The congregational chorales on this recording are sourced from Gottfried Vopelius's Neu leipziger Gesangbuch (1682), which provided printed harmonizations.
Interpretation
The recording uses a lower pitch standard, A=392Hz, known as 'Tief-Kammerton', which was fashionable French court pitch and used by Bach in his early Leipzig years.
Historical Context
The reconstruction of Bach's 1723 Christmas Vespers includes motets drawn from Erhard Bodenschatz's Florilegium portense, reflecting the late Renaissance polyphonic tradition.
Compositional Technique
Bach's Cantata BWV 63 features lavish orchestration, including his only known use of four trumpets.
Performer Biography
John Butt, the musical director of Dunedin Consort, is Gardiner Professor of Music at the University of Glasgow and a recipient of the Royal Academy of Music/Kohn Foundation's Bach Prize.
Composition History
J.S. Bach's first Christmas in Leipzig in 1723 was during a frenetic year where he produced one or two large cantatas per week.
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