Bach: Christmas Oratorio by John Neumeier (2014) [Blu-ray]

The founder, director and choreographer of Hamburg Ballet, American-born John Neumeier has made a name for himself with ballets that draw liberally from literary, poetic and musical sources. Neumeiers celebrated ballet of J.S. Bachs Christmas Oratorio performed by Philharmoniker Hamburg and the Choir of the Hamburg State Opera casts Bach's majestic work which commemorates the incarnation of Christ to choreography that, in Neumeiers words strives to unify individuals of many different cultural and religious backgrounds. Available on Blu-ray for the first time.

“Rejoice, exult” – John Neumeier turns Bach’s Christmas Oratorio into an experience that confronts us all with the most basic questions of trust, hope, faith, doubt and self-sacrifice: “My choreography is not a religious undertaking. We perform to Bach’s music, for a few hours unifying individuals of many different cultural and religious backgrounds. For me, the basic human values expressed through the choreography are always the most important thing. Therefore, in my ballet, Mary is known simply as ‘the Mother’ and Joseph as ‘her Husband’.”

Hamburg State Opera, 2014