Bach: Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		2.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Bach: Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 15, 2014

We may not even be to Halloween yet, but chances are your local department store is already stuffed full of Christmas offerings. If you don’t mind engaging in a little rampant consumerism yourself, at least if it has a spiritual side to it, this new Blu-ray of Bach’s immortal Christmas Oratorio presents the dean of period music conductors John Eliot Gardiner in a 1999 performance, part of his epic year long quest to perform Bach’s liturgical music on a weekly basis. The video component here is fairly problematic (more about that below), but the music is glorious and might help to put you in a festive mood, even if your decorations are still tucked away in your attic.

As effortlessly ebullient as Bach's Eastertide Passions are solemn, the Christmas Oratorio contains a gorgeous balance of instrumental, solo and choral movements. Working with his Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists, as well as vocalists Claron McFadden, Christoph Genz, Bernarda Fink and Dietrich Henschel, Gardiner crafts a moving, musically literate performance that is surprisingly dramatic and heartfelt. With elegantly clear instrumental lines supporting virtually every piece in this monumental work, this performance makes any day spent listening to it a special kind of holiday.

Bach: Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bach: Christmas Oratorio is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of EuroArts with an AVC encoded 1080i transfer in 1.78:1. It seems fairly clear that this was sourced from older video and is therefore an upscale, but I have no definitive information on this and so have not indicated this as an upconvert in the specs above (if any enterprising member has definitive information, pass it along and I will update the review). This is a pretty ragged looking presentation, one rife with digital sharpening (suggesting this was perhaps sourced from a DVD master), with haloing appearing virtually nonstop throughout. The image is slightly unstable, weaving and bending at the edges. Colors are a bit on the anemic side, but close-ups at least have a bare minimum of detail.

Bach: Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Luckily, there are no similar problems with either of this Blu-ray's audio options, LPCM 2.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The 5.1 mix offers stunning clarity and good spaciousness, with Bach's alternately languid and energetic reed lines interweaving with burnished brass and slighlty secco sounding strings to gorgeous effect. Voices are delivered very cleanly and are well prioritized in the mix. On just a couple of occasions, the choral moments become slightly buried in the orchestral grandeur, but overall this is a really appealing sonic treat.

Bach: Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction to the Christmas Oratorio (480i; 25:56) looks like it's culled from a television special detailing Gardiner's record breaking once a week performances of Bach's liturgical music starting in 1999. Gardiner is copiously interviewed and offers some interesting insight into this piece.


• John Eliot Gardiner in Saxony and Thuringia (480i; 26:10)

Bach: Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

My advice is simply view (or not view so to speak, considering what I'm about to say) this release as an audio Blu-ray. The image quality is pretty unappealing, but the audio is fantastic. The supplemental material is also very good. Despite the inadequate video component, Bach: Christmas Oratorio comes Recommended.