Schutz's ever-popular Christmas Story continues to hold audiences and to attract singers and players alike. These two new recordings from the Continent compete on equal terms with two recent performances by English consorts, the Taverner (EMI) and the King's (Hyperion). Rene Jacobs introduces his Concerto Vocale version with a stately, unhurried account of the opening Sinfonia, firmly dominated by the solemn tones of the brass. After this opening the speed and lightness of subsequent items may come as something of a surprise. In particular, the Shepherds' Chorus with three high male voices, recorders and dulcian has a thrust and brilliance well calculated to describe the excitement with which the youths hasten to Bethlehem. Speed and precision also characterize the coming of the Wise Men with their shimmering star (semiquavers on ''Stern''), though I doubt whether many camel trains could have moved through the night with such alacrity, even if led by such an energetic, good-humoured and extrovert instrument as the dulcian. Concern for authenticity of performance practice has been a guiding principle in all four recordings, particularly in the choice and use of instruments. In the case of Bernius's Stuttgart performance the insert-notes even give precise details of the individual instruments used, most of them recent copies, by present-day craftsmen, of famous baroque originals.
Bernius takes his Sinfonia at a faster tempo than Jacobs and so does Parrott (Taverner). King takes it at a steady andante. In each case reconstruction was necessary, working from the figured bass to replace the missing choral parts and the orchestration. In Bernius's performance one is struck at once by the pleasing depth and resonance of the acoustics—just sufficient, so that the Evangelische Kirche in Gonningen was clearly a good choice of venue.
Among the soloists, the part of the Evangelist is all-important: he holds the entire fabric together as he tells the story. Bernius's Evangelist is outstanding, with an ability to convey and sustain intense drama as well as tender sympathy. Mark Hummel (Concerto Vocale) is also an excellent narrator, whose inner emotion is at times very near the surface. These two have the edge on the others as regards their German diction; though, of all four, I personally have a preference for the rich voice of John Mark Ainsley (King's). The role of the Angel, in the Concerto Vocale recording, appears to be shared between more than one singer: a versatile soprano, to address the Shepherds and to urge Joseph to flee, and a counter-tenor to give him the 'All Clear'. Monika Frimmer (Stuttgart) sings robustly, as would an angel, one imagines, from earthly rather than heavenly realms, with none of the disembodied purity and aloofness of Ruth Holton (King's), at her higher pitch, and certainly none of the delicate persuasiveness of Emma Kirkby (Taverner) when warning Joseph of impending danger.
Rene Jacobs rounds off his recordings with crisp performances of five short seasonal pieces. There is some good virtuoso singing in the two settings, one in Latin, the other in German, of the Magnificat antiphon Hodie Christus natus est. Bernius uses his remaining space to record Schutz's Auferstehung (''Resurrection''), a magnificent performance, rising to a climax with the repeated cries of ''Victoria!'' in the closing chorus. It is a strangely moving work, knit together with odd conventions, such as the recurrence of the traditional Dorian recitation tone. Another convention is the scoring for two singers of the part of a single character, such as Mary Magdalene, or Jesus. Curiously enough, this has the effect of leaving the listener with an overall impression of wonder and other-worldliness. How sad, then, that Bernius has denied the composer his specific choice of two sopranos for Mary Magdalene and of an alto and a tenor for Jesus; the replacement of the lower voice by an instrument just doesn't have the same effect. The ''Maria!''—''Rabbuni!'' exchange, for example, loses about 90 per cent of its impact by conforming to the normal practice of allotting a single singer to a part for the purpose of dramatization.'