Albums: J.S. Bach Christmas Oratorio

J.S. Bach:Christmas Oratorio BWV 248

Monteverdi Choir
English Baroque Soloists
Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

Nick Pritchard - tenor Evangelist; Hilary Cronin - soprano; Alison Ponsford-Hill soprano; Hugh Cutting - countertenor; Jonathan Hanley - tenor; Frederick Long - bass; Christopher Webb - bass; Dingle Yandell - bass.

Deutsche GramophonCatalogue No: 486444

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Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s recordings with the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists are renowned for their superlative performances, and this one is no exception.

Gardiner and his team first recorded Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, which is divided into six cantatas each based on a different biblical scene, in 1987.

The work was first heard at church services in Leipzig between Christmas Day 1734 and Epiphany 1735.
The recording of this disc took place during a live performance at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, in December 2022.

The meticulous attention to detail and recording quality is excellent. The chorus’ control is superb; the different parts of the chorus blend perfectly, as do the soloists: Nick Pritchard is a fine evangelist, Hugh Cutting is a pleasant and sensitive countertenor, and Hilary Cronin's soprano is captivating, particularly when she combines with tenor Jonathan Hanley and Cutting.

With energy and rhythmic crispness, they perform the opening of part 5 wonderfully, and Ehere sei Gott, gesungen (Glory be to God) with great joy.

Gardiner's exceptional musicianship makes this disc, like all his previous ones, a must-have. The phrasing and dynamics are exquisite, as he brings out the meaning of each movement—all so beautifully executed.