JS Bach: Christmas Oratorio
Patrick Grahl (tenor), Elvira Bill (alto), Jannes Arndt (soprano), Klaus Hager (bass), Dorothee Mields (soprano), Markus Schäfer (tenor), Clemens Sommerfeld (soprano), Thomanerchor, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Gotthold Schwarz
A simply magnificent performance of Bach’s great masterpiece, straight from the heart of Leipzig and the composer’s own church.
JS Bach: Christmas Oratorio
Patrick Grahl (tenor), Elvira Bill (alto), Jannes Arndt (soprano), Klaus Hager (bass), Dorothee Mields (soprano), Markus Schäfer (tenor), Clemens Sommerfeld (soprano), Thomanerchor, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Gotthold Schwarz
Purchase product
A simply magnificent performance of Bach’s great masterpiece, straight from the heart of Leipzig and the composer’s own church.
About
For many, the Christmas holiday season would be incomplete without the resounding drum roll and trumpet fanfare that opens Bach’s “Oratorium auf die Heilige Weynacht” (“Oratorio for the holy Christmas”). Ever since it was first performed by the Thomaskantor between Christmas Day in 1734 and Epiphany 1735 in Leipzig’s two main churches of St Thomas and St Nikolai, Bach’s six-part musical masterpiece has become a cornerstone of the city’s identity and musical heritage. The performance presented here, led by Bach’s 17th successor Gotthold Schwarz together with the Thomanerchor and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, features a lineup of renowned soloists, enabling one to experience the festive grandeur of what many consider the epitome of Christmas music in its original setting.
Contents and tracklist
- Patrick Grahl (tenor), Elvira Bill (alto), Jannes Arndt (soprano), Klaus Hager (bass), Dorothee Mields (soprano), Markus Schäfer (tenor), Clemens Sommerfeld (soprano)
- Thomanerchor, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
- Gotthold Schwarz
Awards and reviews
December 2019
A simply magnificent performance of Bach’s great masterpiece, straight from the heart of Leipzig and the composer’s own church.
17th November 2019
Bright, vigorous choral singing, five excellent vocal soloists and many a polished instrumental obbligato add up to a splendid reading.
December 2019
This one is happily among the best...Patrick Grahl gives us a very human Evangelist, and there’s sterling work from soprano Dorothee Mields and alto Elvira Bill.