Bach - Christmas Oratorio

Martin Lattke (The Evangelist)
& Carolyn Sampson (soprano) etc
Leipzig Gewandhausorchester & Dresdner Kammerchor/Riccardo Chailly

Decca 478 2271 [2 discs]

Modern instruments and suitably sized forces made for successful performances of these six cantatas, given in Leipzig on 7 & 8 January 2010 and well recorded by Decca's engineers.

Riccardo Chailly demonstrates that vivid, stylistically aware performance is not the exclusive preserve of period instrument ensembles and the release can be welcomed with enthusiasm.

Peter Grahame Woolf