This year's Christmas concert in St. Mary's Church will be quite unusual, yet highly exciting for listeners and performers alike. A concert experience that is sure to leave a lasting impression!

 

There is no single major work on the program, but a variety of smaller works from the Renaissance period by Michael Praetorius (1571-1621), Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) and Johann Schelle (1648-1701), including Schütz's "Weihnachtshistorie" and Praetorius' chorale concertos from "Polyhymnia". The pieces have been selected and arranged in such a way that they roughly follow the sequence of a "Christmas Mass".

 

Powerful voices on four stages

The multi-choral nature of the individual works is a central design element. The pieces, which are set for up to 21 voices, come to life through the interaction and constant alternation between the individual choir groups. In order to be able to present this particularly effectively in the Marienkirche, there will not be just one main stage as usual, but four individual stages, which will create a special listening experience.

 

The cast is rich and colorful. It consists of six vocal soloists (soprano I+II, alto, tenor, baritone, bass), choir and orchestra. The music is performed on old instruments as was customary in the Renaissance period. In addition to two violins, the string ensemble consists of three viols and a violone. The wind instruments are recorders, cornetts, trombones and bassoon. Continuo organ, lute and harpsichord as well as the large Flentrop organ complete the impressive orchestral apparatus. Renowned artists have been recruited as soloists and orchestral musicians. The Marienkantorei Osnabrück will be singing. The overall artistic director is church music director Carsten Zündorf.

 

About the works

In his "Christmas History", Schütz sets the Christmas story according to Luke and Matthew to music. It was first performed in Dresden in 1660. It was expressly intended for use in church services as a Gospel reading. The approximately 30-minute work will also occupy this central position in the concert in St. Mary's Church.

 

Praetorius also composed his "Polyhymnia", a collection of chorale concertos with opulent scoring, in Dresden. Using the chorale as a basis, he created compositions written in the concertante style of the Italian school. He is thus regarded as a mediator between a new Italian style and Protestant Germany. The works performed in the concert take the place of congregational chorales.

 

This also applies to the chorale arrangement of the Christmas carol "Vom Himmel hoch" by Johann Schelle. He was already singing at the age of seven in the Saxon court chapel under Heinrich Schütz. He became Thomaskantor in Leipzig in 1677. He was one of the first to perform German-language gospel cantatas in church services.

 

The liturgy for the "Christmas Mass" is again provided by Praetorius, whose powerful Kyrie and Gloria from his "Missa ganz teudsch" will be heard in the concert. Praetorius has no fewer than 20 voices sing the praises of the angel choirs in his Gloria.

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