Bach: Weihnachts-Oratorium, BWV 248 Mainz Bach Choir, Mainz Bach Orchestra & Ralf Otto

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750): Weihnachts-Oratorium, BWV 248, Pt. 1:
• 1 Jauchzet, frohlocket 07:30
• 2 Es begab sich aber 01:16
• 3 Nun wird mein liebster Bräutigam 00:58
• 4 Bereite dich, Zion 05:25
• 5 Wie soll ich dich empfangen 01:23
• 6 Und sie gebar ihren ersten Sohn 00:22
• 7 Er ist auf Erden kommen arm 02:54
• 8 Großer Herr, o starker König 04:44
• 9 Ach, mein herzliebes Jesulein 01:08
• Weihnachts-Oratorium, BWV 248, Pt. 2:
• 10 Sinfonia 06:06
• 11 Und es waren Hirten 00:41
• 12 Brich an, o schönes Morgenlicht 00:58
• 13 Und der Engel sprach zu ihnen 00:49
• 14 Was Gott dem Abraham verheißen 00:43
• 15 Frohe Hirten, eilt, ach eilet 03:26
• 16 Und das habt zum Zeichen 00:23
• 17 Schaut hin, dort liegt im finstern Stall 00:50
• 18 So geht denn hin, ihr Hirten 00:50
• 19 Schlafe, mein Liebster 10:03
• 20 Und alsobald war da 00:12
• 21 Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe 02:18
• 22 So recht, ihr Engel 00:28
• 23 Wir singen dir in deinem Heer 01:23
• Weihnachts-Oratorium, BWV 248, Pt. 3:
• 24 Herrscher des Himmels (1) 01:50
• 25 Und da die Engel von ihnen 00:08
• 26 Lasset uns nun gehen gen Bethlehem 00:44
• 27 Er hat sein Volk getröst' 00:44
• 28 Dies hat er alles uns getan 00:43
• 29 Herr, dein Mitleid, dein Erbarmen 07:09
• 30 Und sie kamen eilend 01:11
• 31 Schließe, mein Herze 05:38
• 32 Ja, ja! mein Herz soll es bewahren 00:29
• 33 Ich will dich mit Fleiß bewahren 01:00
• 34 Und die Hirten kehrten wieder um 00:23
• 35 Seid froh dieweil 00:50
• 36 Herrscher des Himmels (2) 01:55
• Weihnachts-Oratorium, BWV 248, Pt. 4:
• 37 Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben 05:11
• 38 Und da acht Tage um waren 00:31
• 39 Immanuel, o süßes Wort 02:44
• 40 Flößt, mein Heiland 05:27
• 41 Wohlan, dein Name soll allein 01:34
• 42 Ich will nur dir zu Ehren leben 04:19
• 43 Jesus richte mein Beginnen 01:56
• Weihnachts-Oratorium, BWV 248, Pt. 5:
• 44 Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen 06:06
• 45 Da Jesus geboren war zu Bethlehem 00:22
• 46 Wo ist der neugeborne König der Jüden 02:11
• 47 Dein Glanz all Finsternis verzehrt 00:55
• 48 Erleucht auch meine finstre Sinnen 04:31
• 49 Da das der König Herodes hörte 00:11
• 50 Warum wollt ihr erschrecken? 00:34
• 51 Und ließ versammeln alle Hohepriester 01:14
• 52 Ach, wenn wird die Zeit erscheinen 05:21
• 53 Mein Liebster herrschet schon 00:30
• 54 Zwar ist solche Herzensstube 00:52
• Weihnachts-Oratorium, BWV 248, Pt. 6:
• 55 Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben 04:43
• 56 Da berief Herodes die Weisen heimlich 00:44
• 57 Du Falscher, suche nur den Herrn zu fällen 00:58
• 58 Nur ein Wink von seinen Händen 03:43
• 59 Als sie nun den König gehöret hatten 01:10
• 60 Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier 01:18
• 61 Und Gott befahl ihnen im Traum 00:20
• 62 So geht! Genug, mein Schatz 01:46
• 63 Nun mögt ihr stolzen Feinde schrecken 03:58
• 64 Was will der Höllen Schrecken nun 00:34
• 65 Nun seid ihr wohl gerochen 03:18
• Total Runtime 02:24:35

Info for Bach: Weihnachts-Oratorium, BWV 248

J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio was written for the Christmas season of 1734, and although it incorporates music from earlier works it belongs firmly among his timeless large-scale compositions. The development of the oratorio, which was to become a new musical form in Protestant church services at that time, was stimulated by Bach’s compositions, particularly by the unusual form of his six-part Christmas Oratorio. From its famously joyful opening ‘Jauchzet frohlocket’ to the arrival of the Wise Men from the East, this work’s enduring popularity has long proven its status as a choral ‘evergreen.’ For the conductor Ralf Otto, flexibility, diversity and transparency of sound have always been essential to his work with choirs and orchestras. The conductor’s reputation is based on his gift for interpreting different musical styles, from the Renaissance through the music of today. This recording follows the April 2018 release of Bach’s St. John Passion with the Bach Choir and Orchestra of Mainz conducted by Ralf Otto. MusicWeb International wrote: “the Bachchor Mainz is a fine ensemble: it shows great flexibility in those turbae which are performed at a high speed, and produces a surprisingly transparent sound, also thanks to the good acoustic of the Christuskirche in Mainz.”

Julia Kleiter, soprano
Katharina Magiera, alto
Georg Poplutz, tenor
Thomas E Bauer, bass
Bachchor Mainz & Bachorchester Mainz
Ralf Otto, direction

The Bachchor Mainz
has acquired an excellent reputation far beyond Germany, not least because of its varied choral music repertoire that ranges from the 16th century to the present. Diethard Hellmann, who was the founder and choirmaster for 30 years was succeeded by Ralf Otto in 1986. Otto has continually broadened the ensemble’s range and established an intensive exploration of historical performance practices in addition to focussing on rarely performed works and contemporary music. The choir has worked with illustrious guest conductors such as Riccardo Chailly, Sylvain Cambreling, Peter Eotvos, Michael Gielen, Eliahu Inbal, Philippe Jordan, Georges Pretre, Franz Welser-Most and Peter Schreier, and is a regular guest at important festivals and concert halls at home and abroad.

Ralf Otto
For the conductor Ralf Otto, flexibility, diversity and transparency of sound have always been essential to his work with choirs and orchestras. Otto believes that understanding the compositional structure of a piece of music is an indispensable prerequisite to achieve intensely emotional expression. The conductor’s reputation is based on his gift for interpreting different musical styles, from the Renaissance through to the music of today. Since the beginning of his career, he has been a strong advocate for the performance of early music according to historically informed performance practices. In 1981, Otto founded the Frankfurter Vokalensemble, with which his main focus was contemporary music. Otto’s repertoire encompasses Monteverdi, the complete works of Bach, essential works from the Baroque period, the Viennese classics, the Romantic period, Britten, Eisler, Dallapiccola, Schoenberg and contemporary composers. Driven by his avid interest in as yet unheard music, Ralf Otto focusses on rediscovering forgotten compositions by composers such as Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, as well as on contemporary works. His numerous recordings and broadcasts are a testament to his artistic achievements.

Booklet for Bach: Weihnachts-Oratorium, BWV 248