Christmas History

Ensemble Illustre performs Schütz’s *Weihnachtshistorie*: an impressive piece that is rarely performed due to the combination of instruments required (including cornets and trombones).

The *Weihnachtshistorie* served as an important source of inspiration for Johann Sebastian Bach’s later *Weihnachtsoratorium* and combines storytelling, solo vocals, and colorful instrumentation into a lively Christmas narrative. To bring the Christmas story closer to the audience, the role of the evangelist features a contemporary Dutch narration.

The program opens with motets by Hans Leo Hassler, Michael Praetorius, and Johann Hermann Schein. These works showcase the early German Baroque in all its versatility: from exuberant polyphonic passages to intimate, contemplative moments. The result is a program full of contrast, warmth, and drama, in which music and narrative come together to create a special Christmas experience.