About the work
Johann Sebastian Bach's „Christmas Oratorio" (BWV 248) was premiered at Christmas 1734-35 in Leipzig and consists of six cantatas for the six feast days between Christmas Day (25 December) and Epiphany (6 January). It is NOT an oratorio in the Italian sense (with continuous action) but a sequence of six liturgically connected cantatas.
Plot
The six cantatas tell the Christmas story from the Gospels of Luke and Matthew: Cantata 1 „Jauchzet, frohlocket" (Christmas Day) — birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Cantata 2 „Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend" (Boxing Day) — annunciation to the shepherds, with the famous „Pastoral" opening sinfonia. Cantata 3 „Herrscher des Himmels" (third day of Christmas) — adoration of the shepherds. Cantata 4 „Fallt mit Danken" (New Year's Day) — circumcision and naming of Jesus. Cantata 5 „Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen" (Sunday after New Year) — arrival of the Magi in Jerusalem. Cantata 6 „Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben" (Epiphany) — adoration in Bethlehem and the Magi's return home. The narrative follows the Evangelist (tenor recitative), interspersed with arias, chorales and splendid opening and closing choruses.
Cultural significance
The Christmas Oratorio is Bach's most popular vocal work and the most important Christmas work of Western music. The opening cantata „Jauchzet, frohlocket" with timpani and trumpets ranks among the iconic openings in Bach's output. The pastoral sinfonia at the start of the second cantata is a repertoire classic. Performances traditionally take place between Christmas and Epiphany in German concert venues — often as trilogy performances (cantatas 1-3, then 4-6) or complete. Recordings under Karl Richter, John Eliot Gardiner, Helmuth Rilling, Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Masaaki Suzuki are standard references.