Christmas oratorio Kurt Thomas 1951

Matthieu Drion wrote (April 16, 2004):
First: sorry for my poor English!

My Father learned me about Bach when I was about 3 or 4 old with the 1951 Kurt Thomas recording of the Christmas Oratorio.

Ok! this record is far...far.. away from the XXIst century records.... but it is my "Petite Madeleine de Proust"....!

My vinyl Disc is now completely out of Work and I can't find this Record any more...

Does anybody help me with modern Support Recording of this version, eventually by internet import.

Thank you very much

Riccardo Nughes wrote (April 16, 2004):
[To Matthieu Drion] If you're referring to the Thomas L'Oyseau Lire recording featuring Detmold Academy Chorus & Orchestra / Collegium Pro Arte, Soprano - Gunthild Weber, Contralto - Lore Fischer, Tenor - Heinz Marten, Bass - Horst Günter, AFIK it has not been reissued on CD.

The 1958 recording is available on CD at amazon.de

Matthieu Drion wrote (April 16, 2004):
[To Riccardo Nughes] Thank you Riccardo

But the 1958 recording is a little faster interpretation.

David Glenn Lebut Jr. wrote (April 17, 2004):
[To Matthieu Drion] I know that Berlin Classics has the Thomas Weinachtsoratorium and also it is included in Volume II of the "Bach: Made in Germany" series.

I, too, champion the old Thomaskantoren. Especially when it comes to Bach's music.

Matthieu Drion wrote (April 17, 2004):
[To David Glenn Lebut Jr.] Thank yoy David.

K. Thomas WO (was multiple aria singers in the JP)

Yoël L. Arbeitman wrote (March 6, 2007):
Bradley Lehman wrote:
<< As far as I know there is no reason to have more than one soloist each for the SATB arias in the JP. >>
< Beyond an admirable musical goal of having different singers deployed according to their strengths? >
That might be an admirable goal in either standard or in OVPP/TVPP performances but for the most part a performance is lucky to have one first rate singer. I have just listened to the Kurt Thomas WO with four of the most amazing singers ever in one performance. Most likely Bach would be surprised at this quartet.

I also like this performance's Thomaschor very much. It is a long time since I first listened to this performance which I first acquired on LPs on the selfsame day I first acquired the Gillesberger JP. I was very much unsympathetic to this old type of performance (as the Thomas) at that time. Now having gotten it on CDs bc. I am a total Traxelite these days, I fully confess to taking a fine performance of the HIP style on its terms and an amazing performance like this on its terms.

The question to me is whether the performance is magical. I have listened to a number of performances of various Bach vocal works with multiple soloists and have been very unhappy for the most part. Now I fully accept that others will dislike what I like and vice versa and that I will like at one period what I don't at another.

Richard Raymond wrote (March 7, 2007):
[To Yoël L. Arbeitman] Don't you think that in WO by K. Thomas, the tempo of "Jauchzet, Frohlocket" is too slow ? And the first trumpet is abominable...The soloists are remarkable, but I prefer K. Thomas' 1950 first recording, on OL-LD-40/42.