Christmas Oratorio

work by Bach

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June 24, 2026

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The Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248, is a large-scale sacred work by Johann Sebastian Bach, composed in 1734. It is structured as a series of six cantatas intended for performance on different feast days during the Christmas season.1

The oratorio tells the story of the Nativity, drawing its text from the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, as well as other biblical sources. Bach reused music from some of his earlier secular cantatas, adapting them for the sacred text. This practice was common for composers of the era, allowing for efficient creation of new works.12

The Christmas Oratorio features choruses, arias, and recitatives, and is scored for soloists, chorus, and orchestra. It is a significant work in the oratorio tradition, alongside other famous examples like Handel's Messiah. Unlike Messiah, which is often performed as a single concert piece, the Christmas Oratorio is designed to be heard over several days.34

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Johann Sebastian Bach
Instrumental works
…words and reused in the Christmas Oratorio. The “Kyrie” and “Gloria” of the Mass in B Minor, written in 1733, were also dedicated to the elector, but the rest of the Mass was not put together until Bach’s last years. On his visits to Dresden, Bach had won the regard…
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…words and reused in the Christmas Oratorio. The “Kyrie” and “Gloria” of the Mass in B Minor, written in 1733, were also dedicated to the elector, but the rest of the Mass was not put together until Bach’s last years. On his visits to Dresden, Bach had won the regard…
Read More