Gottfried August Homilius Die Freude der Hirten über die Geburt Jesu. Weihnachtsoratorium

Gottfried August Homilius, the son of a pastor, was born in Rosenthal (Saxony) on 2 February 1714. In May 1735 he enrolled as a law student at Leipzig University. Likewise, it was probably at this time that Homilius was a pupil of Johann Sebastian Bach; the latter fact had been attested to by Johann Adam Hiller. Apart from Bach, Homilius also had contact with Johann Schneider, a Bach pupil and organist at the Nicolaikirche, for whom he also substituted. After unsuccesfully applying for a post as organist in Bautzen, Homilius was appointed organist at the Dresden Frauenkirche in 1742. In 1755 Homilius succeeded Theodor Christlieb Reinhold as Kreuzkantor and music director of the three main churches in Dresden, a position that he occupied until his death on 2 June 1785. Personal details

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The Sächsisches Vocalensemble, founded by Matthias Jung, is known for its model performances of early music, its stylistic reliability, virtuosity and emotional depth. One of the ensemble’s particular concerns is the performance of unknown or seldom performed compositions written for the Dresden court. The interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach’s oeuvre has attracted international attention – their recording of his motets was awarded the Cannes Classical Award. The ensemble also focuses on music of the contemporary era. The ensemble regularly performs at renowned festivals; concert tours have taken them to France, the Czech Republic, Poland, Italy and Japan. Numerous radio recordings attest to their outstanding musicianship. Furthermore, the ensemble’s CDs include recordings of works by Schütz, Bouzignac, Telemann, Lotti, Hasse, Sarri, Feo, Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Schumann and Pepping, as well as with middle German Christmas cantatas. A CD containing Petr Eben’s sacred choral music was released in 2013. Personal details

Ludwig Güttler is one of today’s leading virtuosi on the trumpet and corno da caccia. Through his wide and diverse range of interests he has also achieved worldwide renown as a conductor, scholar, promoter, and patron. After studying in Leipzig, he was appointed principal trumpet in the Handel Festival Orchestra, Halle, in 1965. He held a similar position in the Dresden Philharmonic from 1969 to 1980. He has taught at the International Music Seminar in Weimar and as Professor at the Musikhochschule Dresden. He directs opera productions and master classes, and is a regular jury member at leading competitions. As a soloist and conductor, Ludwig Güttler has an enthusiastic following both in Germany and abroad. He has made over fifty highly-acclaimed recordings, where he is featured as a chamber musician, soloist, and conductor. Since the early 1980s he has had a particular interest in the revival of 18th century Saxon court music. Thanks to Güttler’s researches the concert repertoire has been enriched by numerous forgotten or previously unknown works of this period. Following an analysis of the materials used in early instruments, Ludwig Güttler made a considerable contribution to the new development of the corno da caccia. In 1976 he founded the Leipzig Bach-Collegium, in 1978 the Ludwig Güttler Brass ensemble and in 1985 the chamber orchestra Virtuosi Saxoniae, of which he is director and soloist. For the last twenty years, choral symphonic concerts which he directs and guest conducts have formed an increasing part of his activities. Ludwig Güttler has received numerous awards for his many achievements. He was awarded the Record Prize of the Deutsche Phonoakademie Hamburg in 1983 for the “Discovery of the Year,” and in 1989 the Frankfurt Music Prize for exceptional achievements in his specialist area, as well as in national and international musical life. As chairman of the committee of the Society to Support the Reconstruction of the Frauenkirche Dresden, he was awarded the first national prize from the German National Foundation in 1997. In 2000 he received the Claus Brendel Prize for his meritorious service to the works of Johann Adolf Hasse. In March 2006, Ludwig Güttler was awarded the German Fundraising Prize for his dedicated contribution to the reconstruction of the Frauenkirche Dresden. In September 2007 he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit by President Horst Köhler, and in November 2007, was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Personal details

The soprano Christiane Kohl was born in Frankfurt am Main. After completing her schooling she studied at the Salzburg Mozarteum, graduating with distinction in 2003. She has won prizes at several international competitions and she made her stage debut at the 2001 Salzburg Festival. In 2002 she became a permanent member of the company at the Zurich opera house, and there she has been heard in many roles ranging from Mozart by way of Puccini to Shostakovich. This young singer has appeared in many concerts at such venues as the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, the KKL in Lucerne, and the Berlin Philharmonie. Personal details

Annette Markert, born in Thuringia, studied at the Musikhochschule “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” in Leipzig, was engaged by the opera companies in Halle and Leipzig, and since 1996 has been a free-lance opera and concert singer. This mezzo-soprano has sung with the New York Philharmonic and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under Kurt Masur, with the Vienna Philharmonic under Philippe Herreweghe and the International Bachakademie Stuttgart under Helmuth Rilling. She has also sung regularly with the Dresden Kreuzchor and the Leipzig Thomanerchor. For her participation in Handel operas she was awarded the Händel-Preis of the city of Halle. A wide range of CD productions, some with Ton Koopman and Ludwig Güttler, round off her activities. Personal details

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Tobias Berndt began his musical education in the Dresden Kreuzchor. He studied with Christian Polster in Leipzig and continued his training with Rudolf Piernay in Mannheim. He also studied with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Thomas Quasthoff. He was a laureate in numerous renowned singing competitions, winning – among others – the International Das Lied Competition in Berlin, the International Brahms Competition and the Cantilena Singing Competition. Tobias Berndt has also established himself abroad as an opera and concert singer. He has collaborated with conductors such as Philippe Herreweghe, Helmuth Rilling, Frieder Bernius, Teodor Currentzis, Marcus Creed, Hans-Christoph Rademann, Andrea Marcon, Marek Janowski and Sir Roger Norrington and has performed at the Berliner Philharmonie, the Tonhalle in Zurich, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires and at Lincoln Center in New York. He has also performed at important festivals such as the Prague Spring, the Rheingau Musik Festival, the Händel Festivals in Göttingen und Halle, the Bachfest Leipzig, the Oregon Bach Festival and the International Music Festival in Peking. An extensive discography attests to his versatile artistic activities. Personal details