Bach in many facets: Christmas oratorio sounds in the region with saxophone accompaniment and very traditional | free press

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Westphalian saxophonists replace the classical chamber orchestra at performances in Zschopau and Burgstädt – elsewhere the music is conventional

Vocal music.

Jazz and Christmas – this combination is not that new. But that the loosely swinging sound art with Afro-American roots and the nationwide Christmas music institution par excellence enter into an alliance, that’s rather rare. Especially in the Erzgebirge region, which is rather traditional in this respect. It’s always worth a try, said Carola Kowal from Zschopau. The cantor of St. Martin’s parish in Zschopau has rehearsed cantatas 1 to 3 from the Christmas oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach with her choirs from Zschopau and Dittersdorf for the weekend and will not let her singers go on Saturday from 7 p.m accompanied by an ordinary chamber orchestra – but by an ensemble of nine saxophones and a timpani.

Westfälische Saxophoniker is the name of the ensemble from Lemgo, east of Bielefeld, which specializes in baroque music in the tonal guise of the family of wind instruments that only came into the world in the 19th century, and since 2014 it has included what is probably Bach’s most popular vocal work in its portfolio. The musicians arranged the work, which premiered in 1734/35, according to their own ideas, offering the listener something new and at the same time familiar. “Saxophones take the place of the strings, trumpets, flutes, oboes and harmonize with the choir and the singer soloists. But that’s not all: baroque changes fluently to interspersed baroque jazz pieces, which take up Bach’s melodies and harmonies and convincingly bridge the music of the Beat the time now,” says the ensemble’s self-portrayal.

For the first time in 15 years

Others and therefore fewer musicians on stage in this case – does that still have to do with Corona? Carola Kowal, who has been responsible for church music in the Zschopau and Dittersdorfer places of worship for three years, says no: “The performance was even planned for Christmas 2021, but we didn’t have enough time to rehearse. That’s why we postponed the performance by a year and have been rehearsing since spring.” You have to know: Although the Christmas oratorio seems to pop up in the calendars of many parishes every year, except in times of a pandemic, according to Kowal, it can now be heard in the Zschopau church for the first time in an estimated 15 years. As a result, there are also numerous men and women among those singing along who are singing the “WO”, as the seven-silver is often called in church musicians’ jargon, for the first time. And yes, there is this offspring, she says. Even if the business to woo him is difficult. There is a constant deficit, especially in male voices. This time, singers even experience a little bit of relief, as Carola Kowal reveals. Because of the technical characteristics of the saxophone, the whole oratorio is “lowered” – by a semitone. That makes a difference for the choir in some places.

The same naturally also applies to the around 40 singers from the Burgstädt town church, who will come to the Ore Mountains on Saturday to reinforce the local choir. “The Burgstadt cantor Benjamin Müller and I got together and booked the saxophone ensemble together because it’s cheaper,” says Carola Kowal. In the central Saxon town not far from Chemnitz, the approximately 80 singers with the unusual accompaniment will then perform the work on Sunday at 5 p.m. in the town church. The musical double whammy is also a Saxon premiere: the Westfälische Saxophoniker, who perform with tin reed instruments in all voice ranges from soprano to double bass, have already performed in Berlin and Brandenburg with their reloaded version of the classic. So far, the Free State is still new territory for them.

On a high level, but presented conventionally

On the second weekend in Advent, listeners for whom this is too much new territory have another opportunity to listen to the “WO” at a high level, but in a conventional form of performance. Domkantor Albrecht Koch will conduct the work on Saturday at 4 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. with the Freiberger Domchor, the Jugendkantorei am Freiberger Dom and the Domkurrende in the Freiberg Cathedral on Untermarkt. The Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra plays. The ensembles are supported by an ensemble of soloists of international standing. The tenor Daniel Johannsen, who is one of the most sought-after Bach interpreters in Europe, comes from Vienna. The young soprano Viola Blache from Leipzig, who can already look back on an impressive career, will also be making a guest appearance in Freiberg for the first time. Furthermore, the Erfurt native Annekathrin Laabs (alto) and the baritone Wolf-Matthias Friedrich can be experienced.

The cathedral choirs were last heard in 2019 with the popular oratorio. In 2020, the Freiberg Cathedral attracted international attention during the lockdown with a performance with a small cast, which was broadcast on the Internet. The concert was canceled last year. It will be a premiere in the cathedral, especially for many children and young people in the junior choirs.

There are still enough tickets available for the concert at 7:30 p.m. For the sold-out performance at 4 p.m., the Freiberg Cathedral is selling an additional ticket contingent in order to respond to the high demand. These additional cards are only available in the Domladen Freiberg, which is open daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Christmas Oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach – further dates

Saturday, December 10th:

Laurentiuskirche, Auerbach/V.
Start: 5 p.m., admission from 4.30 p.m

St. Jakobi Church Stollberg
Start: 7.30 p.m

St. Annenkirche Annaberg-Buchholz
Start: 7 p.m

Sunday, December 11:

St. Mary’s Cathedral, Zwickau
Start: 5 p.m

Saturday, December 17:

Kreuzkirche, Chemnitz
Start: 6.30 p.m

Tuesday, December 27:

Aegidiuskirche Lengenfeld
Start: 5 p.m

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