
The Christmas Oratorio
All six cantatas
J. S. Bach
Marjukka Tepponen, soprano
Maiju Vaahtoluoto, mezzo-soprano
Jussi Myllys, tenor
Tommi Hakala, baritone
Harju Chamber Choir
Finnish Baroque Orchestra
Heikki Liimola, conductor
In the big hall of Tampere Hall, Johann Sebastian Bach's Christmas Oratorio, a gem of church music that belongs to the classics of Christmas, can be heard. In most cases, only the first three cantatas of the work are performed in Finland, or the cantatas are divided into two concerts, but now the whole piece can be enjoyed in one concert.
The Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) consists of six cantatas, which tell the events of Christmas following the gospel text. The work contains three parts, the texts of the Bible on three different Sundays during Christmas, which Bach (1685-1750) composed for three different services. The parts were first performed in the region of the same Christmas in 1734 and 1735. Since then, they began to be performed as a whole, and the work was named the Christmas Oratorio.
Duration: 3 h (incl. intermission)