On December 30 at 19:00, the Latvian Radio Choir and Sinfonietta Rīga will perform the monumental work of Johann Sebastian Bach — the 'Christmas Oratorio', which tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, as part of a traditional concert at the Torņakalns Lutheran Church in Riga.
Despite the unchanging Christmas narrative and the recognizability of the melodies, this masterpiece by Bach continually fills the hearts of listeners with peaceful joy and radiant solemnity. The 'Christmas Oratorio' has long become an integral part of Christmas traditions in concert halls and churches across Europe.
On December 21, the Latvian Radio Choir performed it together with the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra in the famous Musiikkitalo hall in Finland, and now the work will be presented in Riga along with Sinfonietta Rīga and soloists — soprano Gunta Smirnova, bass-baritone Richard Miller, mezzo-soprano Dorothea Binerti, and tenor Michael Mogl.
The oratorio consists of six parts — six cantatas, the premieres of which took place in the two largest churches in Leipzig — St. Thomas and St. Nicholas — under the direction of the composer himself. The first part was performed on Christmas in 1734, the second and third in the following days, the fourth opened the New Year, the fifth was performed on the first Sunday of the year, and the sixth concluded the cycle on the Feast of Epiphany on January 6, 1735.
Modern performance practice usually involves performing selected individual parts of the oratorio within a single concert. This year, under the direction of conductor Kaspars Putniņš, the first, second, and sixth parts will be performed, allowing listeners to experience the story of the Savior's birth and enjoy the heavenly solemnity of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
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