Bach - Christmas Oratorio (on period instruments)

[6347285]

This is perfect music for the holiday season.

[Philovideo]

Sounds awesome, both the Orchestra and the choir! Yes, J.S. Bach would not mind if this piece was sung in English if the intended audience only understood English!

[NoiseOverMusic]

finally a version where I can UNDERSTAND. How can you people hate english choirs? It doesn't sound bad at all. I can understand opera, but this is a decently translated piece and it sounds amazing in a chorus.

[paripe]

A mi me resulta enternecedora esta versión. Son niños, se impacientan, se rascan las piernas. Pero sus voces son MARAVILLOSAS. La versión en inglés les ayuda a comprender lo que cantan. Para mi es lo de menos, el resultado es fantástico.

[ihno45]

Da soll man sich mal nicht zu stieselig anstellen, liebe Freunde der deutschen Sprache! I like it. It's a wonderful performance and the little mistakes and tiny problems just make it better. It is live, my friends and I don't see why those american children should be enforced to sing it in german.

Bach himself was very gracious with his music. Check BWV 215 if you like.

[sarum1surplice]

In English?????  Travesty. Sad because the boys sound wonderful.

[TheWidowsSonTemplar]

@sarum1surplice Must it be in Nazi speech for you to enjoy it?

[222mozart]

not bad !!!

wow

[jogomez1988]

Porque se enpeñará esta gente es destruir las obras de BACH, esto se oye espantoso....

[1yuvan]

@jogomez1988 Mi estimado(a)jogomez, con todo respeto no estoy de acuerdo con su opinión de que esta gente se empeña en destruir..."" Ellos están haciendo lo mejor que pueden, y no tienen que ser perfectos porque, cantan en inglés, no son profesionales, no están ganando dinero para dedicarse 100% a ello. Ciertamente en este espacio hay magníficas interpretaciones primordialmente en alemán y ejecutadas allá mismo, en la cuna de JS Bach. Sin embargo acepto que no es justificación para mejorar.

[donhenri01]

why englisch if the aim of that (boys, period instruments..) is to recreate what Bach really wanted?

And also, is it the boychoir of Atlanta Catholic Cathedral?

[poissonnoir]

@donhenri01 - Bach wrote in German because it was the language of the people for whom he wrote. The essence of Protestantism is universal access. So my guess is they sing in English - because that's their language. They understand what they're singing as does their audience. That's what Bach really wanted.

[kalidastony]

this choir has their heart and soul into this, thats why its so very beautiful. Johann this is what you wanted to happen if you are around

[FrPhen]

true there is a noticable "problem" if you can even call it that, with the texture of the choir as a whole, but take into account the limited rehearsal time that they have. I have spoken to some of these members of the choir after concerts and the sopranos and altos only rehearse twice a week. the tenors and basses only rehears once a week, so with the extreme limitation on time, and the inability to do individual vocal coaching or small group vocalization, it was a marvelous performance.

[kalidastony]

totally agree. most formal choirs like the Vienna Boys are full time and even get school lessons onsite. I was a candidate for that choir many years ago but didnt make the list. But I still get tons of pleasure from part-time choirs who still do a great job. And Bach is not easy to get together the best of times.

[1401JSC]

All is relative!

Bach's St Thomas boys rehearsed every day but had to sing a different Cantata every week!

What I don' understand is how anyone who loves singing can sing "be joyful" with such bored expressions on their faces.

Individual vocal tuition for boys is a recent invention. Most English cathedrals don't have time for that!

Period instruments? Isn't that a plastic head to the D timpanum?

And 18th Century Conductors did not use a bâton...

[jpstenino]

1401JSC  read your comment...you are obviously a professional....crab..

[stach1991]

@1401JSC exactly...

[colenso05]

I have to totally disagree about boys singing Bach! Listen to the result - I have all the great Bach choral works and all the cantatas sung by the likes of the Vienna boys choir and the Tolzer Knabenchor and have heard the Drakensberg boys of South Africa in this music - there is nothing to match the freshness and zest of massed boys voices, especially with a good firm alto line. Well done, Atlanta - I.m sure J.S B. would have approved.

[kalidastony]

I totally agree. I have never heard such quality outside of London. Vienna Boys choir are ertsatz. This is so full of zest and passion. Bravo!!!

[X999bg5a7]

WOW! Welcome in the Greatest Music, AMERICA the Beautiful! Your Christmas Oratorio is simply perfect, I seem to listen the Berliner Philarmoniker, wow! Thanks thanks thanks, I take Your Music and publish in my website for my "Western New Year". Good Work, Good Speed & many Blessing to all You, THANKS!

[Jussijoosua]

I don't think boys choirs should do Bach... At least these big oratorios. There's actually some evidence that the singers Bach used might have been a mixture of boys and men, also in soprano and alto, since some of the guys singing soprano must have been past their puberty and they didn't use castrati in Northern Germany.

[Fighting31st]

I think I left the choir a year before this was recorded. Anyway I was 2nd soprano.

[kalidastony]

terrific !!

[jasonrc]

This is actually how it would have sounded...except in German. Bach was a teacher at a boys school and he mainly used boys to sing in his choir.

[gaystereotype]

Great choir, the conductor seems a little spastic to me.

[Mattbass7]

IM in this video im the tall guy in the top row middle to the right

[oboistCONDUCTOR]

What a wonderful choir! and conducting as well

[jorgealbertobaron]

GRAN OBRA DE BACH

[Clouseau5000]

Ah, just recognised that the timpani are not at all period instruments. And I'm not sure about the strings (bows) either, especially the double bass. Is it a modern contrabass or a violone? Baroque basses usually don't have that thorn to stand on.

[Clouseau5000]

What about historically informed language ;-)

Just kidding, it's the first time I hear it translated into english. I like the opening tempo, a pity the choir couldn't catch up with it. Nice to hear an american boys choir on fairly high level. Not perfect but good.

[oboistCONDUCTOR]

Closeau5000:difficult piece for choir and they did a wonderful job.Certainly some little problems with the quality of some voices.Difficult in texture more with adults..imagine...It's very difficult I promise

[Nanoxinol]

bach ...good music ;D

[jorgealbertobaron]

GRAN OBRA DE BACH

[NorbertZF]

EXLNT PERFORMANCE! One of THE best that I've heard in a long time! Not too fast or slow and the choir was great!

Thanks much for this clip! It was always my goal, and maybe someday yet, to personally conduct/perform this and the cantatas of Bach. Who knows? Things happen sometimes.

[oboistCONDUCTOR]

Right NorbertZF but you have to insist,because if will not fall down by miracle from heaven.The choir is really admirable.

[GeoWashInn]

Great job all! David White is always first class. Thanks for sharing this clip.

[organmus1982]

I understand the principals of historically informed tempi but isnt this rather going a little to far - this is proved by the fact that the opening tempo soon starts to slow noticeably after the choir has come in. Good performance but shame the choir dont really do the phrasing properly - no shading off, in fact some of the phrase endings are hammered!! also curious that no copies are being used by the choir - not really the appropriate performance practice - its not an opera.

[thebiggermac4560]

does anyone have video of the rest of the concert?

[frater]

really wonderfull!!!!!!!

Bach Oratorio excellent perfomance of Atlanta Choir

[ProFriend]

Mr. White, your boys have done themselves proud yet again.

[compenm]

Fenomenal, aunque no todos los instrumentos son de la epoca, pero el coro fenomenal...