Bach's "Christmas Oratorio" was first heard in its entirety at Leipzig's
St. Thomas church at Christmastime 1734. Some Leipzig church-goers may have
recognized some of the melodies, since Bach used material from earlier
works, sometimes reworking the music to fit new texts. This practice,
called the "parody technique", was frequent in Bach's time. The six
separate, large-scale but related parts of the Oratorio tell the Nativity
story through texts of the apostles St. Matthew and St. Luke, and through
traditional or newly written material. Bach is credited with shaping the
text and selecting the Biblical passages in such a way that the work
follows a logical sequence. This contribution gives the piece a musically
dramatic and compelling textual unity.
Considered one of the world's leading specialists of Baroque music,
Nikolaus Harnoncourt founded the "Concentus Musicus Wien" in 1953. It has
since become one of the world's most respected ensembles specializing in
the performance of early music on original instruments or faithful
reproductions. With its opulent decor and gilt ornamentation, the Austrian
Baroque church of Waldhausen provides a setting evocative of Bach's times.
An added highlight of the program is the retelling of the Nativity story
with the magnificent carved figures of two master wood-carvers of the
Baroque period from Upper Austria. Also heard on the recording are the
distinguished tenor Peter Schreier, bass Robert Holl and the Tölzer Boys'
Choir.
