“Triumph, rejoice!” – Bach’s oratrio of hope and renewal

Anselm Hartinger, translation by Alice Noger-Gradon

From the booklet of the Christmas Oratorio CD

I.
The Christmas Oratorio, written for the turn-of-year feast days in 1734/35, was composed during a period in which Bach produced comparatively few new works for his Leipzig churches. Indeed, after his prolific output in the years 1723 to 1726, during which he often produced a new cantata each week – and argued increasingly with his Leipzig employers – Bach reinterpreted his role as Thomascantor in a way that allowed him to focus more on his career as a keyboard virtuoso and leader of Leipzig’s Collegium Musicum, an ensemble that performed regularly at Gottfried Zimmermann’s coffee house. Accordingly, Bach limited his own appearances in the choir gallery to feast-day performances and reduced his involvement in the city’s church music to a largely supervisory role: performances were often led by his assistants and included works by other composers. Moreover, after the change of government in Dresden in 1733, he made a visible effort to curry favour with the Saxon-Polish House of Wettin.

Against this background, the Oratorio – performed in both Leipzig churches in the Christmas season of 1734 – represented an unexpected show of effort by the Thomascantor and set a new benchmark in the city’s tradition of church music. To be sure, with his chorale cantata cycle of 1724/25, Bach had already composed a cyclical group of works based on the main hymns of the relevant Sundays and feast days, as modelled on the work of his predecessor but one, Johann Schelle (1677–1701). Nonetheless, by conceiving a unified cantata series with a sequential gospel recitation for all six main church services between the First Day of Christmas and Epiphany, Bach presented the congregations of Leipzig an attractive and innovative church-music offering: a narrative oratorio.

The idea itself, however, was not entirely new – by the 1730s, dramatised musical compositions based on a section of the New Testament had already existed for 150 years. Even prior to the baroque text reform of the early 1700s, which first introduced operatic forms of recitative and aria to church music, key biblical quotes and related hymn verses already formed the foundation of Lutheran church music. Prominent examples include the “Weihnachtshistorie” (Christmas story, 1664) of Heinrich Schütz, a composer well known in Leipzig, and Johann Schelle’s “Actus musicus auf Weih-Nachten” (actus musicus for Christmas, approx. 1683), a partita on the chorale “Vom Himmel hoch” (from heaven above) that is structured largely along the lines of the Gospel of Luke. Already in his oratorical Passions according to John (1724, revised 1725), Matthew (1727/29) and Mark (1731), Bach combined the tradition of Bible passage and chorale with the eloquent new style of choruses, arias and accompagnato-recitatives, thus melding the venerable religious texts and tradition of congregational singing with a subjective, modernised interpretation of faith. This viable model also served for the Christmas Oratorio, which Bach later complemented with comparatively smaller oratorios for the high feasts of Easter (BWV 249) and Ascension (BWV 11).

Common to all these compositions from the 1730s is Bach’s use of the parody technique: he was able to create new compositions set to a biblical narrative by reworking numerous arias and ensemble movements from his earlier works, in particular those from occasional compositions written for birthdays and name days of the royal family. Traces of these secular compositions are easily identified throughout the scores of the Christmas Oratorio. In the introductory chorus to cantata I, for instance, the order of instrumental entries clearly derives from the work dedicated to Queen Maria Josepha in 1733: “Tönet ihr Pauken, erschallet Trompeten, klingende Saiten, erfüllet die Luft” (Sound, all ye drums now, Resound, all ye trumpets, Res-onant viols, Make swell now the air). And the animated lullaby of cantata II (“Schlafe, mein Liebster” – Sleep now, my dearest) finds its origins in an aria written for the Electoral Prince Friedrich Christian – but in a setting pertaining to lust and not the devotion of motherly love. It might be noted that these two examples illustrate how Bach and his librettist (probably his reliable friend Picander) managed to present a new work that, in its sparkling spirit of Christmas joy, does away with any questions regarding quality.

The practice of alternating performances of figural music between the two main Leipzig churches, St Nikolai and St Thomas, was a particularity of Leipzig church music that is confirmed in the text booklet of the Oratorio. While on normal Sundays and lower feast days only one congregation was treated to a church service with music – cantata III (Third Day of Christmas) and cantata V (Sunday after New Year’s Day) of the Oratorio were performed only in St Nikolai – on high feast days, the cantata would be played in the morning in one church, and in the afternoon in the other. Whether the musical connoisseurs of the day took the opportunity to experience the full cantata cycle is unfortunately not documented. But we need no proof to know that performing the Oratorio in its entirety must have been a musical and logistical challenge for Bach, his Thomas singers, the city musicians and assistants – Christmas was certainly no less busy in Bach’s time than it is for the cantors and organists of today.

While certain markings in the parts indicate that the Oratorio was re-performed during Bach’s tenure as Thomascantor, the composition initially played only an insignificant role in the Bach Revival of the 19th century: at that time, the perception of Bach as a church composer was primarily shaped by his organ compositions and the St Matthew Passion. Indeed, it is no coincidence that Carl von Winterfeld, in an early analysis of Bach’s works in 1847, focused heavily on Bach’s chorale treatment and blamed the irritating “galant style” of the Oratorio on its secular roots. Another problem was the high register of Bach’s trumpet parts: after the baroque art of clarino trumpet playing was lost, these parts were nearly impossible to play without considerable reworking. As such, it is difficult to know which sections of the Oratorio were rehearsed around 1828 in the semi-public singing sessions of Carl Friedrich Zelter’s Singakademie zu Berlin, where the original parts were archived at the time. One of the first documented performances took place in 1844 in Breslau, where cantatas I and II were played during a Christmas celebration of the local Singakademie. What exactly the critic meant when he wrote that this “practically unknown Christmas cantata by Bach… is remarkably reminiscent of more modern times, particularly of Beethoven”, is a matter of conjecture – it is possibly the choir singers’ appreciation of the music that helped raise the composition, with its rewarding ensemble movements, to the prominent position it enjoys today. In Leipzig, for instance, with its diverse choir scene, no less than 40 Christmas Oratorio performances take place annually in the period from Advent to Epiphany. A Christmas celebration without this beloved composition is simply unimaginable, and not only for Bach connoisseurs.

II.
The Christmas Oratorio presents itself as a cycle of similarly structured individual works whose continuity rests on the Christmas narrative according to the Gospels of Luke and Matthew as well as on the recurrence of certain types of settings and the dramaturgy typical of Bach’s cantata oeuvre.

As such, almost every cantata opens with a concertante ensemble setting that unites musical force with memorable declamation and elegantly interwoven fugal passages – a happy reinterpretation of courtly festive music as sacred music. Cantatas I, III and VI, for their part, showcase the regal timbre of the trumpets and timpani, which aptly expresses both exuberant joy and confident resolve (cantata VI). Cantata IV leans more towards a princely horn sound, while the highly inspired new setting of “Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen” (Glory to thee, God, be sounded, cantata V) is carried by its cheerful oboe and string writing. Cantata II, by contrast, opens with the gentle sounds of the shepherds’ sinfonia; the chorus setting does not take place until the movement “Ehre sei Gott” (Glory to God) of the heavenly host, which may have been developed from the “Kreuzige” (crucify) setting of the St Matthew Passion. Overall, Bach went to great lengths to score each cantata with instruments befitting the text and to use the orchestration as a way of linking the opening and closing movements. As such, the trumpets and timpani of cantata I, like the four lower woodwinds from the shepherds’ sinfonia of cantata II, are featured in interludes in the closing chorales; cantatas IV and VI conclude with concertante chorale arrangements that unite powerful vocal writing with virtuoso orchestral passages. While it is perhaps regrettable that Bach did not sustain this ambitious approach throughout all six cantatas – cantata III ends with a repeat of the introductory chorus, and cantata V ends with a simple closing chorale – his decision is in keeping with his strong sense of pragmatism and his tendency to favour individual challenges over exhaustive systems.

The Bible recitations are assigned to the tenor in the role of the Evangelist, whose empathetic, expressive style lends credence to the narrative. Indeed, some passages such as “Es begab sich aber zu der Zeit” (It occurred, however, at the time) and “Und du, Bethlehem, im Jüdischen Lande” (And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judea) have become well-known renditions of the original Bible passages. Particularly effective are the various hymn movements that comment on the events of the narrative and serve to mark dramatic turning points (“Brich an, o schönes Morgenlicht” – Break forth, o beauteous morning light) and moments of introspection (“Wie soll ich dich empfangen” – How shall I then receive thee; “Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier” – I stand before thy cradle here). Bach’s discerning use of the chorale is particularly manifest in the combination of expressive accompagnato recitatives and chorale melodies that characterises the double movement “Er ist auf Erden kommen arm / Wer will die Liebe recht erhöhn” (He is to earth now come so poor / Who will the love then rightly praise) and lends cantata IV features of a moving dialogue between the soprano and bass voices.

The arias and soloistic ensemble movements are highly varied. At times they remain close to their secular origins, benefitting from this style and instrumentation; examples include the scoring of trumpets and bass in “Grosser Herr und starker König” (Mighty Lord, O strongest sovereign, based on BWV 213/7) or the soprano and tenor voices in the united gesture of love from “Herr, dein Mitleid, dein Erbarmen” (Lord, thy mercy, thy forgiveness, a reworking of BWV 213/11). At other times, the music seems to have been composed precisely for the libretto at hand (terzetto of cantata V), although these settings, too, may well be based on an earlier work that has yet to be identified. The interchangeable nature of baroque running figures is confirmed in the noble aria di bravura for tenor, two violins and continuo from cantata IV, whose key word “leben” (to live) fits naturally to the coloratura figure on “schweben” (to soar) from the original composition (BWV 213/7). With “Bereite dich, Zion, mit zärtlichen Trieben” (Prepare thyself, Zion, with tender affection), Bach achieved an outright transformation of the stubborn affect of the secular original “Ich will dich nicht hören, ich will dich nicht wissen” (I will never heed thee, nor take thine instruction BWV 213/9); the subdued prayer “Erleucht auch meine finstren Sinne” (Illumine, too, my gloomy spirit) of cantata V seems – after careful revision – to match the musical message even more precisely than the edgy text of “Durch die von Eifer entflammeten Waffen” (That through the weapons enkindled by passion), which stems from BWV 215, a congratulatory cantata performed by torchlight in 1734. Based on surviving documents, we can conclude that after discontinuing a first draft, it was only with considerable effort that Bach completed “Schliesse mein Herze” (Keep thou, my heart now), an exceptionally beautiful alto aria with obbligato violin. Nonetheless, this accomplished new composition, like the inspired shepherds’ sinfonia, is ample proof that Bach’s creative output not only continued unabated after 1730 but was also in some respects more stylistically refined.

III.
“Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage!” (Triumph, rejoicing, rise, praising these days now!) – The uplifting effect of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio cannot be explained solely in terms of its masterly orchestration and clever use of parody technique. Opening with resounding timpani strokes, the spirited music of the introductory chorus bypasses every rational response and cuts straight to the heart, soul and even the feet of listeners, who will want to leap from their church pews – or desk chairs – such is the irresistible power of this vibrant composition.

Rather than overpowering with authoritative force, the elemental energy of the music comforts us in a brotherly embrace and extends a warm invitation to join the celebration. In a split second, listeners are relieved of their holiday stress and the hassles of shopping, of aversion to worn advertising slogans and rampant consumerism, and transported to the state of anticipation and pure joy that the magic word “Christmas” truly means. Much as we may plan to try skipping Christmas for a year and to escape the inevitable expectations of glad spirits and domestic harmony, this attitude crumbles with the first notes of the Oratorio, and we follow the music like transformed children of joy. Those of us who have witnessed how a former East German citizen, prematurely aged by the struggles of party politics and daily life, rediscovers his sense of self and divine inner strength the moment the words “Bei Gott hat seine Stelle das menschliche Geschlecht” (With God hath now its shelter, The mortal race of man) sweep down from the choir gallery, will hold Bach in kind memory and learn to understand again what lived utopia truly means. Moreover, the fact that Bach, with his feather-light yet deeply profound shepherd’s sinfonia, musically demonstrates how a genuine discussion between the classes and social spheres could tentatively begin and ultimately succeed in a spirit of solidarity – also in this world – renders this most philosophical of all pastorals the secret high point of the Oratorio. Once a year at least, we should, we must, stop and succumb to the magic of this work – because its vision of a liberating new beginning is more grounded and accessible than any formal plan or programme. For the duration of these six cantatas we can join the happy shepherd folk and, with them, leave all fear behind to follow a star that has shone brightly since 1734.

Recording and editing

Recording date
BWV 248/1: 15 December 2017
BWV 248/2: 14 December 2018
BWV 248/3: 20 December 2019
BWV 248/4: 12 January 2018
BWV 248/5: 18 January 2019
BWV 248/6: 17 January 2020

Recording location
Trogen, Switzerland // Protestant church

Sound engineer
Stefan Ritzenthaler, Nikolaus Matthes

Director
Meinrad Keel

Head of production
Johannes Widmer

Production
GALLUS MEDIA AG, Schweiz

Producer
J.S. Bach-Stiftung, St. Gallen (Schweiz)