Christmas Story (Schütz) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christmas Story |
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| by Heinrich Schütz | |
The composer, c. 1650–60, by Christoph Spetner
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| Native name | Historia der Geburt Jesu Christi |
| Catalogue | SWV 435 |
| Form | Historia |
| Occasion | Christmas |
| Text | Nativity by Luke and Matthew |
| Language | German |
| Performed | 1660: Dresden, Court Chapel |
| Published | 1664 (partly) |
| Scoring | Soloists, choir and orchestra |
The Christmas Story (also known as Weihnachtshistorie), SWV 435, is a special musical piece by the famous German composer Heinrich Schütz. It tells the story of Jesus' birth, just like it's found in the Bible. Schütz probably first showed this music in 1660 in Dresden, Germany. Its full German title is Historia der Geburt Jesu Christi, which means "Story of the Birth of Jesus Christ". It's a beautiful way to hear the Christmas story through music!
What is the Christmas Story?
This musical work is called a Historia. This means it's a musical version of a Bible story, meant to be performed during a church service. It's like a play with music that helps people understand the Gospel reading. Schütz had written another "Historia" before this one, about the Resurrection, back in 1623.
The Christmas Story was likely first performed during a Christmas service. This happened at the court chapel of Johann Georg II, who was the ruler of Saxony in Dresden. Schütz even mentioned him in the long title of the piece, saying it was created "on an order by Johann Georg the Second."
The Story's Words
The words for the Christmas Story come mostly from the Bible. Schütz used the German translation by Martin Luther. He took parts from both the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Matthew.
The story is told by a narrator called the Evangelist. Other characters appear in eight short sections called Intermedium (interlude). These characters include:
- An angel speaking to the shepherds
- A group of angels
- The shepherds
- The wise men
- Priests and scribes
- King Herod
- An angel speaking to Joseph (twice)
The piece begins with a choir singing an Introduction and ends with a Conclusion. The words for the Conclusion come from an old Christmas poem.
Schütz agreed to have parts of his music published in 1664. He thought his work could only be performed well by "ducal chapels," meaning groups of musicians connected to royal families. However, he also offered copies of the music for sale if someone asked. The complete music for the Christmas Story was later found in a library in Sweden in 1908.
Who Sings and What Instruments Play?
The Christmas Story uses different singers and instruments. It has solo singers and a choir with up to six voice parts. It also uses an orchestra with instruments from the Baroque period.
Some of the instruments used include:
- Two violins
- Two violas da gamba (an old string instrument)
- Two recorders
- Two trumpets
- Two trombones
- A basso continuo (a group of instruments that play the bass line and chords)
The whole performance takes about 45 minutes.
Schütz composed this work when he was 75 years old. Even at that age, he showed amazing skill. The music feels calm and peaceful, perhaps because Schütz had traveled a lot and lived through the difficult Thirty Years' War.
The Evangelist, who narrates the story, is sung by a tenor singer. He sings in a style called secco recitative, which is like musical speech. This style was later used by other composers like Bach. Schütz used this Italian style to set Luther's German words. The music historian Michael Zwiebach noted that the music has "unexpected twists that emphasize particular words."
Different characters are accompanied by different instruments:
- The angel sings with two violins.
- The shepherds sing as a trio, accompanied by peaceful recorders.
- The wise men sing as a trio, accompanied by violins.
- The priests sing as a quartet, accompanied by trombones.
- King Herod is accompanied by trumpets, which shows his worldly power.
