Weihnachtsoratorium

About

For over a decade, Ensemble Resonanz has been performing its own highly distinctive version of Bach's Christmas classic. Billed as "Bach's Christmas Oratorio as urban chamber music," the production strips away the traditional massive choir and large orchestra, reimagining the monumental baroque work as intimate house music among friends. The concert hall is conceptually transformed into a living room where the boundaries between instrumentalists and singers blur. The musicians of the ensemble take on the role of the choir, singing the chorales themselves. The instrumentation is radically pared down and modernized: while the original score's notes remain untouched, the continuo section is driven by an electric guitar and vintage keyboards (such as a Hammond organ), accompanied by baroque violas and a single trumpet. This unconventional approach aims to make the work groove and resonate with contemporary audiences while preserving the core of Bach's masterpiece.