Johann Sebastian Bach - Karacsonyi Oratorium - Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248/I-III / Hamvasi Szilvia, Heim Mercedes, Marosvari Peter, Kovacs Istvan / Ars Longa Enek-es Zenekar / Conductor - Vezenyel: Dinyes Soma / Allegro Audio CD 1997 Stereo 

The Christmas Oratorio

UPC 5999010443165

MZA+024  

Ars Longa Ének és Zenekar 

Conductor: Soma Dinyés

Recorded in Budapest, Hungary 

CD Made in Austria

Total Playtime 76:15

Tracklist:

ERSTER KANTATE BWV 248/I.

1.  Chor

2.  Rezitativ - Evangelist (Lukas 2, 1., 2, 3-6)

3.  Rezitativ (Alt)

4.  Arie (Alt)

5.  Choral

6.  Rezitativ - Evangelist (Lukas 2, 7)

7.  Choral (sopran) mit Rezitativ

8.  Arie (bass)

9.  Choral

ZWEITER KANTATE BWV 248/II.

10. Sinfonia

11. Rezitativ - Evangelist (Lukas 2, 8-9)

12. Choral

13. Rezitativ - Evangelist (Lukas 2, 10-11)

14. Rezitativ (bass)

15. Arie (tenor)

16. Rezitativ - Evangelist (Lukas 2, 12)

17. Choral

18. Rezitativ (bass)

19. Arie (Alt)

20. Rezitativ - Evangelist (Lukas 2, 13)

21. Chor (Lukas 2, 14)

22. Rezitativ (bass)

23. Choral

DRITTER KANTATE BWV 248/III.

24. Chor

25. Rezitativ - Evangelist (Lukas 2, 15)

26. Chor (Lukas 2, 15.)

27. Rezitativ (bass)

28. Choral

29. Duett (sopran und bass)

30. Rezitativ - Evangelist (Lukas 2, 16-19)

31. Arie (Alt)

32. Rezitativ (Alt)

33. Choral

34. Rezitativ - Evangelist (Lukas 2, 20)

35. Choral

36. Da Capo (Chor 24.)

• Sopran - HAMVASI SZILVIA
• Alt - HEIM MERCEDES
• Tenor - MAROSVÁRI PÉTER
• Bass - KOVÁCS ISTVÁN
• Choir (sopran) - Kovács Katalin, Pintér Ágnes, Pintér Piroska, Szabó Márta, Szabó Zsuzsanna, Szili Gabriella
• Choir (Alt) - Debreczeni Anna, Fejős Alíz, Pavelka Krisztina, Puskás Eszter, Tóth Melinda
  
• Choir (tenor) - Gyöngyösi Levente, Horváth Balázs, Kálmán László, Pászti Károly, Szili Attila
• Choir (bass) - Benkő Pál, Csernyik Balázs, Csillag Béni, Heim László, Kalmanovits Zoltán
  
• Concert master - Molnár Zsófia
• Violin - Illés Szabolcs, Soltész István, Krulik Eszter, Januj Ida, Pechán Szilvia

The Christmas Oratorio (German: Weihnachts-Oratorium), BWV 248, is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. 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 performance was not until 17 December 1857 by the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin under Eduard Grell. The Christmas Oratorio is a particularly sophisticated example of parody music. The author of the text is unknown, although a likely collaborator was Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander).

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. The Christmas Oratorio is by far the longest and most complex work of the three.

The Christmas Oratorio is in six parts, each part being intended for performance on one of the major feast days of the Christmas period. The piece is often presented as a whole or split into two equal parts. The total running time for the entire work is nearly three hours.

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