Christmas Oratorio II

Christmas Oratorio II

Anyone who heard Laurence Equilbey conduct the first three cantatas from Bach's Christmas Oratorio at Müpa Budapest's Christmas concert on 12 December will now get to continue the series with the next three at a concert by György Vashegyi and his ensembles. One of the many attractive attributes of the Christmas Oratorio is the fact that it is not necessary to listen to all six cantatas comprising the work at one go: each one provides a complete experience on its own, as they were all written for specific occasions on the liturgical calendar.

The fourth, fifth and sixth cantatas - Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben ('Fall with thanks, fall with praise'), Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen - ('Let honour be sung to You, O God') and Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben - ('Lord, when our insolent enemies snort') are related to the church holidays between New Year's and the Epiphany. While the tone of the music is characterised by the brightness of the chorus of trumpets and timpani in the sixth and closing cantata of the cycle, the essential tone of the other works also exudes serenity and anticipation, in keeping with the period after Christmas and the hopefulness that illuminates the beginning of the new year. The conductor for the evening, György Vashegyi, is a key figure in the historically informed interpretation of early music in Hungary, both as a performer and as a teacher. The Purcell Choir and Orfeo Orchestra, the symbiotically operating ensembles that he founded in 1990 and the following year, respectively, are crucial participants in concert life in this country, having both performed and recorded countless great masterpieces and curiosities from the Baroque and Classical repertoire. The four internationally recognised soloists are regular partners of the ensembles and their concerts have long been intimately familiar to the audience.

Conductor: György Vashegyi

Featuring:
soprano - Emőke Baráth
alto - Eszter Balogh
tenor - Bernhard Berchtold
bass - Lóránt Najbauer
Purcell Choir
Orfeo Orchestra

Presented by: Müpa Budapest