Georg Poplutz

Gregor Joseph Werner (1693-1766), a major figure at the birth of Viennese classicism, has until now remained in the shadow of music history. His rich compositional art was directly rooted in the late baroque style, whilst also drawing from much earlier sources as well as pointing far ahead into the romantic era. Firmly anchored in the great contrapuntal tradition, Werner underpins the gripping progressivity and expressivity of his tonal language.

J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio was written for the Christmas season of 1734, and although it incorporates music from earlier works it belongs firmly among his timeless large-scale compositions. The development of the oratorio, which was to become a new musical form in Protestant church services at that time, was stimulated by Bach’s compositions, particularly by the unusual form of his six-part Christmas Oratorio.