dir Gott was almost certainly intended to be set to the music of the chorus Lust der Volker Lust der Deinen from BWV 213 given the close correspondence between the texts of the two pieces The third major new piece of writing with the notable exception of the recitatives the sublime pastoral Sinfonia which opens Part II was composed from scratch for the new work In addition to the new compositions listed above special mention must go to the recitatives which knit together the oratorio into a coherent whole In particular Bach made particularly effective use of recitative when combining it with chorales in no 7 of part I Er ist auf Erden kommen arm and even more ingeniously in the recitatives nos 38 and 40 which frame the Echo Aria Flosst mein Heiland no 39 in part IV Until 1999 the only complete English version of the Christmas Oratorio was that prepared in 1874 by John Troutbeck for the music publisher Novello 73 A new edition has been worked up by Neil Jenkins Narrative structure Edit The structure of the story is defined to a large extent by the particular requirements of the church calendar for Christmas 1734 35 Bach abandoned his usual practice when writing church cantatas of basing the content upon the Gospel reading for that day in order to achieve a coherent narrative structure Were he to have followed the calendar the story would have unfolded as follows Birth and Annunciation to the Shepherds The Adoration of the Shepherds Prologue to the Gospel of John Circumcision and Naming of Jesus The Flight into Egypt The Coming and Adoration of the MagiThis would have resulted in the Holy Family fleeing before the Magi had arrived which was unsuitable for an oratorio evidently planned as a coherent whole Bach removed the content for the Third Day of Christmas 27 December John s Gospel and split the story of the two groups of visitors Shepherds and Magi into two This resulted in a more understandable exposition of the Christmas story The Birth The Annunciation to the Shepherds The Adoration of the Shepherds The Circumcision and Naming of Jesus The Journey of the Magi The Adoration of the MagiThe Flight into Egypt takes place after the end of the sixth part That Bach saw the six parts as comprising a greater unified whole is evident both from the surviving printed text and from the structure of the music itself The edition has not only a title Weihnachts Oratorium connecting together the six sections but these sections are also numbered consecutively As John Butt has mentioned 74 this points as in the Mass in B minor to a unity beyond the performance constraints of the church year Music EditBach expresses the unity of the whole work within the music itself in part through his use of key signatures Parts I and III are written in the keys of D major part II in its subdominant key G major Parts I and III are similarly scored for exuberant trumpets while the Pastoral Part II referring to the Shepherds is by contrast scored for woodwind instruments and does not include an opening chorus Part IV is written in F major the relative key to D minor and marks the furthest musical point away from the oratorio s opening key scored for horns Bach then embarks upon a journey back to the opening key via the dominant A major of Part V to the jubilant re assertion of D major in the final part lending an overall arc to the piece To reinforce this connection between the beginning and the end of the work Bach re uses the chorale melody of Part I s Wie soll ich dich empfangen in the final chorus of Part VI Nun seid ihr wohl gerochen this choral melody is the same as of O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden which Bach used five times in his St Matthew Passion The music represents a particularly sophisticated expression of the parody technique by which existing music is adapted to a new purpose Bach took the majority of the choruses and arias from works which had been written some time earlier Most of this music was secular that is written in praise of royalty or notable local figures outside the tradition of performance within the church 75 Instrumentation Edit The scoring below 74 refers to parts rather than necessarily to individual players Adherents of theories specifying small numbers of performers even to One Voice Per Part may however choose to use numbers approaching one instrument per named part Part I 3 trumpets timpani 2 transverse flutes 2 oboes both of which double on oboe d amore 2 violins viola continuo group I 1 I 2 Part II 2 flutes 2 oboes d amore 2 oboes da caccia 2 violins viola continuo Part III 3 trumpets timpani 2 flutes 2 oboes both of which double on oboe d amore 2 violins viola continuo Part IV 2 horns 2 oboes 2 violins viola continuo Part V 2 oboes d amore 2 violins viola continuo Part VI 3 trumpets timpani 2 oboes both of which double on oboe d amore 2 violins viola continuoNotes The continuo part is open to interpretation in matters of scoring Examples for his 1973 recording Nikolaus Harnoncourt employed bassoon violoncello violone double bass and organ 76 Peter Schreier 1987 used violoncello double bass bassoon organ and harpsichord 77 Rene Jacobs in 1997 chose violoncello double bass lute bassoon organ and harpsichord 78 and Jos van Veldhoven in 2003 opted for violoncello double bass bassoon organ harpsichord and theorbo 79 The different types of oboes referred to above are mostly called for at different points in each section However numbers 10 12 14 17 18 19 and 21 in Part II call for 2 oboe d amore and 2 oboe da caccia This scoring was intended to symbolise the shepherds who are the subject of the second part It is a reference to the pastoral music tradition of shepherds playing shawm like instruments at Christmas Similarly the pastoral sinfony in Handel s Messiah 1741 is known as the Pifa after the Italian piffero or piffaro similar to the shawm and an ancestor of the oboe Parts and numbers EditEach section combines choruses a pastoral Sinfonia opens Part II instead of a chorus chorales and from the soloists recitatives ariosos and arias By notational convention the recitatives are in common time Part I Edit See also Jauchzet frohlocket BWV 248 I Part I For the First Day of Christmas No Key Time First line Scoring Source Audio1 Chorus D major 3 8 Jauchzet frohlocket auf preiset die Tage 3 trumpets timpani 2 flutes 2 oboes strings violin I II viola and continuo cello violone organ and bassoon BWV 214 Chorus Tonet ihr Pauken 01 Jauchzet frohlocket source source 2 Recitative Evangelist tenor Es begab sich aber zu der Zeit Continuo Luke 2 1 6 02 Es begab sich aber source source 3 Recitative alto Nun wird mein liebster Brautigam 2 oboe d amore continuo 03 Nun wird mein liebster source source 4 Aria alto A min 3 8 Bereite dich Zion mit zartlichen Trieben Oboe d amore I violin I continuo BWV 213 Aria Ich will dich nicht horen 04 Bereite dich Zion source source 5 Chorale E Phrygian 80 81 Common Wie soll ich dich empfangen 2 flutes 2 oboes strings and continuo Wie soll ich dich empfangen v 1 Paul Gerhardt 1653 Zahn 5385a Hans Leo Hassler 1601 82 05 Wie soll ich dich source source 6 Recitative Evangelist tenor Und sie gebar ihren ersten Sohn Continuo Luke 2 7 06 Und sie gebar ihren source source 7 Chorale sopranos Recitative bass G major 3 4Common Er ist auf Erden kommen arm Wer will die Liebe recht erhohn 2 oboe d amore continuo Gelobet seist du Jesu Christ v 6 Martin Luther 1524 Zahn 1947 Wittenberg 1524 83 84 07 Er ist auf Erden source source 8 Aria bass D major 2 4 Grosser Herr o starker Konig Trumpet I flute I strings continuo BWV 214 Aria Kron und Preis gekronter Damen 08 Grosser Herr source source 9 Chorale D major Common Ach mein herzliebes Jesulein 3 trumpets timpani 2 flutes 2 oboes strings and continuo cello violone organ and bassoon Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her v 13 Martin Luther 1535 Zahn 346 Martin Luther 1539 85 09 Ach mein herzliebes source source Part II Edit See also Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend BWV 248 II Part II For the Second Day of Christmas No Key Time First line Scoring Source Audio10 Sinfonia G major 12 8 2 flutes 2 oboe d amore 2 oboe da caccia strings continuo 10 Sinfonia source source 11 Recitative Evangelist tenor Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend Continuo Luke 2 8 9 11 Und es waren Hirten source source 12 Chorale G major Common Brich an o schones Morgenlicht 2 flutes 2 oboe d amore 2 oboe da caccia strings continuo Ermuntre dich mein schwacher Geist v 9 Johann Rist 1641 Zahn 5741 Johann Schop 1641 86 12 Brich an o schones source source 13 Recitative Evangelist tenor Angel soprano Und der Engel sprach zu ihnenFurchtet euch nicht Strings continuo Luke 2 10 11 13 Und der Engel sprach source source 14 Recitative bass Was Gott dem Abraham verheissen 2 oboe d amore 2 oboe da caccia strings continuo 14 Was Gott dem Abraham source source 15 Aria tenor E minor 3 8 Frohe Hirten eilt ach eilet Flute I continuo BWV 214 Aria Fromme Musen meine Glieder 15 Frohe Hirten source source 16 Recitative Evangelist tenor II 1 Und das habt zum Zeichen Continuo Luke 2 12 16 Und das habt zum Zeichen source source 17 Chorale C major Common Schaut hin dort liegt im finstern Stall 2 flutes 2 oboe d amore 2 oboe da caccia strings continuo Schaut schaut was ist fur Wunder dar v 8 Paul Gerhardt 1667 Zahn 346 Martin Luther 1539 87 17 Schaut hin source source 18 Recitative bass So geht denn hin 2 oboe d amore 2 oboe da caccia continuo 18 So geht denn hin source source 19 Aria alto G maj E min 2 4 Schlafe mein Liebster geniesse der Ruh Flute I colla parte an octave above the alto soloist throughout 2 oboe d amore 2 oboe da caccia strings continuo BWV 213 Aria Schlafe mein Liebster und pflege der Ruh 19 Schlafe mein Liebster source source 20 Recitative Evangelist tenor Und alsobald war da bei dem Engel Continuo Luke 2 13 20 Und alsobald war da source source 21 Chorus G major Split Common 2 2 Ehre sei Gott in der Hohe 2 flutes 2 oboe d amore 2 oboe da caccia strings continuo Luke 2 14 21 Ehre sei Gott source source 22 Recitative bass So recht ihr Engel jauchzt und singet Continuo 22 So recht ihr Engel source source 23 Chorale G major 12 8 Wir singen dir in deinem Heer 2 flutes 2 oboe d amore 2 oboe da caccia strings continuo Wir singen dir Immanuel v 2 Paul Gerhardt 1656 Zahn 346 Martin Luther 1539 88 23 Wir singen dir source source In some performances sung by the Angel soprano Part III Edit See also Herrscher des Himmels erhore das Lallen BWV 248 III Part III For the Third Day of Christmas No Key Time First line Scoring Source Audio24 Chorus D major 3 8 Herrscher des Himmels erhore das Lallen Trumpet I II III timpani flute I II oboe I II strings continuo BWV 214 Chorus Bluhet ihr Linden in Sachsen wie Zedern 24 Herrscher des Himmels source source 25 Recitative Evangelist tenor Und da die Engel von ihnen gen Himmel fuhren Continuo Luke 2 15 25 Und da die Engel source source 26 Chorus A major 3 4 Lasset uns nun gehen gen Bethlehem Flute I II oboe d amore I II strings continuo 26 Lasset uns nun gehen source source 27 Recitative bass Er hat sein Volk getrost t Flute I II continuo 27 Er hat sein Volk source source 28 Chorale D major Common Dies hat er alles uns getan Flute I II oboe I II strings continuo Gelobet seist du Jesu Christ v 7 Martin Luther 1524 Zahn 1947 Wittenberg 1524 83 84 28 Dies hat er alles source source 29 Duet soprano bass A major 3 8 Herr dein Mitleid dein Erbarmen Oboe d amore I II continuo BWV 213 Aria Ich bin deine du bist meine 29 Herr dein Mitleid source source 30 Recitative Evangelist tenor Und sie kamen eilend Continuo Luke 2 16 19 30 Und sie kamen eilend source source 31 Aria alto D maj B min 2 4 Schliesse mein Herze dies selige Wunder Violin solo continuo 31 Schliesse mein Herze source source 32 Recitative alto Ja ja mein Herz soll es bewahren Flute I II continuo 32 Ja ja mein Herz source source 33 Chorale G major Common Ich will dich mit Fleiss bewahren Flute I II oboe I II strings continuo Frohlich soll mein Herze springen v 15 Paul Gerhardt 1653 Zahn 6461 Georg Ebeling 1666 89 33 Ich will dich mit source source 34 Recitative Evangelist tenor Und die Hirten kehrten wieder um Continuo Luke 2 20 34 Und die Hirten source source 35 Chorale F minor Common Seid froh dieweil Flute I II oboe I II strings continuo Lasst Furcht und Pein v 4 Christoph Runge 1653 Zahn 2072 Kaspar Fuger 1593 90 35 Seid froh dieweil source source 24 Chorus da capo D major 3 8 Herrscher des Himmels erhore das Lallen Trumpet I II III timpani flute I II oboe I II strings continuo BWV 214 Chorus Bluhet ihr Linden in Sachsen wie ZedernPart IV Edit See also Fallt mit Danken fallt mit Loben BWV 248 IV Part IV For New Year s Day Feast of the Circumcision No Key Time First line Scoring Source36 Chorus F major 3 8 Fallt mit Danken fallt mit Loben Horns I II oboe I II strings continuo BWV 213 Chorus Lasst uns sorgen lasst uns wachen37 Recitative Evangelist tenor Und da acht Tage um waren Continuo Luke 2 2138 Recitative bass Arioso sopr bass Immanuel o susses WortJesu du mein liebstes Leben Strings continuo 39 Aria soprano amp Echo soprano C major 6 8 Flosst mein Heiland flosst dein Namen Oboe I solo continuo BWV 213 Aria Treues Echo dieser Orten40 Recitative bass Arioso soprano Wohlan dein Name soll alleinJesu meine Freud und Wonne Strings continuo 41 Aria tenor D minor Common Ich will nur dir zu Ehren leben Violin I II continuo BWV 213 Aria Auf meinen Flugeln sollst du schweben42 Chorale F major 3 4 Jesus richte mein Beginnen Horns I II oboe I II strings continuo Words Johann Rist 1642Part V Edit See also Ehre sei dir Gott gesungen BWV 248 V Part V For the First Sunday in the New Year V 1 No Key Time First line Scoring Source43 Chorus A maj F min 3 4 Ehre sei dir Gott gesungen Oboe d amore I II strings continuo 44 Recitative Evangelist tenor Da Jesus geboren war zu Bethlehem Continuo Matthew 2 145 ChorusRecitative alto Chorus D major Common Wo ist der neugeborne Konig der Juden V 2 Sucht ihn in meiner BrustWir haben seinen Stern gesehen Oboe d amore I II strings continuo BWV 247 St Mark Passion Chorus Pfui dich wie fein zerbrichst du den Tempel 42 46 Chorale A major Common Dein Glanz all Finsternis verzehrt Oboe d amore I II strings continuo Words Georg Weissel 164247 Aria bass F minor 2 4 Erleucht auch meine finstre Sinnen Oboe d amore I solo organ continuo tacet 91 BWV 215 Aria Durch die von Eifer entflammeten Waffen48 Recitative Evangelist tenor Da das der Konig Herodes horte Continuo Matthew 2 349 Recitative alto Warum wollt ihr erschrecken Strings continuo 50 Recitative Evangelist tenor Und liess versammeln alle Hohenpriester Continuo Matthew 2 4 651 Trio sopr alto ten B minor 2 4 Ach wann wird die Zeit erscheinen Violin I solo continuo unknown52 Recitative alto Mein Liebster herrschet schon Continuo 53 Chorale A major Common Zwar ist solche Herzensstube Oboe d amore I II strings continuo Words Johann Franck 1655 Part V is meant to be performed on the Sunday between New Year s Day and Epiphany on 6 January in some years there is no such day e g in 2017 2018 amp 2019 Matthew 2 2 Part VI Edit See also Herr wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben BWV 248 VI Part VI For the Feast of Epiphany No Key Time First line Scoring Source54 Chorus D major 3 8 Herr wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben Trumpet I II III timpani oboe I II strings continuo BWV 248a lost church cantata 55 Recitative Evangelist tenor Herod bass Da berief Herodes die Weisen heimlichZiehet hin und forschet fleissig Continuo Matthew 2 7 856 Recitative soprano Du Falscher suche nur den Herrn zu fallen Strings continuo BWV 248a lost church cantata 57 Aria soprano A maj F min A maj 3 4 Nur ein Wink von seinen Handen Oboe d amore I strings continuo BWV 248a lost church cantata 58 Recitative Evangelist tenor Als sie nun den Konig gehoret hatten Continuo Matthew 2 9 1159 Chorale G major Common Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier Oboe I II strings continuo Words Paul Gerhardt 165660 Recitative Evangelist tenor Und Gott befahl ihnen im Traum Continuo Matthew 2 1261 Recitative tenor So geht Genug mein Schatz geht nicht von hier Oboe d amore I II continuo BWV 248a lost church cantata 62 Aria tenor B minor 2 4 Nun mogt ihr stolzen Feinde schrecken Oboe d amore I II continuo BWV 248a lost church cantata 63 Recitative soprano alto tenor bass Was will der Hollen Schrecken nun Continuo BWV 248a lost church cantata 64 Chorale D major Common Nun seid ihr wohl gerochen Trumpet I II III timpani oboe I II strings continuo BWV 248a lost church cantata Words Georg Werner 1648Reception EditThis section needs expansion You can help by adding to it December 2019 The first English language monograph on the Christmas Oratorio was published in 2004 92 It was a translation of a 2002 Dutch language study by Ignace Bossuyt fr nl 93 Recordings EditMain article Christmas Oratorio discographyReferences Edit Rathey 2016 p 456 a b Rathey2016b pp vii viii passim Rathey 2016b p 143 Bach Digital Source D LEm I B 2a a b Bach Digital Work 00079 Bach Digital Work 00186 Bach Digital Works 00303 and 00297 Bach Digital Work 00055 Bach Digital Work 00080 Bach Digital Work 00230 Bach Digital Work 00187 Bach Digital Work 00081 Bach Digital Work 00116 Bach Digital Work 11391 Bach Digital Work 00148 Bach Digital Work 00163 Bach Digital Work 00149 Bach Digital Work 00056 Bach Digital Work 00150 Bach Digital Work 00135 Bach Digital Work 00072 Bach Digital Work 00185 Bach Digital Work 00035 Bach Digital Work 00018 Bach Digital Work 00074 Durr amp Jones 2006 pp pp 36 43 Georg Christian Lehms Gottgefalliges Kirchen Opffer in einem gantzen Jahr Gange Andachtiger Betrachtungen uber die gewohnlichen Sonn und Festtags Texte GOtt zu Ehren und der Darmstattischen Schloss Capelle zu seiner Fruh und Mittags Erbauung Darmstadt 1711 Bach Digital Work 00318 Bach Digital Work 00317 Bach Digital Works 00235 and 00234 Bach Digital Work 00245 Bach Digital Works 00206 and 00255 Glockner 2009 in German Irmgard Scheitler Deutschsprachige Oratorienlibretti von den Anfangen bis 1730 Schoningh 2005 ISBN 3 506 72955 1 pp 338 345 Samantha Owens Barbara M Reul Janice B Stockigt Music at German Courts 1715 1760 Changing Artistic Priorities Boydell amp Brewer 2011 reprint 2015 ISBN 978 1 78327 058 3 p 204 Texte zu einem Weihnachts Oratorium 1728 Texte zu einem Weihnachts Oratorium 1728 at the Wayback Machine archived 17 September 2016 at www wbr ruhr uni bochum wbr de wbr mielorth wbr stoelzel a b Bach Digital Work 01318 a b Bach Digital Work 00269 a b Bach Digital Work 00270 a b Bach Digital Work 00271 Bach Digital Work 00315 a b Werner Breig sleeve notes to John Eliot Gardiner s recording of the Christmas Oratorio Deutsche Grammophon Archiv 4232322 1987 Hofmann 2005 Wessel 2015 p 47 Sortable Index of the Chorales by J S Bach at www wbr bach chorales wbr com Bach Digital Work 11270 Terry 1915 Durr amp Jones 2006 p 105 Robert Chambers Popular rhymes of Scotland pp 12 13 1870 Sting 2009 If on a Winter s Night track 11 a b Zahn IV p 78 a b Zahn VI p 566 567 BWV 248 3 33 10 at www wbr bach chorales wbr com Zahn IV p 75 a b Bach Digital Work 11264 a b Rathey 2016 p 127 a b Bach Digital Work 11266 Melamed 1995 pp 38 39 and 102 Durr amp Kobayashi 1998 p 304 Bach Digital Work 11279 Bach Digital Work 11280 Bach Digital Work 11260 Bach Digital Work 11261 Bach Digital Work 11281 Bach Digital Work 11262 Bach Digital Work 11263 Bach Digital Work 11265 Bach Digital Work 11267 Bach Digital Work 11268 Bach Digital Work 11269 Alfred Durr sleeve notes to Nikolaus Harnoncourt s first recording of the Christmas Oratorio Warner Das Alte Werk 2564698540 1972 p 10 and repeated in the notes to Harnoncourt s 2nd recording of the work Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 88697112252 2007 p 22 a b Christoph Wolff sleeve notes to Ton Koopman s recording of the Christmas Oratorio Warner Erato 0630 14635 2 1997 Background note by Neil Jenkins on his translation of Bach s Christmas Oratorio 1999 a b Sleeve notes to Philip Pickett s recording of the Christmas Oratorio Decca 458 838 1997 Rathey 2016b pp 70 and passim Das Alte Werk Warner 2564698540 1973 re released 2008 Decca Philips 4759155 1987 re released 2007 Harmonia Mundi HMX 2901630 31 1997 re released 2004 Channel Classics Records CCS SA 20103 2003 Durr Alfred 2005 The Cantatas of J S Bach Translated by Richard D P Jones Oxford University Press p 103 ISBN 978 0 19 816707 5 Rolf Wischnath 2015 Eine Predigt uber den Prediger Zu Johann Sebastian Bachs Weihnachtsoratorium In Marco Hofheinz Georg Plasger Annegreth Schilling eds Verbindlich werden Reformierte Existenz in okumenischer Begegnung in German Vandenhoeck amp Ruprecht p 122 ISBN 978 3 7887 2909 7 Luke Dahn 2018 BWV 248 1 5 at www wbr bach chorales wbr com a b BWV2a 1998 p 474 a b Luke Dahn 2018 BWV 248 3 28 5 at www wbr bach chorales wbr com Luke Dahn 2018 BWV 248 1 9 at www wbr bach chorales wbr com Luke Dahn 2018 BWV 248 2 12 3 at www wbr bach chorales wbr com Luke Dahn 2018 BWV 248 2 17 8 at www wbr bach chorales wbr com Luke Dahn 2018 BWV 248 2 23 14 at www wbr bach chorales wbr com Luke Dahn 2018 BWV 248 3 33 10 at www wbr bach chorales wbr com Luke Dahn 2018 BWV 248 3 35 12 at www wbr bach chorales wbr com Walter Blankenburg Alfred Durr eds 1960 47 Aria Weihnachts Oratorium BWV 248 Neue Bach Ausgabe Barenreiter p 223 ISMN 9790006461585 Butt 2006 Bossuyt 2004 p 9 Cited sources EditBossuyt Ignace in French 2004 Johann Sebastian Bach Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 Translated by Bull Stratton Foreword by Philippe Herreweghe Leuven Leuven University Press ISBN 978 90 5867 421 0 Butt John 1 November 2006 Johann Sebastian Bach Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 By Ignace Bossuyt Trans by Stratton Bull pp 185 Music amp Letters Oxford University Press 87 4 654 656 doi 10 1093 ml gcl037 JSTOR 4140326 Durr Alfred Kobayashi Yoshitake eds 1998 Bach Werke Verzeichnis Kleine Ausgabe Nach der von Wolfgang Schmieder vorgelegten 2 Ausgabe Bach Works Catalogue Small Edition After Wolfgang Schmieder s 2nd edition in German Kirsten Beisswenger collaborator BWV2a ed Wiesbaden Breitkopf amp Hartel ISBN 978 3 7651 0249 3 Preface in English and German Durr Alfred Jones Richard D P 2006 The Cantatas of J S Bach With Their Librettos in German English Parallel Text Oxford University Press pp 102 105 820 ISBN 978 0 19 929776 4 Glockner Andreas 2009 Ein weiterer Kantatenjahrgang Gottfried Heinrich Stolzels in Bachs Auffuhrungsrepertoire Is there another cantata cycle by Gottfried Heinrich Stolzel that belonged to Bach s performance repertoire In Wollny Peter ed Bach Jahrbuch 2009 Bach Yearbook 2009 Bach Jahrbuch in German Vol 95 Neue Bachgesellschaft Leipzig Evangelische Verlagsanstalt pp 95 115 doi 10 13141 bjb v2009 ISBN 978 3 374 02749 1 ISSN 0084 7682 Hofmann Klaus 2005 Foreword Johann Sebastian BACH Weihnachtsoratorium Christmas Oratorio Oratorium Tempore Nativitatis Christi BWV 248 PDF Urtext edition vocal score Henry S Drinker English lyrics Paul Horn piano reduction John Coombs Foreword translator Carus Verlag p V 31 248 53 Retrieved 23 December 2019 Melamed Daniel R 1995 J S Bach and the German Motet Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 41864 5 Rathey Markus 2016 Johann Sebastian Bach s Christmas Oratorio Music Theology Culture Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 027525 9 Rathey Markus 2016b Bach s Major Vocal Works Music Drama Liturgy Yale University Press ISBN 9780300219517 Terry Charles Sanford 1915 The Christmas Oratorio 1734 The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Passions and Oratorios Bach s Chorals Vol I Cambridge University Press pp 41 61 Wessel Jens 2015 Kothen 1717 1723 J S Bach und die italienische Oper Drammi per musica fur das kurfurstlich sachsische und polnische Konigshaus zwischen 1733 und 1736 PDF dissertation in German Hochschule fur Musik und Theater Hamburg pp 25 44 47 99 100 Zahn Johannes 1891 Die Melodien von den achtzeiligen trochaischen bis zu den zehnzeiligen inkl enthaltend Melodies in eight trochaic up to and including ten lines Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder scores in German Vol IV Gutersloh Bertelsmann Zahn Johannes 1893 Schlussband Chronologisches Verzeichnis der benutzten Gesang Melodien und Choralbucher und die letzten Nachtrage Closing volume chronological catalogue of used song melody and choirbooks and the last supplements Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder scores in German Vol VI Gutersloh Bertelsmann Further reading EditBuelow George J 2016 The Late Baroque Era From the 1680s to 1740 Springer ISBN 978 1 34 911303 3 Wolff Christoph 2002 Johann Sebastian Bach The Learned Musician W W Norton ISBN 978 0 393 32256 9 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Christmas Oratorio Complete text and instrumentation Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI in German Bach Cantatas Website Details recordings amp reviews Donald Satz A Bottomless Bucket of Bach Christmas Oratorio April 2000 Details and comparison of four recordings Christmas Oratorio Scores at the International Music Score Library Project Video with John Eliot Gardiner English Baroque Soloists Monteverdi Choir part 1 cantatas 1 3 part 2 cantatas 4 6 Video with Nicolas Harnoncourt Concentus Musicus 1982 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Christmas Oratorio amp oldid 1132111761, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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