A Baroque Christmas

Would you be surprised if we say that Christmas is the most baroque of all holidays? And what do we associate the December atmosphere with? Mostly with tons of ornaments. Golden lights are winking at us from all sides. Trees, lanterns, and sometimes entire buildings bend under the weight of sophisticated trinkets. Who of us did not get nystagmus while walking along the streets near the Philharmonic! Yes... Christmas is definitely a baroque holiday.

There are many exciting connotations between baroque and Christmas decorations. The magnificent pyramid rising to the sky was a frequent theme of that period. We can find hundreds of round cherubim in every baroque church or palace, the same as those looking at us from Christmas trees! The abundance of brightly coloured ornaments is another common element. It is also worth mentioning that it was in the Baroque period that the idea of ​​combining music with decorations spread.

Akademie für Alte Musik from Berlin has created a tasteful program, "Baroque Christmas ", in which we can admire the richly decorated, full of melodic ornaments music of great masters, made around these joyful holidays. Thus, this year's Christmas will become a musical pearl in the calendar!

Founded in Berlin in 1982, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin (Akamus for short) is now recognized as one of the best chamber orchestras globally, which play from historical sources and is incredibly successful in this field.

Whether in New York, Tokyo, London or Buenos Aires, Akamus is a regular guest in the most important European and international concert halls. The orchestra regularly performs in the USA and Asia. The ensemble is a central pillar of Berlin's cultural life. Akamus gives around 100 performances a year with a variety of casts, ranging from chamber ensembles to symphony orchestras. It creates unique interpretations under the guidance of its masters: Bernhard Forck, Georg Kallweit and Stephan Maia.

Over a million records sold is an expression of the orchestra's international success. The recordings, which have been produced for Harmonia Mundi France since 1994, have won all major record awards, including the Grammy Award, Diapason d'Or, Cannes Classical Award, Gramophone Award, Edison Award, MIDEM Classical Award and Choc de l'année.