BSO/Classical New England — 2020/12/19

WCRB does not identify this week's BSO presentation as a concert from a specific date. The conductor, Seiji Ozawa, was Music Director of the Boston Symphony from 1973 through 2002, so we will likely be hearing music from that era. I'm guessing it's from "studio" recordings rather than live concerts. Here's how WCRB describes it:

Saturday at 8pm, in a timeless holiday season tradition, Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra bring to life Tchaikovsky's magical tale of Christmas, Sugar Plum Fairies, and one very handsome prince.

Saturday, December 19, 2020
8:00 PM

Boston Symphony Orchestra
Seiji Ozawa, conductor

BACH/STRAVINSKY Chorale Variations on Vom Himmel hoch
TCHAIKOVSKY The Nutcracker
BERLIOZ Overture and "Shepherd's Farewell" from Part 2 of L'enfance du Christ

So it seems that there are none of the usual performance detail pages, program notes, or reviews available, and it's nothing I wrote about. I'm sure you know enough about "The Nutcracker." If not, I'm leaving you to your own devices to research it. But, for those for whom "Vom Himmel Hoch" and "L'enfance du Christ" aren't familiar here are some links and comments.

This wiki article includes the text and standard 19th Century English translation. Here is a performance.

"L'enfance du Christ" is agood piece about Jesus' birth and the flight into Egypt to escape King Herod's attempt to murder him as a rival for the throne. The shepherds' Farewell is definitely a highlight of the work. Here's a program note from the Los Angeles Philharmonic whic gives an idea of the entire work and of the place of the excerpts we'll get.

Here's the text of the Shepherds' Chorus in French:

CHŒUR DES BERGERS

Il s’en va loin de la terre
Où dans l’étable il vit le jour.
De son père et de sa mère
Qu’il reste le constant amour,
Qu’il grandisse, qu’il prospère
Et qu’il soit bon père à son tour. 

Oncques si, chez l’idolâtre,
Il vient à sentir le malheur,
Fuyant la terre marâtre,
Chez nous qu’il revienne au bonheur.
Que la pauvreté du pâtre
Reste toujours chère à son cœur. 

Cher enfant, Dieu te bénisse!
Dieu vous bénisse, heureux époux!
Que jamais de l’injustice
Vous ne puissiez sentir les coups.
Qu’un bon ange vous avertisse
Des dangers planant sur vous.

And an English setting (noy exactly a translation, more a loose paraphrase, but it gives the general idea):

Thou must leave thy lowly dwelling,
the humble crib, the stable bare.
Babe, all mortal babes excelling,
content our earthly lot to share.
Loving father, loving mother,
shelter thee with tender care!

Blessed Jesus, we implore thee,
with humble love and holy fear.
In the land that lies before thee,
forget not us who linger here!
May the shepherd’s lowly calling,
ever to thy heart be dear!

Blest are ye beyond all measure,
thou happy father, mother mild!
Guard ye well your heavenly treasure,
the Prince of Peace, the Holy Child!
God go with you, God protect you,
guide you safely through the wild!

All in all, it should be an enjoyable program at 8:00 p.m. over WCRB.