Celebrate Christmas this year by watching the Peoria Bach Festival 2012 performance of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. You can find it on the Peoria Bach Festival YouTube page by clicking here or following the video links below.
Although the performance is in German, English subtitles are provided making the story easy to understand and follow. The translation is a literal one so that the original meaning of the German is as accurate as possible.
The Christmas Oratorio consists of six cantatas that were initially performed at various Christmas services over the twelve days of Christmas in 1734-35. For Program Notes, click here. The video recording is dedicated to Bill Meissner, a faithful member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Peoria and a dedicated church musician who loved Bach’s music and passed away in 2012 at the beginning of the Peoria Bach Festival week. For you musicologists out there, Bill was Walter Buszin’s son-in-law.
The hallmark of the Christmas Oratorio is unbridled joy. For that reason it is one of my all-time favorite works. May the joy that Bach had in the coming of the Savior fill your heart this Christmas season.
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 – Parts 1-3 (June 8, 2012 – www.peoriabachfestival.org)
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 – Parts 4-6 (June 9, 2012 – www.peoriabachfestival.org)
