Johann Sebastian Bach’s so-called “Christmas Oratorio” was not composed as a complete work during his lifetime, but was first performed in this form decades after his death, on December 17, 1857. Eduard Grell, then director of the Sing-Akademie, combined the six cantatas composed for the Christmas season of 1734–35 into a cohesive oratorio, thereby initiating the rediscovery of the work that continues to this day.
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Berliner Dom
This year, Kai-Uwe Jirka focuses on this Grell version and supplements it with Ukrainian Christmas carols played on the bandura by Svitlana Kavka. This creates a new perspective on the familiar work and raises the question of how sound and meaning change through additions and omissions.
Program:
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Cantatas I–VI in the Grell version (1857)
in dialogue with the Ukrainian bandura
Cast:
- Frieda Jolande Barck – soprano
- Julienne Mbodjé – Alto
- András Adamik – Tenor
- Cornelius Uhle – bass
- Svitlana Kavka – bandura
- Berlin State and Cathedral Choir
- Chamber Choir of the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin
- Lautten Compagney Berlin
- Kai-Uwe Jirka, conductor
Additional information
Dates
December 2026
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