I have been enjoying a boxed set of J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio, under the late Karl Richter. This a three disc set with a wonderful quartet of soloists now long left us. This work contains six Christmas cantatas, they are usually performed now in a single concert. Bach wrote these to be performed during Sunday's and feasts of the Christmas season. It is sometimes referred to as Bach's Messiah. Although now the work is performed at one concert event, it was not written with that intent unlike Handel's Messiah.
I bought this set about 60 years ago, and it still plays just fine. It was really well recorded. I have always held Karl Richter in great esteem. I have a number of versions of this work in CD sets, but I think this is possibly my favorite.
