COMPOSERS: JS Bach
LABELS: Philips
ALBUM TITLE: Christmas Oratorio
PERFORMER: Staatskapelle Dresden
CATALOGUE NO: 475 9155
Is any music more naturally joyful than ‘Jauchzet, frohlocket’ (‘Rejoice, exult!’), the opening chorus of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio? Peter Schreier’s celebrated 1987 recording catches beautifully the brimming sense of pure human happiness surrounding the birth of the Saviour. It’s not a period performance, yet the marked awareness of historical practice and a strong team of soloists including Helen Donath, Robert Holl and Schreier himself (as Evangelist) adds further attraction to this already strong reissue.
Terry Blain
JS Bach
Is any music more naturally joyful than ‘Jauchzet, frohlocket’ (‘Rejoice, exult!’), the opening chorus of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio? Peter Schreier’s celebrated 1987 recording catches beautifully the brimming sense of pure human happiness surrounding the birth of the Saviour. It’s not a period performance, yet the marked awareness of historical practice and a strong team of soloists including Helen Donath, Robert Holl and Schreier himself (as Evangelist) adds further attraction to this already strong reissue.
Terry Blain
Published: January 20, 2012 at 4:06 pm