Bagpipes were often associated with shepherds in Renaissance and Baroque culture - and apparently no one realised that they might wake the new-born baby.
The closing movement, Pastorale, depicts the shepherds of the nativity story through long notes that imitate the drone of bagpipes. The Christmas Concerto isn’t out of place at any time of year, but one movement in particular does reference the Christmas story. He was a profligate lover of the arts who wrote opera librettos for fun (and eventually died penniless): it’s not surprising that he commissioned music from the foremost talent of the day in order to pass a nice December’s evening. Arcangelo Corelli must have been grappling with a similar issue when he was asked by his boss, Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni, for a piece of music to celebrate Christmas. What does Christmas actually sound like? Leroy Anderson, composer of the iconic Sleigh Ride, admitted that he wrote the piece during an American heat wave, and without the festive season in mind. It’s tricky to write music about Christmas when you don’t have words. Loading Arcangelo Corelli: Christmas Concerto But it also shows the intimate side of the Christmas story, including a tender lullaby for the new-born child.
Bach’s music captures the joy of the season, with exuberant trumpets and timpani. Leipzig, the town in eastern Germany where Bach lived and worked for over 25 years, held an annual trade fair which attracted thousands of visitors during the Christmas period. The Christmas Oratorio is actually made up of six separate works, written for performance between Christmas Day and Epiphany (6 January). Less than 20 years before Handel penned the Messiah, Bach oversaw the premiere of the "other" great festive baroque masterpiece. So when you hum the Hallelujah chorus, know that you’re in the company of millions before you. Entire communities embraced Handel’s music, and once it had got out, there was no looking back.
One explanation lies with the huge performances of Messiah that sprung up in the 19th century, when literally thousands of singers and instrumentalists would gather to rehearse and perform the work. So what is it that has made this piece so enduringly popular? While the piece does tell the story of the nativity, it was never really intended for Christmas performance - it was premiered in April 1742. All are available freely and legally as MP3s.
CHRISTMAS MUDIC FREE
It’s hard to go through Christmas without tripping over Handel’s masterpiece: in your concert hall, on the radio, in the shopping mall, even in the lift. Youll find many free Christmas music downloads in the list below, ranging from classic holiday tunes to contemporary Christmas songs from current artists. Small wonder, then, that composers were so inspired by this time of year. Christmas can seem ubiquitous in 21st-century life - but our celebrations pale in comparison to the technicolour festivities of 17th- and 18th-century Europe.Ĭhristmas was the highpoint of the year: a celebration of the central mystery of the Christian faith, but also a moment when the seasons turned from the darkness of winter towards the hope of spring.
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