Christmas Oratorio
This year’s performances of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio” begin in the Emmaus Church in Harlaching with excerpts from cantatas I-III with the narrator Philip Greiner from BR (December 3, 5 p.m.); two hours later there is the first half of the six cantatas in their entirety. On December 5th and 6th, the Bavarian Philharmonic under Mark Mast, he recorded the cantatas for the first three (!) days of Christmas, i.e. December 25th, 26th and 27th, which is also known today as the “Holy Exchange Day”. At these two concerts in the Allerheiligen Hofkirche Suzanne Bernhard the prominent soprano soloist. the Arcis vocalists with the baroque orchestra “L’Arpa Festante” under Thomas Gropper will add Cantata VI for Holy Epiphany in the Herkulessaal (December 12, 8 p.m.), as well as that Orchestra of the Sound Administration with the Toelz Boys’ Choir conducted by Jos van Immerseel and the excellent young soloists Carolina Ullrich, Marie Henriette Reinhold, Patrick Grahl and Jonas Müller in the Isarphilharmonie (December 23, 7.30 p.m.). Bach Choir and Orchestra conducted by Hansjörg Albrecht, all six cantatas will be performed in the Isarphilharmonie (December 18, 7:30 p.m.). Chen Reiss and Catriona Morison, tenor Daniel Johannsen and bass-baritone Konstantin Wolff are the illustrious soloists.
The big galas
The ten-piece brass ensemble “London Brass” entertains with British charm and a repertoire ranging from Vivaldi and Bach to traditional Christmas carols.
(Photo: Daniel Bissill)
Various galas offer a mixture of baroque instrumental music and Christmassy vocal music. About one Musical sleigh ride with the Munich Symphony Orchestra under Enrico Delamboye in the Isarphilharmonie (December 4, 8 p.m.) with Sophia Brommer and Kathrin Wundsam as soloists in excerpts from “Hänsel and Gretel”, Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty” and Handel’s “Feuerwerksmusik”. Of the Choir of the University of Music and Theater sings a French program with works by Fauré, Franck and the “Oratorio Noël” by Camille Saint-Saëns in the large concert hall in Arcisstr. 12 (December 8, 7 p.m.). London Brass also offers festive brass music British Christmas (Hercules Hall, December 15, 8 p.m.). In the Christmas Bach Trumpet Gala works for trumpet ensemble and organ (Edgar Krapp) by Bach, Handel, Telemann and others can be heard in the Herkulessaal (December 19, 7 p.m.). German Brass will play Christmas classics and arrangements of works by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky in the Herkulessaal (December 26, 7 p.m.). The court chapel and Rüdiger Lotter devote themselves to Christmas at the Munich court in the Cuvilliès Theater of the residence Pachelbel, Dall’Abaco, Corelli and Vivaldi (December 20/21, 7.30 p.m.). Diana Damrau sings in the Isarphilharmonie (December 13, 8 p.m.) with the Munich Radio Orchestra under Jérémie Rhorer Handel, Bach and Mozart as well as Christmas carols from her new double album. His program “It’s Christmas”, which has also appeared on CD, is presented with European classics right through to American evergreens Jonas Kaufmann with the Staatskapelle Weimar in the Isarphilharmonie (December 23, 3 p.m.).
read actors
Marie Bäumer brings Advent and Christmas stories by Astrid Lindgren to the Prinzregententheater. During this “Swedish Christmas” “Voicemade” from Leipzig will sing Christmas carols.
(Photo: Andrea Herzog)
Designed again every year Senta Berger a fine literary and musical evening with the Munich Hofkapelle in the Prinzregententheater (December 11, 3:30 p.m.) and reads Oscar Wilde, Hermann Hesse and Joachim Ringelnatz. Marie Baumer brings Advent and Christmas stories by Astrid Lindgren; the three men and three women from sing at this “Swedish Christmas”. Voicemade from Leipzig in the Prinzregententheater Christmas carols from Scandinavia (December 18, 3:30 p.m.). “Mama Bavaria” alias Louise Kinseher stands with the boys from the Tölzer Knabenchor, who sing alpine Christmas carols under the direction of Christian Fliegner, as well as Theresa Förg (harp) and Clemens Haudum (accordion) on the stage of the Herkulessaal and reads “poetic finds” (December 18, 8 p.m.). Miroslav Nemec and Udo Wachtveitl perform Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Story”, accompanied by a string quintet (Prinzregententheater, December 6/16, 8 p.m.; December 17, 4:30 p.m. & 8 p.m. and December 18, 11 a.m. & 8 p.m.). In the Isarphilharmonie (December 26/27, 3 & 7 p.m. respectively), the two Munich crime scene inspectors will be accompanied by the Munich Chamber Orchestra.
traditional
The Thomanerchor, whose history dates back to 1212, is the oldest cultural institution in the city of Leipzig. In the Hercules Hall he sings sacred and secular works.
(Photo: Matthias Knoch)
At the Salzburg Christmas carols with Harald Krassnitzer, folk music groups from the Salzburg region will present themselves in the Prinzregententheater (December 13, 6:30 p.m.). One Alpine Christmas with the Zillertaler Weisenbläser, Haushamer Bergwachtg’sang and the play music Karl Edelmann will take place in St. Michael on Neuhauser Straße on December 18th at 4 p.m. The famous Thomanerchor comes along from Leipzig Spiritual and secular works at Christmas time from the Renaissance to the present in the Hercules Hall (December 17, 7:30 p.m.). Not quite as traditional, but very atmospheric with the light of 1000 candles in the Lukaskirche on Mariannenplatz on the same day (5:30 p.m. & 8 p.m.) when the Lukas choir sings a cappella choral works and Christmas carols under Tobias Frank. That’s what it’s for Jakob Reisener jazz quintet from Berlin. And on December 18th, the Munich Motettenchor invites you to the Markuskirche for a joint Christmas singing (at 4 p.m. for children, then at 6 p.m. for adults).
Swinging Christmas
Famous American Christmas melodies can be heard in “Christmas Swing” with Andrej Hermlin and his Swing Dance Orchestra in the Isarphilharmonie.
(Photo: Uwe Hauth)
If you like it less contemplative, but rather casually entertaining, you’re in Merry Musical with a mix of musical songs and Christmas carols performed by four musical stars and three musicians on the factory premises (Plant 7, December 8-10, 7:30 p.m.; December 11, 4 p.m.). The TV star and trained singer Christian Schaeffer (“Die Rosenheim Cops”) invites you with a 20-strong big band Swing’n Christmas to the Prinzregententheater (December 10, 8 p.m.). Winged Christmas – My kind of Christmas promises Thomas Borchert with bistro seating in the Silver Hall of the Deutsches Theater (December 17, 8 p.m.). at Christmas Swing With Andrej Hermlin and his Swing Dance Orchestra, famous American Christmas melodies in original arrangements from the 1930s to 1950s will be heard in the Isarphilharmonie (December 25, 7 p.m.).