Patterico's Pontifications

12/24/2018

Music for Christmas Eve: Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 (Plus Bonus Music!)

Filed under: Bach Cantatas,General,Music — Patterico @ 12:01 pm



It is Christmas Eve. Today’s Bach piece is his Christmas Oratorio:

Today’s Gospel reading is Luke 2:1-14, (15-20). I usually use the New International Version for Gospel readings, but I’ll be relying on the King James Version for this passage, for reasons I will explain:

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

When I sang in the Sage Chapel Choir (an institution that has unfortunately since been disbanded) at Cornell University, the choir was led by the late Donald Patterson. He would read this passage at the Christmas Eve service, and in his gravelly bass voice he would put a particular aggrieved sort of emphasis on the word “taxed.” As if it was an outrage that all the world should be taxed. I’ll never forget his voice reading those words, and so I cannot sanction the New International Version’s interpretation of the passage as “Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.” Where’s the fun in that??

Similarly, Professor Patterson’s voice would shake with drama on the words “sore afraid” in this line: “And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.” I will not be replacing that language with “and they were terrified.” Sorry not sorry.

The text of today’s piece is available here. It contains (among many passages) these words:

Es begab sich aber zu der Zeit,
dass ein Gebot von dem Kaiser Augusto ausging,
dass alle Welt geschätzet würde.

Which translates as:

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

My italics. I raise a glass to you, Professor Patterson!

I’m going to give you a couple of bonus pieces of music this evening. The first goes with Luke’s words quoting the angel of the Lord: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Here is Handel’s aria “For unto us a child is born” from Messiah:

And as a final bonus, here’s Jay Semko singing his quirky version of his song “It’s Christmas Eve”:

Happy listening! Soli Deo gloria.

[Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.]

24 Responses to “Music for Christmas Eve: Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 (Plus Bonus Music!)”

  1. Well considering how hated tax collectors w ere regarded one can imagine how big the levee was

    Narciso (d1f714)

  2. Funny, isn’t it, how the new hip SJW talking point is that Mary and Joseph were “refugees” that night in Bethlehem. I too have delighted to countering that, no, they were simply subjects of Caesar forced to pay onerous taxes to a distant land in the hopes that some of it trickled back to Nazareth.

    JVW (30a532)

  3. In about two hours I will be at Mass and the reading from 2 Luke will likely use the following construction:

    In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled.

    This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

    So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.

    Leave it to The Vatican to try and split the difference. “Enrolled.” Sheesh.

    Merry Christmas everyone.

    JVW (30a532)

  4. Exactly, now they fled to Egypt which was technically a different province.

    Narciso (6a6352)

  5. It’s census. That’s what απογραφη translates to. The Romans used publicans to tax their subject peoples; and the publicans went to where the money was, they didn’t wait for the money to come to them. But it’s nice that you reverence your old professor, Patterico.

    nk (dbc370)

  6. Not that the census was not for the purposes of taxation so that Augustus could know how many heads were being taxed and the publicans were not cheating him. It certainly was not for the apportionment of Congressional districts. So enrollment would also be a fair construction, like getting a Social Security number.

    nk (dbc370)

  7. Nobody wishes you all a merry Christmas more than me.

    A big, beautiful Christmas.

    The best Christmas, believe me.

    Dave (1bb933)

  8. That would make for a busy guest room

    https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-46650911

    Narciso (d1f714)

  9. Just for you, Narciso, the Sanctus in Aramaic, as preserved in the Targums of Yonatan and Onkelos.

    Um’kablin dain min daim v’omrim
    Kadish b’shmai m’romah eela’ah bait shekinatai, kadish al arah ovad g’vuratai, kadish l’alam u’lalmai almayah, Adon-ai tza’ot, malyah kul aryah zir y’karai

    And they recieve one from another, and say
    Holy in the highest, most sublime heavens, the abode of His Divine Presence; holy upon earth, the work of his might; holy forever and to all eternity, is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is filled with the radiance of His glory.

    U’taltani rucha u’sh’ma-it bat’ra kal ze’ah sagee dem’shabachin v’omrin, br’ich y’kara d’Adonai mai’atar bait shekinatai.

    And a wind lifted me and I heard behind me a mighty thunderous sound of those who utter praises and say, Blessed be the glory of the Lord from the place, the abode of His Divine Presence.

    Adonai malchutai k’aim l’alam u’l’almai almayah.

    The soveriegnity of the Lord is established forever and to all eternity.

    Christianity takes the response to “Holy, etc”, Isaiah’s vision of the angels affirming God’s Immanence,to be the “Benedictus”. Judaism uses the passage in Ezekiel in which the angels affirm His Transcendence.

    Kishnevi (836963)

  10. Well holy is perfect, whereas transcendence is about being beyond this world. Which could be taken as perfect.

    Narciso (d1f714)

  11. Blessed be He Who Comes…The idea is that God is an outside force which enters our lives.

    Whereas in Judaism the Immanence and Transcendence are merely two sides of the same coin, for He is outside, and inside, all at once, and all existence is really His Existence.

    Kishnevi (836963)

  12. Yes but he lies outside it, on another plane of existence,

    Narciso (d1f714)

  13. But that is just it: there is no plane of existence to which He is outside, only planes of existence which seem to be outside Him but are not. Nothing exists apart from Him, and it is only His Will which allows us to experience things as if they are not existing in Him. But in truth there is no existence which is not His Existence, and that is why we say of Him He is One, for only He truly Exists.

    Kishnevi (836963)

  14. Correct, but we mistake our squalid little world for the Glory that is his, and we have to worship the former as in nature.

    Narciso (d1f714)

  15. “Blessed is He who Comes” comes from the Psalms, of course. The Christian idea of a servant-deliverer (as well as the accompanying idea of a suffering and wayward people needing rescue) roots itself in Judaism, particularly Isaiah.

    JRH (fe281f)

  16. or, roots itself in the Old Testament, I should have said.

    JRH (fe281f)

  17. Indeed, the connection to Isiah is not remarked upon enough.

    Narciso (d1f714)

  18. While I can certainly dig the precept of “taxation is theft,” the KJ use of “taxed” seems to be unique. While NIV uses a “census” wording, NKJ uses the term “registered,” and RSV describes the desire of Caesar that the world should be “enrolled.”

    Additionally, in verse 14, a multitude of the heavenly host proclaim “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” NIV describe the proclamation as “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” While NKJ uses the wording “…and on earth peace, good will toward men,” RSV gives us “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.”

    Merry Christmas to all. Let me leave you with Isaiah 11:6 “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and the little child will lead them.”

    tmm (3d89bc)

  19. it really does suggest the supernatural element, because man in off himself, going back to the fall, is not naturally peaceful, hence as Isiah notes, jesus would be put to death by those he came to redeeem

    narciso (d1f714)

  20. 20
    Full article for subscribers only…
    He was also into alchemy and what we now call Bible codes, and apparently rejected the idea of the Trinity.

    Kishnevi (e7eb75)

  21. If Wikipedia is accurate, YNET is off on one thing, at least. Wikipedia says he thought The End would be no earlier than 2060, but did not know a precise date, and criticized people who tried to calculate the End Date.

    Kishnevi (e7eb75)

  22. Well that’s clearly spelled out in Matthew 24, there is a penchant to preach on say Ezekiel or Daniel at the expense of other more relevant tomes

    Narciso (d1f714)


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