# Oratorio de Noël

The Oratorio de Noël, Op. 12, by Camille Saint-Saëns, also known as his Christmas Oratorio, is a cantata-like work scored for soloists, chorus, organ, strings and harp. While an organist at La Madeleine, Saint-Saëns wrote the Christmas oratorio in less than a fortnight, completing it ten days before its premiere on Christmas 1858. The vocal score of this oratorio was prepared later by the composer and organist Eugene Gigout, a colleague of Saint-Saëns.

## Performing forces

The work is scored for five soloists (soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone), SATB mixed chorus, organ, harp, and strings in the standard five sections. The women of the chorus divide into four parts in one movement. The organ plays a significant role in the work, often playing alone, while the harp is limited to three movements.

## Text

Saint-Saëns chose several verses from the Latin Vulgate Bible for the text of the work. "While these texts are not from a single source, it is clear that the traditional church liturgies surrounding Christmas influenced Saint-Saëns. About half of the texts he chose match different portions of two Christmas Offices: the First Mass at Midnight and the Second Mass at Dawn." One author calls the work "a musical enhancement of the words of the [Christmas] Office, without interest in the human drama."
The narrative portion of the text, taken from the second chapter of St. Luke, appears in the second movement and tells the part of the traditional Christmas story involving the shepherds. The remainder of the texts, taken from John, Isaiah, Lamentations, and the Psalms, reflect upon the meaning and significance of the event.

## Structure and style

The Oratorio de Noël is structured in a way that "hardly exceeds the limits of a cantata, but musically is constructed in oratorio style." However, "its shorter length and the fact that it was intended for presentation during a worship service place it closer in character and purpose to a traditional sacred cantata." Its structure bears a greater resemblance to oratorios of the early Baroque than to later works of that genre.
Saint-Saëns divided the work into 10 movements, a prelude followed by nine vocal numbers. After the prelude, opening recitatives and chorus, the work gradually builds from a single soloist accompanied by a small ensemble to involve the entire instrumental and vocal forces. The full chorus sings in the second, sixth, and final movements and the women of the chorus accompany the tenor soloist in the fourth.
While there are brief episodes of grandeur in the solo parts and one frenetic section for the chorus, most of the work is subdued and lyrical in character. Saint-Saëns's study of the choral music of Bach, Handel, Mozart, Berlioz, and others had a great influence on the work, with the most significant influences being Part II of J. S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio and Gounod's St. Cecilia Mass.

## Movements

* Prélude (dans le style de Seb. Bach), for organ and strings
* Recitative: “Et pastores erant”, for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone soloists, organ and strings; Chorus: "Gloria in altissimis," for mixed chorus, organ and strings
* Air: "Exspectans expectavi," for Mezzo-soprano soloist, organ and strings
* Air and chorus: “Domine, ego credidi,” for Tenor soloist, women's chorus, organ and strings
* Duet: “Benedictus,” for Soprano and Baritone soloists, organ and harp
* Chorus: “Quare fremuerunt gentes,” mixed chorus, organ and strings
* Trio: “Tecum principium,” for Soprano, Tenor, and Baritone soloists, organ and harp
* Quartet: “Laudate coeli,” for Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Alto, and Baritone soloists, organ and strings
* Quintet and chorus: “Consurge, filia Sion,” for all five soloists, chorus, organ, strings, and harp
* Chorus: “Tollite hostias,” for mixed chorus, organ and strings

## Recordings

| Conductor | Soloists | Choir and orchestra | Organ | Harp | date | Label |
| Diethard Hellmann | Verena Schweizer, Soprano Edith Wiens, Soprano Helena Jungwirth, Alto Friederich Melzer, Ténor Kurt Widmer, Bass | Bachchor & Bachcorchester Mainz | Hans-Joachim Bartsch | Barbara Biermann | 1976 | Calig report Profil (Édition Günter Hänssler) 2005 |
| Sylvain Cambreling | Michèle Lagrange, Soprano Annie Tasset, Mezzo-soprano Georges Gauthier, Ténor Hanna Schaer, Contralto Paul Guigue, Baryton | Le Madrigal de Lyon Orchestre de Chambre de Lyon | Paul Coueffé | Germaine Lorenzini | 1981 | Arion Grand Prix de l'Académie du Disque Lyrique |
| Anders Eby | Anne Sophie von Otter, Mezzo-soprano Britt-Marie Aruhn, Soprano Erland Hagegård, Ténor Ulf Lundmark, Bass Ing-Mari Landin, Alto | Royal Opera Theater Orchestra Mikaeli Chamber Choir | Lars Hagström | Karin Langebo | 1981 | Proprius Musik AB 1994 |
| Piet Kiel Jr | Marja Pool, Alto Arthur Schildmeyer, Bass Hélène Verslot, Mezzo-soprano Wendela Bronsgeet, Soprano Jos Van Der Lans, Ténor | L'Estro Armonico | Piet Halsema | Frieda Kahn | 1983 | Larigot |
| Martin Flämig | Elisabeth Wilke Armin Ude Egbert Junghanns Annette Market Juta Zoff Ute Selbig | Dresdner Kreuzchor Dresdner Philarmonie | Michael-Christfried Winkler | | 1987 | Capriccio |
| Jean-Louis Petit | Claire Louchet, Soprano Marie-Madelein Lauvin, Mezzo-soprano Danielle Michel, Alto Hervé Lamy, Ténor Marc Thoron, Bass | Ensemble Polyphonique de Versailles Ensemble instrumental de Ville d'Avray | Jean-Michel Louchart | | 1993 | REM |
| Michael Weber | Hendrik Ritter, Ténor Steffen-Friedl-Schneider, Baritone Traudl Well, Soprano Andrea Forscher, Mezzo-soprano Ulla Teich, Alto | Cor der Evangelischen Gemeinde Hemsbach/sulzbach Lukas Kamerata Mannheim | Andreas Well | | 10/12/1995 | SFS |
| Alexandros Myrat | Julia Souglakou Marina Fideli, mezzo-soprano Marina Ferreira Vanghelis Hatzisimos, tenor Christoforos Stabogli, bass | Greek Radio and Television Choir La Camerata | Martin Haselböck | Ion Ivan-Roncea | 1997 | DOM |
| Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen | Tinebeth Hartkopf, Soprano Bolette Bruno Hansen et Lilly Schulz, Mezzo-soprano June Lund, Ténor Lars Fentz Krogh, Bass | Logumkloster Vokal Ensemble | Bent Sorensen | Joost Schelling | 1998 | CD Scandinavian Classics |
| Jörg-Hannes Hahn | Anna Maria Friman, Soprano Aleksandra Lustig, Mezzo-soprano Patricia Wagner, Alto Andreas Wagner, Tenor Tobias Schabel, Bass | Cantus Stuttgart Bachchor Stuttgart Bachorchester Stuttgart | Peter Kranfoed Rie Hiroe-Lang | | 2005 | Cantate |
| Holger Speck | Antonia Bourvé, Soprano Gundula Schneider, Mezzo-soprano Sabine Czinczel, Alto Marcus Ullman, Ténor Jens Hamann, Baritone | Vocalensemble Rastatt Les Favorites | Romano Giefer | | 2006 | Carus |
| Ralf Otto | Simona Houda-Šaturová, soprano Regina Pätzer, mezzo-soprano Anke Vondung, alto Hans Jörg Mammel, tenor Florian Boesch, baritone | Bachchor Mainz L'arpa festante | Petra Morath-Pusinelli | Françoise Friedrich | 2008 | Deutsche Harmonia Mundi |
| Tim Keyes | Justin Connors, Ténor Victoria Lotkowictz, Mezzo-soprano Gary Gavula, Baritone Elisa Rush, Soprano | The Keyes Consort | | | 2008 | ALLMUSIC PLAY VOD |
| Roberto Molinelli | | Orchestra da Camera delle Marche Coro Colombati Città di Pergola | | | 2009 | You Tube TheRMstaff |
| Christoph Poppen | Ruth Ziesak, Soprano Anja Schlosser, Mezzo-soprano Claudia Mahnke, Mezzo-soprano James Taylor, Ténor Nikolai Borchev, Baritone | Saarbrücken, Chor & Orchestra | | | 2008 | DVD 16222 |

## Literature

* Music, David W. (1998). "Camille Saint-Saëns's Christmas Oratorio: Description, Accessibility, Comparison". The Choral Journal. 39 (5). American Choral Directors Association: 49–53. ISSN 0009-5028. JSTOR 23552680.
* Barrow, Lee G. (2014). Camille Saint-Saëns, Christmas Oratorio. BarGraphica. ISBN 978-1-4973-9389-9.