Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248
Discography - Part 2

Complete Recordings 1950-1959

< Complete Recordings 1900-1949

Complete Recordings 1960-1969 >

1

J.S. Bach: Christmas Oratorio

Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248/1-6

Hans Grischkat

Schwäbischer Singkreis Stuttgart / Schwäbisches Sinfonie-Orchester Orchester (The Suebian Symphony Orchestra)

Soprano: Martha Schilling; Alto: Ruth Michaelis; Tenor: Werner Hohmann; Bass: Bruno Müller

Renaissance / Remington

Jun 1950

4-LP / TT:

1^st recording of Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248 by H. Grischkat

2

J.S. Bach: Weihnachts-Oratorium
J.S. Bach: Christmas Oratorio [V-3]

Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248/1-6 [29:39, 28:22, 24:53, 23:32, 24:00, 24:20]

Karl Ristenpart

RIAS-Kammerchor, RIAS-Knabenchor / RIAS-Kammerorchester

Soprano: Agnes Giebel; Alto: Lotte Wolf-Matthäus; Tenor: Helmut Krebs; Baritone: Walter Hauck

RIAS-Berlin Musik-Archiv
Audite 21.421

Dec 8 & 22, 1950

6 Tapes / TT: 154:56
3-CD / TT:

Recorded at the Jesus-Christus-Kirche Berlin-Dahlem, Germany.
Tapes transferred on 38cm/s on Jun 14, 1984.
Buy this album at:
3-CD (2013): Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.de

3

Bach: Oratorio de Noël - 2 Cantate

Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248/2

Fritz Münch

Chorale St-Guillaume de Strasbourg / Orchestre Municipal de Strasbourg

Soprano: Eugénie Lorentz; Alto: Lucie Rauh; Tenor: Hugues Cuénod; Bass: Dominique Weber

Lumen

Early 1950's ?

LP / TT:

Recording by André Charlin.

4

J.S. Bach: Christmas Oratorio

Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248/1-6

Kurt Thomas

Detmold Academy Chorus & Orchestra / Collegium Pro Arte

Soprano: Gunthild Weber, Contralto: Lore Fischer, Tenor: Heinz Marten, Bass: Horst Günther

L'Oiseau-Lyre

1951

3-LP / TT:

1^st recording of Weihnachts-Oratorium by K. Thomas.
See: Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248 - conducted by Kurt Thomas

5

Bach: Weihnachtsoratorium BWV 248 Kantaten 1-3, Günter Ramin 1952 live [CR-248]

Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248/1-3 [31:20, 34:15, 30:22]

Günther Ramin

Thomanerchor Leipzig / Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

Soprano: Else Möller [2-3]; Alto: Lotte Wolf-Matthäus [1-3]; Tenor: Gert Lutze [1-3]; Bass: Otto Siegl [1-3]
Harpsichord: Gernot Schwickert; Organ: Hannes Kästner

YouTube

Dec 13/14, 1952

Audio / TT:

Recorded live at Thomaskirche, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany. Tape recording from the Radio of the DDR. Preserved in the Deutschen Rundfunkarchiv.
1^st recording of Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248/1-3 by G. Ramin.
Listen on YouTube:
Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248: Cantata 1 [31:20] | Cantata 2 [34:15] | Cantata 3 [30:22]

6

J.S. Bach: Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 · Weihnachts-Oratorium

Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248/1-6 [23:53, 26:19, 19:25, 25:14, 23:42, 27:05]

Ferdinand Grossmann

Wiener Akademie Kammerchor / Wiener Symphoniker

Tenor: Erich Majkut; Contralto: Dagmar Hermann-Braun; Soprano: Elisabeth Roon; Bass: Walter Berry; Soprano [Echo]: Laurence Dutoit

Vox PL-7713 (1952)
Vox VBX-201 (1959)
Vox SVBX-5201
VOX CDX-5096 (LC-00391)
Membran

1952

3-LP / TT: 143:36
2-CD / TT: 145:46

Recorded in Vienna, Austria.
Buy this album at:
2-CD: Amazon.com

7

J.S. Bach: Weihnachts-Oratorium [V-4]
J.S. Bach: Christmas Oratorio [V-4]

Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248/1-6 [29:13, 33:02, 26:07, 26:51, 25:53, 25:03]

Fritz Lehmann [1-4], Günther Arndt [5-6]

Berliner Motettenchor & RIAS Kammerchor (Rehearsals: Günther Arndt) / Berliner Philharmoniker

Soprano: Gunthild Weber; Alto: Sieglinde Wagner; Tenor: Helmut Krebs; Bass: Heinz Rehfuss

Archiv Produktion 14101/03
Deutsche Grammophon 459017
Bearac Reissues BRC-584
Deutsche Grammophon Eloquence 4837637

Aug 3-10, 1955 [1-4]
Jun 21-25, Sep 15, 1956 [5-6]

3-LP / TT: 163:03 / 159:16
CD / TT: 61:57
2-CD / TT:
3-CD / TT: 166:38

Recorded at Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin-Dahlem, Germany.
Conductor of No. 59: Günther Arndt. The notes state Lehmann conducted parts 1-4 ( in August 1955); and after his death Günther Arndt recorded parts 5 and 6 in June and September 1956.
Cantatas 1 & 2 from this recording were issued by Deutsche Grammophon on CD [TT: 61:57].
Buy this album at:
2-CD: Bearac Reissues
3-CD (2017): Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.de

8

J.S. Bach: Weihnachtsoratorium [V-1]
Fritz Wunderlich: Große Erfolge & Raritäten · Great Sucesses & Rarities - CD-37/38: J.S. Bach: Weihnachtsoratorium (BWV I-III) 248 (gekürzte Fassung) [B-1]

Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248/1-3 []

August Langenbeck

Stuttgarter Hymnus-Chorknaben / Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra

Tenor [Evangelist, Arias]: Fritz Wunderlich; Soprano: Friederike Sailer; Contralto: Erika Winkler; Bass: Hannes Swedberg
Rudolf Krömer (Violin); Helmut Reimann (Continuo Cello); Willy Glas (Flute); Friedrich Milde & Hans Peter Weber (Oboes d'amore); Fritz Georg Langer (Trumpet); Manfred Hug (Harpsichord); Karl Gerock (Organ)

Profil Hänssler PH-08028
=
Documents 9-4622-5: CD-37/38

Dec 18, 1955

2-CD / TT: 104 min
MP3 / TT: 103:03
2-CD / TT: 94:07

Recorded by SDR at Markuskirche, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
This recording has never been released before.
Buy this album at:
2-CD (2008): Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.de
Music Download: ClassicsOnline
50-CD (2015): Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.de

9

J.S. Bach: Weihnachts-Oratorium [Unreleased] [V-2]

Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248 - Abridged version

Hans Gebhard

St.-Michaelis-Kantorei Hof / Hofer Symphoniker

Soprano: Hannelore Leibinger; Contralto: Irene Luber; Tenor: Fritz Wunderlich; Bass: Rudolf Schellhammer

?

Dec 29, 1955

? / TT: 83:13

Recorded at St.-Michaeliskirche, Hof (Oberfranken, Bavaria), Germany. Not yet released.
Source: Fritz Wunderlich - The Great German Tenor: Discography

10

J.S. Bach: Weihnachts-Oratorium [LP] [V-10]
J.S. Bach: Christmas Oratorio, parts I-III [2-CD] [V-10]

Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248/1-3

Günther Ramin

Thomanerchor Leipzig / Hamburg Chamber Orchestra

Soprano: Helga Gabriel; Alto: Ursula Boese; Tenor: Leo Larsen; Bass: Jakob Stämpfli

MMS (Jazztone)
Schola Antiqua GR-4

Dec 1955

LP / TT:
2-CD / TT:

The text says: "G.R., whose untimely death only a few months after this recording was made etc."
2^nd recording of Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248/1-3 by G. Ramin.
Free download of the Stereo version of this recording is available on the Blog: Concerts & Archives HD.
Buy this album at:
2-CD: Schola Antiqua

11

J.S. Bach: Weihnachts-Oratorium

Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248/1-6

Karl Richter

Münchener Bach-Chor / Münchener Bach-Orchester (or Bayerisches Staatsorchester)

Tenor [Evangelist]: Gert Lutze, Soprano: Cloë Owen, Alto: Hertha Töpper, Basses: Horst Günther & Kieth Engen

Teldec 97902
Membran

1955

3-CD / TT: 169:26

1^st recording of Weihnachts-Oratorium by K. Richter.
Buy this album at: Amazon.com

12

Bach Made in Germany Vol. 2 - Weinhanchtsoratorium [V-7]

Weinhanchts-Oratorium BWV 248

Kurt Thomas

Thomanerchor Leipzig / Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

Soprano: Agnes Giebel; Alto: Marga Höffgen; Tenor: Josef Traxel; Bass: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

Eterna 820084-87
Eterna 825084-87
Electrola WCLP-598/9
Leipzig Classics

Dec 5-13, 1958

4-LP / TT:
4-LP / TT:
4-LP / TT:
3-CD / TT: 170:22

Recorded at Thomaskirche, Leipzig, Germany.
2^nd recording of Weihnachts-Oratorium by K. Thomas.
See: Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248 - conducted by Kurt Thomas
Listen on YouTube:
Weinhanchts-Oratorium BWV 248: Complete Work [181:34]
Buy this album at:
3-CD: Amazon.com

13

J.S. Bach: Weihnachts-Oratorium 1-4 [V-3]

Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248/1-4 []

Rafael Kubelík

Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra (as Chor und Orchester des Dänischen Rundfunks)

Soprano: Ellen-Margrethe Edlers; Alto: Else Brems; Tenor: Uno Ebrelius; Baritone: Odd Wolstad

Private edition

Dec 17, 1959

CD / T:T

Recorded live. Thanks to Franck Schneiders.

< Complete Recordings 1900-1949

Complete Recordings 1960-1969 >

The list of recordings was compiled by Aryeh Oron (November 2000 - December 2021)
Thanks to contributors: Peter Appelros (April 2016); Rudolf Bayer (September 2003); Brian C. Francis (December 2003); Guy Glenet (June 2010); John Grayovski (October 2006); Rainer Harald (Decemb2021); Ph. Jacquard (December 2020); H.J. Lam (January 2002); Daniel Michel (September 2004); Christian Moll (October 2009); Jane Newble; Walther Roth (March 2007); Burke Smith (September 2005, December 2007, January 2008); Eric Spicer; Roland Wörner (October 2002)

Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248 (1734-1735): Details
Complete Recordings: 1900-1949 | 1950-1959 | 1960-1969 | 1970-1979 | 1980-1989 | 1990-1999 | 2000-2009 | 2010-2019 | 2020-2029 | Recordings of Individual Movements
General Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8
Systematic Discussions: Cantata 1 | Cantata 2 | Cantata 3 | Cantata 4 | Cantata 5 | Cantata 6 | Part 7: Summary
Individual Recordings: BWV 248 – Collegium Aureum | BWV 248 - H. Christophers | BWV 248 - J.E. Gardiner | BWV 248 - N. Harnoncourt | BWV 248 - P. Herreweghe | BWV 248 - R. Jacobs | BWV 248 - N. McGegan | BWV 248 - R. Otto | BWV 248 - K. Richter | BWV 248 - H. Rilling | BWV 248 - P. Schreier | BWV 248 - M. Suzuki | BWV 248 - K. Thomas | BWV 248 - J.v. Veldhoven
Articles: A Bottomless Bucket of Bach - Christmas Oratorio [D. Satz] | BWV 248/19 “Schlafe, mein Liebster” - A Background Study with Focus on the Colla Parte Flauto Traverso Part [T. Braatz]