Die Hirten bei der Krippe zu Bethlehem

Joseph Leopold Eybler had frequent contacts with the great composers of his day: both Joseph Haydn and Albrechtsberger were his teachers and friends, and he had a close friendship with Mozart and Johann Michael Haydn. His major Christmas oratorio "Die Hirten bei der Krippe zu Bethlehem" [1794] was composed four years before Haydn's "Die Schöpfung" [The Creation]. The almost operatic work displays a wealth of different facets: from the virtuoso aria, through the tranquil depiction of nature in music, to the portrayal of the most heartfelt emotions. As a true jewel of Viennese classicism, "Die Hirten" [The Shepherds] is a worthwhile addition to the Christmas repertoire.