Bach’s Secular Cantatas: Recordings of Bach's Christmas Oratorio Reviewed

Recordings of Bach's Christmas Oratorio Reviewed

Why review the Christmas Oratorio recordings on a secular cantata site? First, Christmas Oratorio is a compendium of secular cantatas (of sorts). More practically, I have heard a number of different recordings of the Oratorio while I've generally heard only one recording of each secular cantata.

There will soon be information about Bach's Christmas Oratorio itself on my Introduction to Bach's Secular Cantatas page.

[Let me preface all of this by stating that I'm not an "authentic" purist, although most of these recordings are HIP (historically informed performances). The recording that got me hooked on this was a modern one!]

René Jacobs/Akademie Für Alte Musik Berlin and RIAS-Kammerchor

This is my favorite recording of the Christmas Oratorio. From the first, exhilarating drumbeats to the final chords, it gives a very energetic, dramatic portrayal of Christ’s birth. My favorite sections of the Christmas Oratorio are the magnificent choruses; this recording does an expert job with each of them. Other than the first chorus (which is lively and exuberant), I especially like what they did with the opening of Part III, “Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen”: the individual, contrapuntal lines for soprano, alto, and tenor are taken by the individual soloists, who are then joined by the chorus. It is an amazing effect, which mirrors that of a concerto (with soloists and ripienists); indeed, it may even be more authentic. Another unique feature is that the recitatives are performed with harpsichords, lutes, and other bass instruments (not just organs). While this felt somewhat weird and almost sacrilegious at first, I grew to love the way it heightens the drama of the story.

Some downsides to this recording: First, the famous Sinfonia that begins Part II and nearly all the chorales are v-e-r-y s-l-o-w. In some cases, like #53, the end of Part V (“Zwar ist solche Herzensstube”), it works; in most other cases, it’s almost painful. The slow tempo doesn’t bug me as much as Jacob’s tendency to play each line with a long ritordando at the end—a couple measures before each fermata, he slows the choir down even further. Also, be aware that the alto part is sung by a countertenor (a male who sings in falsetto), Andreas Scholl. If you like countertenors, Scholl is definitely the best (I was amazed at some of his work in this recording), but some (even myself, at times) would rather hear a woman sing the alto part.

On the whole, this recording’s best quality is its drama: it really highlights the story behind the oratorio. For example, in #37, the second movement of Part IV (“Und da acht Tage um waren”), the Evangelist (Werner Güra) really conveys the glory of Jesus’ naming; #56, midway through the sixth part (“Du Falscher, suche nur dem herrn zu fällen”) also stands out as a particularly dramatic passage.

I also highly recommend the same group’s recording of BWV 201, 205, and 213 (the latter of which was the source for a number of the movements in the Christmas Oratorio); they bring the same drama and energy to these very funny secular cantatas with another fine group of soloists.

Philippe Herreweghe/Collegium Vocale

I cannot comment on Herreweghe’s recording of the Christmas Oratorio without commenting on Herreweghe in general. Herreweghe’s recordings almost always strike me as the most refined, the most contemplative, the most sonorous, and the most heavenly—the chorus “Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten” from BWV 93 strikes me as a particularly good example of this. However, Herreweghe too often seems to lack the other side of Bach: the dramatic, earthy Bach who would sneak young ladies into the organ loft with him and who wrote the Peasant Cantata. Whenever I hear Herreweghe’s recording of the first chorus of the Christmas Oratorio (my favorite), I am awed by his mastery of the heavenly side of Bach but then also repulsed by its lack of that “earthy” Bach. In particular, it sounds like the tympanist is banging on drums covered by a heavy comforter! The chorus likewise seems like it has its heads up in the clouds. Everything seems so…oh…restrained. Though I haven’t heard all of the Herreweghe’s recording, what I have heard seems to echo this lack of earthiness. I must say, however, that some of Herreweghe’s recordings seem to hit the nail right on the head: his recording of the Ascension Oratorio (BWV 11) is some of the best stuff I’ve ever heard. The final chorus of his Christmas Oratorio (“Nun seid ihr wohl gerochen”) also is excellent. Thus, I highly recommend the Herreweghe recording (although, again, I’ve only heard excerpts) despite some misgivings about its lack of “the other side” of Bach.

John Eliot Gardiner (JEG)/The English Baroque Soloists and The Monteverdi Choir

It is difficult to write about Herreweghe without also writing about John Eliot Gardiner. They are often listed as the diametrically opposed camps of Bach performance: while Herreweghe paints in soft pastels, Gardiner uses flashy neon. While I really like some of JEG’s stuff (his great CD with BWV 198 and 118b comes to mind), I don’t particularly like his Christmas Oratorio. It certainly has energy and drive, but it seems like he’s rushing everything. The brass seems to drown everyone out, the chorus doesn’t seem to know what it’s singing, and there just isn’t the drama of the Jacobs recording or the heavenliness of the Herreweghe recording. I suppose it’s decent in its own right, but in this case JEG’s overly extroverted style just doesn’t work for me.

Nikolaus Harnoncourt/Concentus musikus Wien and Wiener Saengerknaben

This was one of my first recordings (and was also one of the first HIP recordings of the Christmas Oratorio) and thus remains dear to my heart. Harnoncourt uses an all-male choir (with boys singing alto and soprano) and a boy soprano soloist, which I generally don’t like. However, in many cases both the choir and the soloist work beautifully. For example, nearly all of Part IV shines with a wonderful radiance, in particular #38 (“Immanuel, o süsses Wort!”) and the final chorus, “Jesus richte mein Beginnen.” That being said, in many of the choruses there are rough edges where the choir just doesn’t get it. The first chorus—my favorite—seems particularly butchered; the choir seems to be almost shouting the words. One other great feature of this recording is tenor Kurt Equiluz as the Evangelist; he proclaims the gospel wonderfully. He is perhaps less dramatic than Güra in the Jacobs recording, but definitely more religious. Indeed, the entire recording—despite its rough edges—has a wonderful religious feeling to it in which the biblical narrative plays itself out.

Ton Koopman/The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra

I love a number of Ton Koopman’s recordings, especially some of the “Complete Cantatas” series he has been releasing. However, when compared to the others on this page, his recording of the Christmas Oratorio pales in comparison. His soloists are boring, his choruses uninspired—it seems like a concert rather than a vivid narrative of Christ’s birth. There’s nothing wrong with it in itself; it’s just not as inspired as any of these other recordings.

Geza Oberfrank/Failoni Chamber Orchestra and Hungarian Radio Choir

This is released on the budget Naxos label, which is renowned for producing quality recordings at great prices. This recording is no exception; indeed, of all of the recordings listed here, I think it best captures the joy of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. The first chorus (again, my favorite) has a brilliant happiness to it that seems lost in the “authentic” performances. The modern instruments also give it a certain tonal brightness that I don’t hear elsewhere. True, like many modern performances, the many performers muddle the sound of many of the choruses, but I still like the emotion that they convey. I can’t say much in praise of the recitatives, however; they seem drawn out and affected. Likewise, the arias have much better peers amongst the HIP recordings. Nevertheless, for the quality of its sheer emotion (especially in the choruses), I still recommend this recording.

Summary

The first word that comes to mind for each?

Jacobs—dramatic
Herreweghe—heavenly
Gardiner—misguided
Harnoncourt—religious
Koopman—unexceptional
Oberfrank—emotional

I would construct the perfect recording by grafting together most of Jacobs’ arias and choruses, Harnoncourt’s Part IV, and Herreweghe’s chorales and final chorus. The recitatives I would split between Jacobs and Harnoncourt, depending upon whether I wanted a more dramatic or sacred style.

Go back to Bach’s Secular Cantatas

from http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/2547/xmas.html

Revised: 1/3/98