A Christmas cantata or Nativity cantata is a cantata, music for voice or voices in several movements, for Christmas. The importance of the feast inspired many composers to write cantatas for the occasion, some designed to be performed in church services, others for concert or secular celebration. The Christmas story, telling of music of the angels and suggesting music of the shepherds and cradle song, invited musical treatment. The term is called Weihnachtskantate in German, and Cantate de Noël in French. Christmas cantatas have been written on texts in several other languages, such as Czech, Italian, Romanian, and Spanish.

Christmas cantata can also mean the performance of the music. Many choirs have a tradition of an annual Christmas cantata.

Theme

Different from Christmas oratorios, which present the Christmas story, Christmas cantatas deal with aspects of it. Bach's Christmas Oratorio, written for performance in Leipzig in 1734/1735 touches many of these themes. It consists of six parts, each part is a complete work and composed for the church service of a specific feast day. Bach structured the report from the Gospels which connects the parts to a whole, as told by the Evangelist, in six topics. In Parts I to IV he followed the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2:3–21), in Parts V and VI the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 2:1–12). In some instances he deviated from the prescribed readings, rather continuing the tradition of older works by Heinrich Schütz and others.[1]

These themes appear also in cantatas of later composers.

History

Many Christmas cantatas – as cantatas in general – were written in the Baroque era for church services, related to the prescribed readings of the liturgical year. Cantata texts frequently incorporated Bible quotations and chorale. Chorale cantatas rely on the text of one chorale only. Later composers also set free text, poems and carols.

Italian baroque

The cantata form originated in Italy, alongside the oratorio. Carissimi's pupil Marc-Antoine Charpentier brought the small-scale Latin Christmas oratorio to Paris (In nativitatem Domini canticum), while the vernacular Italian Christmas cantata was developed by composers such as Alessandro Stradella (Si apra al riso ogni labro 1675), Francesco Provenzale[2] (Per la nascita del Verbo 1683) and Alessandro Scarlatti in Naples, Antonio Caldara in Vienna (Vaticini di pace 1713).

German baroque

Bach

The best known Christmas cantatas today are those of Johann Sebastian Bach, who composed several cantatas for the three days of Christmas in his three annual cantata cycles (1723 to 1725), also before and afterwards:

In the works of Bach's second cycle of chorale cantatas (1724), the text of the chorale is kept for the outer stanzas, but rephrased in poetry for arias and recitatives in the other stanzas. His late cantata Gloria in excelsis Deo is derived from the Gloria in his Missa in B minor, which he had composed for the court of Dresden in 1733 and would later incorporate in his Mass in B minor. Therefore, the cantata is for five parts and in Latin. The text of the liturgical Gloria begins with the angels' song, as a link to the Christmas story.

Other German Baroque composers

Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel composed for the season 1736/1737 a structure of six cantatas for six feast days around Christmas, similar to Bach's Christmas Oratorio, including Kündlich groß ist das gottselige Geheimnis.[3] More of his Christmas cantatas were published in 2007 by Hofmeister.[4] Christmas cantatas were also composed by Georg Gebel, Christoph Graupner, Andreas Hammerschmidt, Arnold Brunckhorst, Johann Samuel Beyer, Philipp Buchner, David Pohle, Johann Hermann Schein and Thomas Selle, among others.

Classical period

During the Age of Enlightenment, church music was less prominent. In 1796 Jakub Jan Ryba wrote Česká mše vánoční, which tells within the frame of a Mass a Christmas story in Czech, set in pastoral Bohemia.

Romantic period

During the romantic era, Felix Mendelssohn composed the chorale cantata Vom Himmel hoch based on Luther's hymn "Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her", and Josef Rheinberger wrote Der Stern von Bethlehem (The star of Bethlehem) on a text by his wife Franziska von Hoffnaaß. Christmas cantatas were also composed by Gerard von Brucken Fock (1900) and Charles H. Gabriel, among others.

20th century

In the 20th century, Benjamin Britten set in 1942 a sequence of carols as A Ceremony of Carols. His cantata Saint Nicolas, written in 1948, after World War II, has also been termed a Christmas cantata. Rudolf Mauersberger composed for the Dresdner Kreuzchor which he conducted, Eine kleine Weihnachtskantate (A little Christmas cantata). Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote Hodie, and Arthur Honegger composed as his last work Une cantate de Noël for the Basler Kammerchor and their founder Paul Sacher.[5] He began his work with a setting of Psalm 130 and continued with carols.[6] Christmas cantatas were also composed by Geoffrey Bush, Steve Dobrogosz, Geoffrey Grey, Iain Hamilton, Julius Harrison, Hans Uwe Hielscher, Mathilde Kralik, Ivana Loudová, Daniel Pinkham (1957),[7] Ned Rorem, K. Lee Scott, Otto Albert Tichý and Arnold van Wyk, among others. A Christmas cantata outside the classical music tradition was the 1986 project The Animals' Christmas by Jimmy Webb and Art Garfunkel.

In 1995, Bruckner's Fest-Kantate Preiset den Herrn, WAB 16, has undergone an adaptation as Festkantate zur Weihnacht (festive Christmas cantata) for mixed choir with Herbert Vogg’s text "Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe".[8][9]

21st century

In the 21st century, new Christmas cantatas have been written among others by Toshio Hosokawa[10] and Graham Waterhouse.[11]

Scoring

All Christmas cantatas consist of several movements, most movements include solo and choral singing. The scoring can be chamber music to be performed by single singers and instruments, choir a cappella, and works for soloists, choir and orchestra. Several composers specifically asked for a children's choir. Trumpets feature prominently in many Baroque cantatas as the Royal instruments.

Cantatas

The table uses abbreviations: S = soprano, MS = mezzo-soprano, A = alto, T = tenor, Bar = baritone, B = bass, childr = children's choir, Str = strings, Instr = instruments, Tr = tromba (trumpet), Co = horn, Cn = cornett, Tb = trombone, Ti = timpani, Fl = recorder, Ft = flauto traverso, Ob = oboe, Oa = Oboe d'amore, Oc = Oboe da caccia, Vn = violin, Va = viola, Vc = cello, Fg = bassoon, Org = organ, Bc = basso continuo

ComposerbornCantata titleNo.TextcomposedScoringPremiereNotes
Francesco Provenzale1624Sui palchi delle stelle1689S
2Vl Bc
[12]
Cristoforo Caresana1640?L'Adoratione de' Maggi16766 voices[13]
(unknown)Uns ist ein Kind geborenBWV 142Erdmann Neumeister1711–56A T B SATB
2Fl 2Ob 2Vl Va Bc
first attributed to Bach
Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow1663Uns ist ein Kind geborenS A T B SATB
Ob Fg 2Vl 2Va Bc
[14] and others
Arnold Matthias Brunckhorst1670?Nun zeiget der Himmel die schönsten Gebärden / In festo nativitate ChristiS A T B SATB
6 Instr Bc
Georg Philipp Telemann1681Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe[15]
In festo nativitatis
TWV 1:412S A T B SATB
3Tr Ti Str Bc
Georg Philipp Telemann1681Uns ist ein Kind geboren[16][17]TWV 1:1451Erdmann NeumeisterS A T B SATB
3Tr Ti 2Ft 2Ob Str Bc
Johann Sebastian Bach1685Christen, ätzet diesen TagBWV 63Johann Michael Heineccius?1713?S A T B SATB
4Tr Ti 3Ob Fg 2Vl Va Bc
First Day
Johann Sebastian Bach1685Sehet, welch eine Liebe hat uns der Vater erzeigetBWV 641723S A B SATB
Cn 3Tb Oa 2Vl Va Bc
27 Dec 1723
Leipzig
Third Day
Johann Sebastian Bach1685Gelobet seist du, Jesu ChristBWV 91"Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ"1724S A T B SATB
2Co Ti 3Ob 2Vl Va Bc
25 Dec 1724
Leipzig
chorale
Johann Sebastian Bach1685Christum wir sollen loben schonBWV 121"Christum wir sollen loben schon"1724S A T B SATB
Cn 3Tr Oa 2Vl Va Bc
26 Dec 1724
Leipzig
Second Day, chorale
Johann Sebastian Bach1685Ich freue mich in dirBWV 133hymn by Caspar Ziegler1724S A T B SATB
Cn 2Oa 2Vl Va Bc
27 Dec 1724
Leipzig
Third Day, chorale
Johann Sebastian Bach1685Unser Mund sei voll LachensBWV 110Georg Christian Lehms1725S B SATB
3Tr Ti 2Ft 3Ob Oa Oc Fg 2Vl Va Bc
25 Dec 1725
Leipzig
First Day
Johann Sebastian Bach1685Selig ist der MannBWV 57Georg Christian Lehms1725S B SATB
2Ob 2Vl Va Bc
26 Dec 1725
Leipzig
Second Day
Johann Sebastian Bach1685Gloria in excelsis DeoBWV 191Gloria, Doxology1745S T SSATB
3Tr Ti 2Ft 2Ob 2Vl Va Bc
25 Dec 1745First Day
Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel1690Kündlich groß ist das gottselige Geheimnis1736S A SATB
Ob 2Vl Va Bc
27 Dec 1736Third Day
Christian Heinrich Rinck1777Weihnachtskantateop. 73[18]
Felix Mendelssohn1809Vom Himmel hochMWV A 10"Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her"1831S Bar SSATB
orchestra
chorale
Josef Rheinberger1839Der Stern von BethlehemFranziska von Hoffnaaß1891soli choir
orchestra
John Henry Maunder1858BethlehemCatharine Morgan1939?in the manner of the medieval miracle play
William Reed1859The Message of the Angels1910
Felix Woyrsch1860Die Geburt Jesuop. 18Bible1910soli choir
orchestra
Ralph Vaughan Williams1872HodieUrsula Vaughan Williams[19]1953–54S T Bar choir
orchestra
[5]
Ottorino Respighi1879Lauda per la Natività del SignoreJacopone da Todi?1930S MS T SSAATTBB
woodwinds, piano 4 hands
[5]
Walter Braunfels1882Der gläserne Berg, Weihnachtsmärchenop. 391928
Walter Braunfels1882Weihnachtskantateop. 521934–37S Bar
choir
orchestra
Rudolf Mauersberger1889Weihnachtszyklus der Kruzianer1944–46soli choir SATB SATB a cappella (piano)
Rudolf Mauersberger1889Eine kleine Weihnachtskantate1948
Frank Martin1890Cantate pour le temps de Noel1929–30
Gerald Finzi1893Dies natalisThomas Traherne1939S (T)
Str
Arthur Honegger1893Une cantate de NoëlPs. 130, Lieder1952–53Bar choir childr
Org orchestra
18 Dec 1953
Basel
[5]
Kurt Hessenberg1908Weihnachtskantateop. 27Matthias Claudius1950–51S A SSATBB
orchestra
published by Schott[20]
Benjamin Britten1913A Ceremony of Carolsop. 281942boys' choir
harp
[5]
William Lloyd Webber1913Born a Kingsoli choir
Org
Lee Hoiby1926A Hymn of the NativityRichard Crashaw
Gilbert Bécaud1927L'enfant à L'étoile1960
Ariel Ramírez1927Navidad NuestraFélix Luna1963S T choir
South American instr
Malcolm Williamson1931Adoremus1959A T SATB
Org
Nils Lindberg1933A Christmas Cantata2002S Bar chamber choir
big band
St Matthew and carols, recorded[21]
Gerhard Track1934Festkantate zur WeihnachtHerbert Vogg1995SATB choir
Wind Instr, Org
29 April 1996, ViennaAdaptation Bruckner's Fest-Kantate
Thomas Oboe Lee1945Christmas Cantata2001MS SATB
2Tr 2Tb Ti Org
Peter Skellern1947The Nativity Cantata20042004
Otomar Kvěch1950Vánoční chvalozpěv1973soli choir
orchestra
Mark Carlson1952A Wreath of Anthemsvarious American poets1990SATB
orchestra
Toshio Hosokawa1955Weihnachtskantateanon.2002S A choir
orchestra
20 Dec 2002
München
published by Schott[10]
Maria Newman1962A Little Book of Southern Carols2008SSA (treble or boy's choir) treble vocal soli
piano, handbells (or chimes), percussion, and violin (or flute/recorder), and viola
2008published by Montgomery Arts House Press
Graham Waterhouse1962Der Anfang einer neuen ZeitHans Krieger2011S Bar choir childr
Str (Org)
3/4 Dec 2011
Essen
[11]
Frederik Magle1977A newborn child, before eternity, God!1996soli choir
brass band, Org, percussion

Literature

  • Alfred Dürr: Johann Sebastian Bach: Die Kantaten. Bärenreiter, Kassel 1999, ISBN 3-7618-1476-3
  • Werner Neumann: Handbuch der Kantaten J.S.Bachs, 1947, 1984, ISBN 3-7651-0054-4
  • Hans-Joachim Schulze: Die Bach-Kantaten: Einführungen zu sämtlichen Kantaten Johann Sebastian Bachs. Leipzig: Evangelische Verlags-Anstalt; Stuttgart: Carus-Verlag 2006 (Edition Bach-Archiv Leipzig) ISBN 3-374-02390-8 (Evang. Verl.-Anst.), ISBN 3-89948-073-2 (Carus-Verlag)
  • Christoph Wolff/Ton Koopman: Die Welt der Bach-Kantaten Verlag J.B. Metzler, Stuttgart, Weimar 2006 ISBN 978-3-476-02127-4

References

  1. Walter Blankenburg: Das Weihnachtsoratorium von Johann Sebastian Bach. 2003, pp. 34–35.
  2. Dinko Fabris Francesco Provenzale 2007
  3. David Vernier (2005). "Stölzel: Christmas Oratorio – Epistle Cantatas" (in German). ArkivMusik. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  4. "Edition Denkmäler Mitteldeutscher Barockmusik" (in German). mitteldeutsche-barockmusik.de. 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Benjamin G. Cohrs (2 December 2002). "Weihnachtskantaten – einmal anders" (in German). klassik-heute.com. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  6. "Une Cantate de Noël". Hyperion Records. 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  7. "Daniel Pinkham, Christmas Cantata", choralnet.org
  8. Cornelis van Zwol, Anton Bruckner - Leven en Werken , Thot, Bussum (Netherlands), 2012, p. 713-714
  9. Uwe Harten, Anton Bruckner. Ein Handbuch. Residenz Verlag, Salzburg, 1996, p. 152-153
  10. 1 2 "Weihnachtskantate Komponist: Toshio Hosokawa". Schott. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  11. 1 2 "Der Anfang einer neuen Zeit". Graham Waterhouse. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  12. Dinko Fabris (2007). Music in seventeenth-century Naples: Francesco Provenzale (1624–1704). Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 9780754637219. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  13. "L'Adoratione de' Maggi". arkivmusic.com. 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  14. "Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow: Uns ist ein Kind geboren". Carus-Verlag. 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  15. "Fête de Noël" section at Georg Philipp Telemann, Catalogue TWV 01: Cantates d'église, Temps de Noël (www.musiqueorguequebec.ca)
  16. Spitta's Johann Sebastian Bach: Vol. I, pp. 487–491 (English version)
  17. RISM 454600660; RISM 450004696; RISM 230001286; RISM 250005337
  18. "Christian Heinrich Rinck (1770–1846)". musicweb-international.com. 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  19. "Ursula Vaughan Williams (obituary)". The Times. 25 October 2007.
  20. "Weihnachtskantate Komponist: Kurt Hessenberg". Schott. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  21. John France (2004). "Nils LINDBERG (b. 1933) / A Christmas Cantata (2002)". musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
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