Christmas Oratorio discography
This article includes a list of commercial recordings of the Christmas Oratorio (Weihnachts-Oratorium), BWV 248, by Johann Sebastian Bach.
History
The first commercial recording of the Christmas Oratorio appeared in 1950,[1] and new versions have followed regularly. Many recorded versions feature musicians from German-speaking countries, where the oratorio has become standard repertoire.
The early recordings use larger forces than Bach would have used when the work was premiered with the Thomanerchor in Leipzig in the 1734/35. Bach wrote for a boys' choir accompanied by a comparatively small orchestra of Baroque instruments.
According to Gramophone, Nikolaus Harnoncourt's recording of 1972 was the first to be historically informed.[1] Since the 1970s many recordings of the Christmas Oratorio have used period instruments with a view to recreating the sounds envisaged by Bach. Sometimes these are antique instruments and sometimes reconstructions such as the oboe da caccia used by Harnoncourt's oboeists.[2]
Choirs with one voice per part (OVPP), used in some historically informed performances of Bach's music, are rarely recorded in this work. There are a couple of interesting examples of the use of smaller choirs by British conductors. John Butt, in a recording made in 2015,[3] chooses two voices per part for some of the choruses.[4] This draws on the researches of Michael Maul into the choir of the Thomasschule.
Guide to table
Recordings of the Christmas Oratorio often credit four soloists, soprano/treble, alto, tenor and bass. Sometimes there are more soloists credited, for example an Evangelist distinct from the tenor soloist, or a second soprano.
The recordings listed in the table below include more than one version by certain conductors (John Eliot Gardiner, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Helmuth Rilling).
Table of recordings
| Conductor / Choir / Orchestra | Soloists | Label | Year | Choir type | Orch. type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fritz Lehmann[lower-alpha 1][5] <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> Berlin Philharmonic | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | DG Archiv Produktion | 1955/1956 | Two chamber choirs combined | ||
| Fritz Münch Choir of St William's Church, Strasbourg Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Lumen LD 3.115 |
1957 | Part II only | ||
| Kurt Thomas[5] Thomanerchor Gewandhausorchester | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Seraphim | 1958 | Boys' choir | Recorded in St. Thomas Church, Leipzig | |
| Fritz Werner[6] Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Erato | 1963 | Chamber orchestra | ||
| Karl Richter Münchener Bach-Chor Münchener Bach-Orchester | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Archiv Produktion | 1965 | |||
| Karl Münchinger Lübecker Knabenkantorei an St. Marien Stuttgarter Kammerorchester | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Decca | 1967 | Boys' choir | Chamber orchestra | Recorded in Ludwigsburg Palace |
| Hans Swarowsky Wiener Kammerchor Das Österreichische Symphonie-Orchester | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Concert Hall SMS 2585 |
1968 | Chamber choir | ||
| Nikolaus Harnoncourt[7] Vienna Boys' Choir Concentus Musicus Wien | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Teldec Das Alte Werk 9031-77610-2 |
1973 | Boys' choir | Period | |
| Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden Tölzer Knabenchor Collegium Aureum | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi GD 77046 |
1973 | Boys' choir | Period | |
| Eugen Jochum Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra & Choir | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Philips | 1973 | |||
| Martin Flämig Dresdner Kreuzchor Dresden Philharmonic | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Berlin Classics BER 183892 |
1974 | Boys' choir | ||
| Philip Ledger[7] Choir of King's College, Cambridge Academy of St Martin in the Fields | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Angel Records SC-3840 |
1976 | Boys' choir | Chamber orchestra | |
| Nikolaus Harnoncourt Tölzer Knabenchor Concentus Musicus Wien | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Deutsche Grammophon 0440 073 4104 |
1982 | Boys' choir | Period | DVD, released 2005 |
| Helmuth Rilling[8] Gächinger Kantorei Bach-Collegium Stuttgart | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Intercord | 1984 | |||
| Michel Corboz Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Erato ECD 880593 |
1985 | Chamber orchestra | Recorded in Salle Del Castillo, Vevey | |
| John Eliot Gardiner[8] Monteverdi Choir English Baroque Soloists | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Archiv Produktion 423 232-2 |
1987 | Period | Recording used in 1996 Swedish film Juloratoriet | |
| Philippe Herreweghe[8] Collegium Vocale Gent | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Virgin Classics Veritas VCD 7 90781-2 0777 7595302 2 |
1989 | Period | ||
| Karl-Friedrich Beringer Windsbacher Knabenchor Münchner Bachsolisten | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Teldec | 1991 | Boys' choir | Period | |
| Harry Christophers[9] The Sixteen | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Collins | 1993 | Period | ||
| Ton Koopman Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Erato 0630-14635-2 |
1996 | Period | ||
| Philip Pickett New London Consort | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Decca 458 838 |
1997 | OVPP+R | Period | |
| René Jacobs RIAS Kammerchor Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Harmonia Mundi 2901630.31 |
1997 | Period | ||
| Masaaki Suzuki[10] Bach Collegium Japan | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
BIS Records BIS-CD-941/942 |
1998 | Period | ||
| John Eliot Gardiner Monteverdi Choir English Baroque Soloists | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Arthaus TDK DVD-BACHHO |
1999 | Period | DVD, released in 2005 | |
| Helmut Rilling Gächinger Kantorei Bach-Collegium Stuttgart | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Hänssler | 2000 | |||
| Diego Fasolis[11] Coro della Radio svizzera I Barocchisti | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Brilliant Classics 94275 |
2003 | Period | ||
| Jos van Veldhoven Netherlands Bach Society | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Channel Classics CCS SA 20103 |
2003 | Period | ||
| Nikolaus Harnoncourt Arnold Schoenberg Chor Concentus Musicus Wien | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 8869 711225 2 |
2007 | Period | ||
| Jan Willem de Vriend[12] Capella Amsterdam Combattimento Consort | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Challenge Classics | 2007 | Period | ||
| Ralf Otto Vokalensemble Frankfurt Concerto Köln | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Delta Music | 2008 | Period | ||
| Georg Christoph Biller Thomanerchor Gewandhausorchester | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Rondeau Production | 2009 | |||
| Riccardo Chailly Dresdner Kammerchor Gewandhausorchester | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Decca 4782271 |
2010 | Chamber choir | ||
| Philippe Herreweghe Collegium Vocale Gent | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
EuroArts 2059508 |
2013 | Period | ||
| Stephen Layton Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Hyperion CDA68031/2 |
2013 | Period | ||
| Johannes Stecher Wilten Boys' Choir Academia Jacobus Stainer | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Gramola 121710 |
2013 | Boys' choir | Period | |
| John Butt Dunedin Consort | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Linn Records | 2015 | Period | ||
| Jordi Savall Le Concert des Nations La Capella Reial de Catalunya | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Alia Vox | 2020 | Period |
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Notes
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