Telemann: Christmas Oratorio

Klaus Mertens (Performer), Georg Philipp Telemann (Composer), Ludger Remy (Conductor), Telemann-Kammerorchester (Orchestra), Constanze Backes (Performer), Andreas Post (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Klaus Mertens, Constanze Backes, Andreas Post
• Orchestra: Telemann-Kammerorchester
• Conductor: Ludger Remy
• Composer: Georg Philipp Telemann
• Audio CD (November 19, 1996)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Cpo Records
• ASIN: B000001S1O
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,369 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. The Shepherds At The Crib In Bethlehem TWV 1:797 (Christmas Oratorio) Part 1: Choral. 'O Jesus... - Kammerchor Michaelstein/Telemann-Kammerorchester Michaelstein/Ludger Remy

2. The Shepherds At The Crib In Bethlehem TWV 1:797 (Christmas Oratorio) Part 1: Shepherd's Song... - Mechthild Georg/Andreas Post

3. The Shepherds At The Crib In Bethlehem TWV 1:797 (Christmas Oratorio) Part 1: Aria. Shepherds .... - Klaus Mertens

4. The Shepherds At The Crib In Bethlehem TWV 1:797 (Christmas Oratorio) Part 1: Choral. Finger The... - Kammerchor Michaelstein/Telemann-Kammerorchester Michaelstein/Ludger Remy

5. The Shepherds At The Crib In Bethlehem TWV 1:797 (Christmas Oratorio) Part 1: Accompagnato. Der... - Mechthild Georg/Klaus Mertens

6. The Shepherds At The Crib In Bethlehem TWV 1:797 (Christmas Oratorio) Part 1: Duet And Chorus... - Mechthild Georg/Klaus Mertens

7. The Shepherds At The Crib In Bethlehem TWV 1:797 (Chiristmas Oratorio) Part 2: Choral. All That... - Klaus Mertens

8. The Shepherds At The Crib In BethlehemTWV 1:797 (Christmas Oratorio) Part 2: Accompagnato... - Klaus Mertens

9. The Shepherds At The Crib In Bethlehem TWV 1:797 (Christmas Oratorio) Part 2: Aria. Most Beautiful.. - Andreas Post

10. The Shepherds At The Crib In Bethlehem TWV 1:797 (Christmas Oratorio) Part 2: Choral. We Christian.. - Kammerchor Michaelstein/Telemann-Kammerorchester Michaelstein/Ludger Remy

11. The Shepherds At The Crib In Bethlehem TWV 1:797 (Christmas Oratorio) Part 2: Accompagnato. Oh,... - Mechthild Georg/Klaus Mertens

12. The Shepherds At The Crib In Bethlehem TWV 1:797 (Christmas Oratorio) Part 2: Chorus. Glory!... - Kammerchor Michaelstein/Telemann-Kammerorchester Michaelstein/Ludger Remy

13. Christmas Day 1761, In St. Peter's Church TWV 1:1334: Quote. Behold! I Bring To You Glad Tidings... - Constanze Backes

14. Christmas Day 1761, In St. Peter's Church TWV 1:1334:: Accompagnato. Was A Brilliant Light! What... - Klaus Mertens

15. Christmas Day 1761, In St. Peter's Church TWV 1:1334: Quote. Behold! I Bring To You Glad Tidings... - Constanze Backes

16. Christmas Day 1761, In St. Peter's Church TWV 1:1334: Chorus. Glory Be To God In The Highest,... - Kammerchor Michaelstein/Telemann-Kammerorchester Michaelstein/Ludger Remy

17. Christmas Day 1761, In St. Peter's Church TWV 1:1334: Recitaive. The Savior Is Born To Us Today? - Andreas Post

18. Christmas Day 1761, In St. Peter's Church TWV 1:1334: Aria. Rejoice, Pious Souls Of Hope And... - Klaus Mertens

19. Christmas Day 1761, In St. Peter's Church TWV 1:1334: Recitative. Up! Throw Away The Covering... - Andreas Post

20. Christmas 1761 TWV 1:1334: Chor. Earth, Sea And Sky, Praise The Lord! - Kammerchor Michaelstein/Telemann-Kammerorchester Michaelstein/Ludger Remy

See all 28 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christmas in Hamburg, Anyone?, September 19, 2009

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This review is from: Telemann: Christmas Oratorio (Audio CD)

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) composed these three exuberant holiday cantatas in 1759, 1761 & 1762 as part of his official chores for the city and churches of Hamburg, where he served as musical czar for more than 40 years. Hamburg, foremost of all German cities in the Baroque, had the musicians, the poets, and the audience to support extravagant Christmas performances, both in public concert and as part of worship services, and Telemann made the most of his opportunities. These are grand cantatas for soloists, chorus and orchestra of winds, strings, and drums. Each of them could stand alone, but here they are assembled as a mammoth oratorio comparable to the similar assemblage of six small cantatas into a oratorio by JS Bach. The comparison to Bach would be interesting to hear; Telemann's "Christmas" is totally joyous and majestic, while Bach's has shades of tenderness and intimations of the later Passion.

The texts of Telemann's cantatas come chiefly from the standard Lutheran Christmas chorales that everyone in Hamburg would have known by heart and from the meditations of Telemann's favorite young Hamburgish poet, Karl Wilhelm Ramler. The 1757 cantata begins with the 'macaronic' (in Latin and German) chorale 'O Jesu Parvule', known to English church-goers as "Now sing we and rejoice". If you, dear reader, have church-going in your present or past, you'll have no doubt that this is Christmas music once you hear that melody. In fact, this music is so thoroughly Christmasy throughout that you may want to save it for December, as an alternative to the Bach oratorio and/or Handel's Messiah. It belongs in that exalted company. Christmas in America is, after all, a German holiday. "What?" I hear someone shouting. Well, it shouldn't be so surprising, when one of every six Americans has full or partial German ancestry, according to the US Census. And the German presence dates from before the Revolution. Most of the most popular traditional Christmas carols are German/Austrian in origin. The Tannenbaum -- Oh Christmas Tree! -- is Germanic. The cookies? The Stollen? The favorite Renaissance paintings of the manger? Think about it! Even Santa looks Deutsch to me.

This performance by the Kammerchor and Kammerorchester Michaelstein, conducted by Ludger Remy, is by far the best of several recordings available. The soloists are soprano Constanze Backes, alto Mechthild Georg, tenor Andreas Post, and the indispensable basso Klaus Mertens, who always sings most expressively for Remy. A composer in Telemann's era, like today, could expect his largest audiences for Christmas concerts, and therefore would be extremely particular about the quality of the performance. Telemann would have been happy with this CD.