Christmas theme in classical music. Christmas music Christmas musical
11.01.2017 11.01.2017 by Paul
J.S.Bach. "Christmas Oratorio"
The grandiose oratorio, consisting of six cantatas, in the time of Bach was performed in parts over several days - from Christmas to Epiphany. Each cantata is dedicated to one of the episodes in the history of the Nativity of Christ. With his music, Bach depicted the joy of the shepherds who learned about the birth of the Messiah, and the jubilant choir of angels singing "Glory to God in the highest," and the reverence of the Magi standing over the cradle of the Savior. Choirs and arias, narrating about the events of the Gospel, are united in the oratorio by recitations on behalf of the Evangelist.
Choir "Ehre Sei Gott In Der Höhe"("Gloria").
"Christmas Oratorio" (full version)
G.F. Handel. Scene "Prophecy of the Birth of Christ" from the oratorio "Messiah"
One of Handel's most famous works is the Hallelujah choir, which concludes the Messiah oratorio. The oratorio was created as an Easter piece and was first performed on Easter. However, after the death of the composer, the first of the three parts of the oratorio began to be performed much more often on the days before Christmas. This part is completely devoted to the Nativity of the Savior - from the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah to the appearance of angels to the shepherds.
No. 9. Aria viola and choir "O Thou That Tellest" [Is. 40: 9, 60: 1] Ascend to a high mountain, evangelizing Zion! Lift up thy voice with power, O Jerusalem preaching the good news! lift up, do not be afraid; say to the cities of Judah: Behold your God!
Arise, shine, [Jerusalem], for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen over you.
No. 12. Choir "For Unto Child is born" [Is. 9: 6] For a baby is born to us - a Son is given to us; dominion on His shoulders, and they will call His name: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.
A. Corelli. "Christmas concert grosso" (op. 6, no. 8)
Peru Arcangelo Corelli, whose work was highly appreciated by JS Bach and GF Handel, owns twelve Concerto grosso or "Great Concertos". This genre is based on the principle of "chiaroscuro", common in baroque music, of opposition: a small group of solo instruments (for Corelli these are two violins and a cello), as it were, opposed to the orchestra.
One of Corelli's grosso concerts is dedicated to Christmas. It is called “Christmas Concerto Grosso” or “Christmas Concert”.
P.I.Tchaikovsky. Ballet "Nutcracker"
The ballet The Nutcracker, which tells that Christmas Eve is a time of miracles, and that evil is always conquered by good and love, has remained loved by the public for over a hundred years. And the main reason for this is the magic music of Tchaikovsky. In The Nutcracker, the composer used an incredible variety of orchestral timbres - colors that depict the characters of characters and situations. For Tchaikovsky, music does not accompany the dance, but becomes its main element, thanks to which even the most fantastic and unreal heroes come to life and acquire character.
Full version:
Waltz of the Flowers:
P.I. Tchaikovsky. Opera "Cherevichki"
In "Cherevichki", written on the basis of the plot of Gogol's story "The Night Before Christmas", there are no fewer miracles than in "The Nutcracker". It is no coincidence that The Cherevichki is subtitled "comic-fantastic" opera: the fantastic world and the real world in the opera are intertwined as closely as in Gogol's story. Little Russian folklore, so beloved by Gogol, is also, of course, in Cherevichki. Tchaikovsky, composing this opera, widely used Ukrainian folk motives.
P.I. Tchaikovsky. "Christmastide (December)" from the cycle "Seasons"
Throughout 1876, each issue of the monthly St. Petersburg magazine "Nuvelist" published one piano piece by P.I. Tchaikovsky. The Seasons cycle was written by special order of the magazine's publisher. These are living pictures of Russian nature and life, the personification of the year-round circle of worries and holidays. The cycle ends with the play "Christmastide" - a light lyrical waltz that evokes thoughts of a Christmas tree and joyful preparations for one of the main holidays of the year.
N. Rimsky-Korsakov. Suite from the opera "Christmas Eve"
Twenty years after Tchaikovsky, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov turned to the plot of Gogol's story "The Night Before Christmas". After the premiere, the author was often reproached for the fact that the main semantic load in his opera was carried by symphonic and not vocal episodes. Meanwhile, it is in these episodes that the winter landscapes of Dikanka, the flight to the capital of Vakula, the dance of the stars are depicted ... These sound or, as the composer himself called them, "moving" pictures and the orchestral suite "Night before Christmas" consists.
V.I. Rebikov. Waltz from the opera "Christmas tree"
The opera "Christmas Tree" is based on two sad Christmas stories - "The Girl with Matches" by Andersen and "The Boy at Christ's on the Tree" by Dostoevsky. A little beggar woman begs for alms on the street on Christmas Eve. No one cares about her, everyone is in a hurry to go home to their relatives. The sounds of a waltz are heard from the windows - there are happy children dancing around the tree. And the girl gradually freezes, and she dreams of a luxurious hall with a huge Christmas tree. The Christmas tree turns into a huge staircase, along which the girl, surrounded by angels, ascends to heaven ...
R. Schumann. "Santa Claus" from the cycle "Album for Youth"
The children's play by Schumann in Russian translation called "Santa Claus" is actually called "Knecht Ruprecht". According to German legends, Knecht Ruprecht accompanies Saint Nicholas (who in the modern world has turned into Santa Claus) at Christmas. It was believed that Knecht Ruprecht asks children if they know how to pray. If the children know how to pray, then he gives them sweets, and if not, then the children receive only ugly and useless things: a piece of coal or a rotten piece of wood.
F. Liszt. "Christmas tree"
Liszt dedicated the piano cycle The Christmas Tree to his granddaughter Daniele von Bülow. This music belongs to the little-known page of the composer's work. Here Liszt seems to forget about his usual virtuosity. The pieces of the cycle are lyrical miniatures for performance in a home circle. The composer combines in them the religious and secular motives of the Christmas holiday, precisely defining the program of each piece in its title.
Old Christmas Carol: 2. Holy Night! 3. Shepherds at the manger 4. Adoration of the Magi 5. Light the Christmas tree! 6. Bell chime 7. Lullaby 8. Old Provencal Christmas song 9. Evening chime 10. In the old days 11. Hungarian march 12. Polonaise
The Nativity of Christ is one of the most beloved and long-awaited holidays for Christians all over the world. In our country, Christmas has not been celebrated for so long that people are accustomed to consider it more significant to celebrate the New Year. But time puts everything in its place - the country of the Soviets did not last even one century, and the third millennium has passed since the birth of Christ.
Fairy tale, music, expectation of a miracle - that's what Christmas is. And from that day, Christmastide began - mass festivities, gatherings, sleigh rides, fortune telling, funny dances and songs.
Christmas ceremonies and entertainment were always accompanied by music, and there was a place for both strict church chants and perky folk carols.
Plots related to Christmas have served as a source of inspiration for artists and composers at various times. It is impossible to imagine a huge layer of religious music by Bach and Handel without referring to events so significant for the Christian world, Russian composers Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov played on this theme in their fairy-tale operas and ballets, Christmas carols that appeared in the 13th century are still very popular in western countries.
Christmas classical music has its origins in church chants. In the Orthodox Church, to this day, the holiday begins with a bell chime and a troparion in honor of the Nativity of Christ, then the kontakion “The Virgin is giving birth to the most significant day” is sung. The troparion and kontakion reveal and sing the essence of the holiday.
The famous Russian composer of the 19th century D.S. Bortnyansky devoted much of his work to church singing. He advocated the preservation of the purity of sacred music, protecting it from the excesses of musical "decoration". Many of his works, including Christmas concerts, are still performed in Russian churches.
Tchaikovsky's sacred music occupies a separate niche in his work, although during the composer's life it caused a lot of controversy. Tchaikovsky was accused of the predominance of the secular principle in spiritual creativity.
However, speaking about the theme of Christmas in classical music, first of all, the masterpieces of Pyotr Ilyich come to mind, which are quite far from church music. These are the opera "Cherevichki" based on Gogol's story "The Night Before Christmas" and the ballet "The Nutcracker". Two completely different works - a story about evil spirits and a children's Christmas tale, are united by the genius of music and the theme of Christmas.
Christmas classical music is not limited to "serious genres". Songs, especially loved by people, can also be classified as classics. The world's most popular Christmas song "Jingle Bells" was born over 150 years ago. It can be considered a musical symbol of the New Year and Christmas holidays.
Today, the music of Christmas, having lost much of its ritualism, has retained the emotional message of the festive celebration. The famous movie "Home Alone" can be cited as an example. American film composer John Williams included several Christmas songs and psalms on the soundtrack. At the same time, the old music played in a new way, conveying an indescribable festive atmosphere (may the reader forgive the tautology).
Merry Christmas everyone!
Why was it necessary to write about the country of councils? The holiday of Christmas is holy, it should bring joy! But it is clear that the author is more important to express his opinion about the USSR than to reveal the declared topic.
As for the text, very sparingly! Not only did the musical material touch on nothing at all, but also touched on it only at the level of titles.
The Nativity of Christ is one of the most beloved and long-awaited holidays for Christians all over the world. In our country, Christmas has not been celebrated for so long that people are accustomed to consider it more significant to celebrate the New Year. But time puts everything in its place - the country of the Soviets did not last even one century, and the third millennium has passed since the birth of Christ.
Fairy tale, music, expectation of a miracle - that's what Christmas is. And from that day, Christmastide began - mass festivities, gatherings, sleigh rides, fortune telling, funny dances and songs.
Christmas ceremonies and entertainment were always accompanied by music, and there was a place for both strict church chants and perky folk carols.
Plots related to Christmas have served as a source of inspiration for artists and composers at various times. It is impossible to imagine a huge layer of religious music by Bach and Handel without referring to events so significant for the Christian world, Russian composers Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov played on this theme in their fairy-tale operas and ballets, Christmas carols that appeared in the 13th century are still very popular in western countries.
Christmas classical music has its origins in church chants. In the Orthodox Church, to this day, the holiday begins with a bell chime and a troparion in honor of the Nativity of Christ, then the kontakion “The Virgin is giving birth to the most significant day” is sung. The troparion and kontakion reveal and sing the essence of the holiday.
The famous Russian composer of the 19th century D.S. Bortnyansky devoted much of his work to church singing. He advocated the preservation of the purity of sacred music, protecting it from the excesses of musical "decoration". Many of his works, including Christmas concerts, are still performed in Russian churches.
Tchaikovsky's sacred music occupies a separate niche in his work, although during the composer's life it caused a lot of controversy. Tchaikovsky was accused of the predominance of the secular principle in spiritual creativity.
However, speaking about the theme of Christmas in classical music, first of all, the masterpieces of Pyotr Ilyich come to mind, which are quite far from church music. These are the opera "Cherevichki" based on Gogol's story "The Night Before Christmas" and the ballet "The Nutcracker". Two completely different works - a story about evil spirits and a children's Christmas tale, are united by the genius of music and the theme of Christmas.
Christmas classical music is not limited to "serious genres". Songs, especially loved by people, can also be classified as classics. The world's most popular Christmas song "Jingle Bells" was born over 150 years ago. It can be considered a musical symbol of the New Year and Christmas holidays.
Today, the music of Christmas, having lost much of its ritualism, has retained the emotional message of the festive celebration. The famous movie "Home Alone" can be cited as an example. American film composer John Williams included several Christmas songs and psalms on the soundtrack. At the same time, the old music played in a new way, conveying an indescribable festive atmosphere (may the reader forgive the tautology).
Merry Christmas everyone!
Why was it necessary to write about the country of councils? The holiday of Christmas is holy, it should bring joy! But it is clear that the author is more important to express his opinion about the USSR than to reveal the declared topic.
As for the text, very sparingly! Not only did the musical material touch on nothing at all, but also touched on it only at the level of titles.
Music lesson on the topic:
"Music of Christmas"
The purpose of the lesson: formation of students' knowledge about the Christmas holiday, about the cultural traditions of different countries.
Tasks:
further accumulation of listening experience: perception of Christmas compositions;
singing Christmas carols and carols;
developing the ability to analyze, compare and generalize spiritual and folklore Russian music;
development of creative thinking and initiative of students in the process of perceiving the music of Christmas;
development of the ability to operate with existing knowledge in the process of analyzing works of Russian sacred music and folklore.
teaching:
developing:
educational:
to acquaint children with the traditions of celebrating Christmas, the images-symbols of this holiday based on the gospel narrative, with the generally accepted version of the origin of the holiday and the peculiarities of its meeting in different countries of the world;
the formation of students' understanding of a single cultural space on the basis of combining in one lesson musical works as samples of the culture of different peoples.
Lesson type:- a lesson in communicating new knowledge.
Software: computer, audio equipment, piano
Didactic material:
Pupils' drawings;
P.I. Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Flowers (fragment from the ballet The Nutcracker);
F. Gruber "Silent Night" (Christmas Carol);
Troparion of the Nativity of Christ (detail);
During the classes.
Students enter the classroom to the music of P.I. Tchaikovsky from the ballet "The Nutcracker" ("Waltz of the Flowers")
Organizing time.
Hello guys.
How many recognized this piece of music? Who is its author?
/P.I. Tchaikovsky ballet "Nutcracker" /
What do you think our lesson will be about today?
/ new year, christmas /
Conversation about Christmas. Reading poems.
When is Christmas celebrated abroad and in Russia?
How many knows the Christmas story?
/ students' answers /
Christmas is a wonderful holiday that people around the world celebrate. Many works of art are dedicated to this event.
Name which ones?
/ poems, songs, icons, films /
What poems do you know about Christmas?
The teacher's story about the creation of the Christmas carol. Hearing and analysis
a piece of music (F. Gruber "Silent Night").
It was night in the modest apartment of the teacher Gruber. It was night there not only because no trees or lamps were lit in the apartment. It was night because recently they were struck by a great test: the only child, tiny Marichen, left, called by God to heaven. The father resigned himself to this departure, but this loss dealt such a blow to the mother's heart that she could not come to her senses. She couldn't cry. For days she remained motionless, absent from this world. In vain the teacher courageously enduring grief spoke to her many words of consolation and heartfelt admonition, in vain he surrounded her with caring courtesy and tenderness; the poor mother remained insensitive to everything, as if she were only a body without a soul, wandering in this world, which could give her nothing more.
On this Christmas night, Gruber, called upon by duty, went to the village church. With deep sadness, he looked with eyes wet with tears at the charming sight of children enveloped in joy. Then he returned to the cold gloom of his apartment. In the corner of the room, the mother, deeply seated in an armchair, looked like marble or ice. He tried to tell her about the service, but the answer was deathly silence.
Dejected at the fruitlessness of all efforts and attempts to bring back to life his grief-stricken wife, the poor teacher sat down at the open piano. How many times did his musical talent recall melodies that lull, comfort and draw to heaven, but what could he tell a poor friend that evening?
Gruber's fingers roamed the keys at random while his eyes searched the sky for some kind of vision. Suddenly they stopped at a star shining in the sky with an unknown brilliance! From there, from above, a ray of love descended, which filled the heart of the bereaved with such joy and such peace that he suddenly began to sing, improvising that clear melody that we repeat every Christmas. That evening, for the first time, a melody composed by Gruber was heard: Silent night, wonderful night. Everything is asleep ... Only the reverently young couple does not sleep ... "
There's a star in the sky! The school teacher, seeing her, seemed to call her with his singing to his sad apartment. And while singing it, the inconsolable mother wakes up and comes back to life! A shudder shakes her and breaks through the ice that bound her heart! A sob erupts from her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. She gets up, throws herself on her husband's neck, and together with him finishes the chant she had begun. She's saved!
Even that night, Brother Gruber ran 6 km to Pastor More and with him repeated the performance of this hymn. It was December 24, 1818.
Today this Christmas carol is sung all over the earth and in almost every language in the world.
Hearing of the Christmas prayer "Troparion of the Nativity of Christ".
So, if Christmas carols are sung in European countries, then in Russia the main Christmas music is a prayer called Troparion. Let's listen ...
Guys, what is TROPAR?
/ students' answers /
* Troparion (church) - chants in honor of an Orthodox holiday or saint. (S.I. Ozhegov)
Independent work of students with the text.
/ independent work with the text "Gifts of the Magi" (children's Bible) /
Worship of the sages .
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem and said: "Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." him. And, having gathered all the high priests and scribes of the people, he asked them: "Where should Christ be born?" they said to him: "In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet: you, Bethlehem, the land of Judah, are no less than the voivodships of Judah, for out of you will come a Leader who will safeguard my people, Israel ..." Then Herod, secretly summoning the wise men, found out from them the time of the appearance of the star and, sending them to Bethlehem, said: "Go, scout carefully about the Child and when you find it, notify me so that I can also go to worship Him." In fact, the king decided to kill the Infant, because he was afraid that He might take his throne in the future. The wise men, having heard the king, went. "And lo, the star that they saw in the east walked in front of them, when at last it came and stopped over the place where the Child was. Seeing the star, they rejoiced with great joy."
Arriving in Bethlehem, the wise men entered the house over which the star stopped. Seeing the Child with His mother Mary, they bowed to Him and, opening their treasures, brought Him gifts: gold, incense and myrrh.
Gifts are placed under the Christmas tree, where did this tradition come from?
What did the wise men bring to little Jesus?
Each of the gifts had a certain canonical meaning and served as a sign of Christ's recognition:
gold is a symbol of royal power;
incense (Lebanon) - recognition of his divinity;
myrrh is the recognition of his humanity.
* Incense - a fragrant substance obtained from the bark of the white tree in India and Arabia. Used for perfumes, incense, is part of incense (church incense).
* Smyrna - precious oil, balm, used for anointing
A conversation about an ancient ritual - kolyada.
So, Christmas has come….
How do people celebrate Christmas?
/ sing songs, dance, ride a hill, have fun /
What songs do people sing on Christmas? What are their names?
/ carols /
* Carol - an old Christmas and New Year's ritual song.
(S.I. Ozhegov)
What type of RNP can these songs be classified as?
/ ritual /
And what is the name of the ceremony itself? What is its essence?
/ rite - kolyada /
* Kolyada - an old Christmas and New Year rite, accompanied by a round of neighbors with a ritual song (S.I. Ozhegov)
Guys, what is the essence of this ceremony?
/ students' answers /
Singing Christmas carols.
In the last lesson, we learned carols. Let's do them together.
/ execution
carols familiar to students /
Reflection.
Today we will also decorate Christmas trees with you. You have Christmas trees on your desks, decorate them with balls of the color that matches your mood during the lesson.
Summing up the results of the students' activities in the lesson.
Today in the lesson you learned new words. Let's remember what they mean.
Our lesson has come to an end.
The layer of musical compositions dedicated to Christmas and New Year is huge - from folk carols and spiritual works to author's music. As for the actual Christmas music, its origins are spiritual hymns and Christmastide folk songs - carols, oats, and generosity.
Especially noteworthy are the excellent examples of Russian sacred and authorial music dedicated to Christmas, in particular, "Collection of Sacred and Musical Works and Arrangements" by Archpriest P.I. Turchaninov and "Glory to God in the highest: sticheron after the Gospel for Christmas" by D.S. Bortnyansky. It is impossible to ignore the works of P.I. Tchaikovsky on the theme of Christmas. They occupy a separate niche in his work, although during the composer's life they caused a lot of controversy. However, if we talk about the theme of Christmas in classical music, first of all, the masterpieces of Pyotr Ilyich come to mind, which are quite far from church music: the opera "Cherevichki" on the plot of Gogol's story "The Night Before Christmas" and the ballet "The Nutcracker". Two completely different works are united by the genius of music and the theme of Christmas and are classic examples of Russian author's music.
European Christmas music includes masses, oratorios, cantatas, symphonies, concerts, sonatas. For example, the story of the creation of Hector Berlioz's oratorio "Childhood of Christ" (L "enfance du Christ") is interesting. As the composer himself said, getting bored during a dinner party, he wrote a four-part piece. the author's name is Pierre Ducre. When the work grew into a three-part oratorio and its individual numbers were performed in concerts, Berlioz continued to hide his authorship for some time. , Adam Vaclav Michnu, Wolfgang Carl Brigel Among the first French musicians to address the theme of Christmas, Marc Antoine Charpentier, among the Italians we note Alessandro Scarlatti, Antonio Vivaldi, Arcangelo Corelli, Giuseppe Torelli, Francesco Manfredini, Pietro Locatelli (in the collections "Locatelli / Christmas concertos / Slovak Chamber Orchestra, Bohdan Warchal "," Weihnachtskonzert der Virtuosi Saxoniae. Manfredin i, Bach, Vejanovsky, Vivaldi, Torelli, Heinichen, Schmeltzer, Corelli "). As for German and Austrian music, the Christmas theme is found in the works of five Johannes: Schelle, Matteson, I.S. Bach and his son Johann Christoph Friedrich, Johann Heinrich Rolle, as well as Georg Gebel, Georg Telemann, and others. You can recall the beautiful Dutch edition of Bach's Christmas Oratorio (Bach. Weihnachts-oratorium. Chor und symphonie-or des bayeriscchen rundfunch. ); The "Christmas Mass" by the Czech composer Jan Jakub Ryba. Czech Christmas mass, a collection of Czech baroque music for Christmas, is also beautifully decorated.
Christmas classical music is not limited to "serious genres". Songs, especially loved by people, can also be classified as classics. The world's most popular Christmas song "Jingle Bells" was born over 150 years ago. It can be considered a musical symbol of the New Year and Christmas holidays. Today the music of Christmas, having lost much of its ritualism, has retained the emotional message of the festive celebration - as an example, you can recall the famous film "Home Alone": American film composer John Williams included several Christmas songs and psalms in the soundtrack canvas. At the same time, the old music began to play in a new way, conveying a unique festive atmosphere.
Among contemporary composers, I would like to especially note the member of the Union of Composers Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) and his "Christmas Oratorio", the premiere of which took place on December 17, 2007 in the National Cathedral Basilica of Washington - the most magnificent temple in America.
A. Mankov,
choir director of the male choir of the Trinity Cathedral in Klin
Photo: razebra.ru
The Christmas story in Russian and foreign literature
Author: Natalia Matsenova, Irina Filipova
The first stories with a Christmas theme appear in Russia in the middle of the 19th century after the famous Christmas Tales by Charles Dickens were translated into Russian. It is Dickens who is considered to be the genre's ancestor, although he was not the first author of Christmas stories.
Light of the star of bethlehem
Author: Archpriest Boris Balashov
And in remote eastern countries, the learned sages, called magi in the Gospel, observing the starry sky, discovered a sudden new bright star. From the place of her appearance in the sky, they realized that an extraordinary event had taken place in Judea: an extraordinary King was born. The Magi gathered on a long journey, taking with them expensive gifts: gold, which they presented to the kings as earthly rulers, incense - a fragrant tar, which they brought to God in temples, laying on burning coals, while everything was filled with an extraordinary fragrance. The third gift is myrrh, a special resin that slows down the processes of decomposition. It was used to coat the dead in order to keep their bodies from decay for longer in hot climates. It was all providential.
Reprinting on the Internet is permitted only if there is an active link to the site "".
Reprinting of site materials in printed editions (books, press) is allowed only if the source and author of the publication are indicated.