Sound of Winter Werfenweng
Johann Sebastian Bach: Christmas Oratorio, Cantatas I, II, IV and VI
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio in the mountains of Salzburg – between Hohenwerfen Castle, the Eisriesenwelt ice caves and the high plateau of Werfenweng.
The film sets the Christmas story in the landscape around Werfen and Werfenweng: the high plateau of Werfenweng, the karst peaks of the Tennengebirge, Hohenwerfen Castle and the Eisriesenwelt ice caves. A region of contrasts – shaped for centuries by scarcity and hard work, and at the same time of great beauty.
At its centre are four cantatas from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, recorded in the parish church of Werfen, where the first Sound of Winter Werfenweng concert took place on 8 December 2018. The Bach Consort Wien plays under Rubén Dubrovsky, together with the Bachchor Salzburg; the soloists are Sophie Karthäuser, Katharina Magiera, Michael Schade and Christian Immler. Texts by Rainer Maria Rilke link the parts.
The search for shelter in the Christmas story becomes a search for places of calm and community – at a time of year that is often dominated by haste.
Facts
- Work
- Johann Sebastian Bach: Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248, Cantatas I, II, IV and VI
- Locations
- Werfen parish churchHohenwerfen CastleEisriesenwelt WerfenWerfenweng
- First broadcast
- ORF III, 16 December 2018
- Running time
- 93 min.
Credits
- Script
- Martin Pichl, Veronika Zimmermann
- Artistic advice
- Philippe Arlaud
- Director and editor
- Volker Werner
- Camera
- Herbert Kunst, Peter Penz, Jörg Prandler, Wolfgang Rauch, Franz Reichelt, Helmut Wimmer, Steven Yanko
- Lighting design
- Patrick Suppan
- Sound
- Thomas Lang, David Menke, Ulrich WagnerPost-productionBenjamin Wuthe
- Music
- Bach Consort WienMusical directionRubén DubrovskyBachchor Salzburg (chorus master: Alois Glaßner)
- Soloists
- Sophie Karthäuser (soprano)Katharina Magiera (mezzo-soprano)Michael Schade (tenor)Christian Immler (baritone)
- Commissioning editor
- Lisa Jeitler
- Executive producer
- Martin Pichl
- Co-production
- ORF III and SCARLATTI Arts international
- World sales
- ORF-Enterprise
Partners
