“Jauchzet, frohlokket!” – for many Bach’s wonderful six-part cantata embodies the sound of Christmas. This was the project that gave birth to Essenza, and we hope that in the coming years we can bring it to many villages and smaller churches, so that as many people as possible can be given easy access to this wonderful, uplifting piece!
This short video offers a glimpse into our performances, and how we draw our audiences closer to this wonderful work.
Through a process of careful distillation, our adaptation gives an overview of the of Bach’s whole work – the six cantatas are rarely performed all at once because of challenges of length and orchestration. The whole performance takes just under one hour; while Bach’s score is, of course, significantly condensed, the remarkable variety of expression and ensemble writing shines through.
Our journey with the Weihnachtsoratorium began in December 2021 in the Pfarrkirche, Ranggen. Since then, we have experienced three successful seasons with this wonderful work; we are really looking forward to our fourth season this December! There have been so many beautiful encounters, particularly the occasions when we have been able to introduce children to Bach’s masterpiece. It was so touching to see the children blossom and take such joy in making music with us. This year we delve into the work with the children’s choir of the Landesmusikschule Pitztal.
You can download the music for communal hymns and chorales here:
https://essenza.live/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Essenza-WO-Programmheft-4stimmig.docx
Previous performances:
December 2023:
- Stiftskirche, Innichen, with the Stiftschor Innichen
- Mutterhauskirche der Barmherzigen Schwestern, Zams
- Pfarrkirche Oetz, with the Children’s Choir of the Landesmusikschule Ötztal
December 2022:
- Spitalskirche, Innsbruck
- Pfarrkirche, St. Georgen
December 2021:
- Pfarrkirche Ranggen
- Dreiheiligenkirche, Innsbruck