Namur - Christmas Cantatas - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Album Tracks 1. Erhöhet Die Tore Der Welt 2. Ja, Zion, Freue Dich! 3. Hosianna Davids Sonne 4. Du König Der Ehren, Jesu Christ 5. Kündlich Groß Ist Das Gottselige Geheimnis 6. Geheimnisvolle Worte 7. Der Sohn Des Vaters 8. Dies Geheimnis FÜHRT Und Treibt Uns 9. Gib Uns, O Jes 10. Siehe, Finsternis Bedecket Das Erdenreich 11. Der Hölle Macht 12. Sing Die Größte Aller Nächte 13. Wer Kann Des Herren Lieb Ermessen? 14. Ihr Armen Freuet Euch 15. Ich Lag in Tiefer Todesnacht 16. Ehre Sei Gott in Der Höhe 17. Beglückte Zeit 18. Jauchzet Itzt Mit Frohem Herzen 19. Wohlan, Es Hat Der Held 20. Heut Schleust Er Wieder Auf Die TÜR 21. Jauchze, Du Tochter Zion 22. Auf, Lasset Uns Der Höchsten Lieb 23. Gottlob, Das Himmelreich Ist Nah 24. Immanuel, Mein König 25. Tröstet Euch, Gefallne Sünder 26. Sei Mir Willkommen, Edler Gast

Album Tracks 1. Canticum in Nativitatem Domini, Christmas Motet for 2 Sopranos, Bass, 2 Treble Strings & Continuo, H. 393 2. O Créateur, Noël for 2 Flutes, Strings & Continuo, H. 531/2 (Noëls Sur Les Instruments} 3. Laissez Paître Vos Bêtes, Noël for 2 Flutes, Strings & Continuo, H. 531/1 (Noëls Sur Instruments) 4. In Nativitate Domini Nostri Jesu Christi Canticum, Histoire Sacrée for 3 Voices & Continuo, H. 421 5. Les Bourgeois de Chastre, Noël for 2 Flutes, Strings & Continuo, H. 534/2 (Noëls Sur Les Instruments} 6. Magnificat, Motet for 4 Voices, Chorus & Continuo, H. 80 7. Joseph Est Bien Marié, Noël for 2 Flutes, Strings & Continuo, H. 534/3 (Noëls Sur Les Instruments) 8. Où S'en Vont Ces Gais Bergers, Noël for 2 Flutes, Strings & Continuo, H. 534/5 (Noëls Sur Les Instruments) 9. In Circumcisione Domini, Motet for 3 Voices, 2 Treble Instruments & Continuo, H. 316 10. Or Nous Dites Marie, Noël for 2 Flutes, Strings & Continuo, H. 534/4 (Noëls Sur Les Instruments) 11. A la Venue de Noël, Noël for 2 Flutes, Strings & Continuo, H. 534/1 (Noëls Sur Les Instruments) 12. Pour la Fête de L'épiphanie, Histoire Sacrée for 3 Voices, 2 Treble Instruments & Continuo, H. 395 13. Une Jeune Pucelle, Noël for 2 Flutes, Strings & Continuo, H. 534/6 (Noëls Sur Les Instruments) 14. In Festo Purificationis, Motet 3 Voices, 2 Treble Instruments & Continuo, H. 318 15. Vous Qui Désirez Sans Fin, Noël for 2 Flutes, Strings & Continuo, H. 531/3 (Noëls Sur Les Instruments) 16. In Nativitatem Domini Canticum, Christmas Motet for Soprano, Countertenor, Tenor, Bass, 2 Flutes, 2 Violins & Continuo, H. 314

In 1677 Johann Schelle became the music director at the Church of St. Thomas in Leipzig, succeeding his teacher Sebastian Knupfer and preceding Johann Kuhnau in this post. His own pupils included important composers like Johann Christoph Graupner, Johann David Heinichen, Reinhard Keiser, Johann Theodor Roemhildt and Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow. Schelle is known to have produced more than 180 compositions, of which unfortunately only 48 have survived. His importance lies mainly in his chorale cantatas and in the combination of Biblical texts and freely written sacred poetry he employed in his more advanced sacred concertos- an early form of what would later become the Lutheran church cantata. The present gathers together Schelle's known compositions for Advent and Christmas. In doing so it also sheds light on the musical role of the St. Thomas Choir in Leipzig's musical culture during the final third of the 17th century.