Music researcher and conductor Werner Ehrhardt has attracted a lot of attention this year with his two recordings on Phoenix of Joseph Martin Kraus. He returns once again, this time premiering Christmas Treasures from the library of the Sacro Convento in Assisi, something most researchers had been denied access to up until this point. The library contains a variety of works from the last 700 years that had been unknown until now.

This program of works gives us an insight into the musical culture of Assisi during the 18th century. As most musicians from Assisi came from Naples at the time, the music is very strongly influenced by the Neapolitan tradition. In the 18th century the number of musicians was limited so most music was chamber music in form which made the works captivating through their simplicity and contemplative character.

Werner Ehrhardt and L’Arte Del Mondo have always been committed to historical performance practice so it is apt that they have revived the Christmas cantatas which have been forgotten for a number of centuries. Also performing are Ruth Ziesak (soprano) and Reinhold Friedrich (trumpet), a pair who have reaped praise for previous recordings.