Christmas is one of the most beloved and long-awaited holidays for Christians around the world. In our country, Christmas was not celebrated for such a long time that people used to think that the New Year meeting was more significant. But time puts everything in its place - the country of the Soviets did not last even a century, and since the birth of Christ the third millennium has already passed.
Tale, music, waiting for a miracle - that's what Christmas is. And from that day began Christmas time - a mass festivities, gatherings, sleigh rides, fortune telling, funny dances and songs.
Christmas rituals and entertainment were always accompanied by music, and the place was for both strict church chants and fervent folk carols.
Plots related to Christmas served as an inspiration for artists and composers who worked at the most different times. A huge stratum of religious music by Bach and Handel cannot be imagined without resorting to events so significant for the Christian world, Russian composers Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov played on this theme in their fabulous operas and ballets, which were still in the XIII century, are still very popular in western countries.
Christmas music and Orthodox Church
Christmas classical music takes its origins in church chants. In the Orthodox Church to this day, the holiday begins with a bell chime and a troparion in honor of the Nativity of Christ, and then the kontakion is sung: "The Virgin is with the most powerful child". Troparion and kondak open and celebrate the essence of the holiday.
Famous Russian composer of the XIX century D.S. Bortnyansky largely devoted his work to church singing. He advocated the preservation of the purity of sacred music, protecting it from the excesses of musical "embellishment". Many of his works, including Christmas concerts, still sound in Russian churches.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Tchaikovsky's sacred music occupies a separate niche in his work, although during the composer's lifetime, it caused a lot of controversy. Tchaikovsky was accused of the predominance of secular principles in spiritual creativity.
However, speaking of the theme of Christmas in classical music, the masterpieces of Pyotr Ilyich, rather far from church music, first of all come to mind. This is the opera "The Cherevichka" on the plot of Gogol's novel "The Eve before Christmas" and the ballet "The Nutcracker". Two completely different works - the narration of evil spirits and the children's Christmas tale, are combined by the genius of music and the theme of Christmas.
Modern classic
Christmas classical music is not limited to "serious genres." Songs, especially loved by people, can also be attributed to the classics. The most popular worldwide Christmas song "Jingle Bells" was born more than 150 years ago. It can be considered a musical symbol of the New Year and Christmas holidays.
Today, the music of Christmas, having lost much of its ritualism, has retained the emotional message of the festive celebration. An example is the famous film "Home Alone". American film composer John Williams included some Christmas songs and psalms on the soundtrack. The old music played in a new way, conveying an indescribable festive atmosphere (forgive the reader for the tautology).
Merry Christmas!
Author - Sue Mack
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