Oratorio de Noël

Oratorio de Noël
Cantata by Camille Saint-Saëns
The Aristide Cavaillé-Coll organ at La Madeleine, where the music premiered
EnglishChristmas oratorio
Opus12
Textfrom the Vulgate
LanguageLatin
Performed24 December 1858 (1858-12-24): Paris
Published1863 (1863)
Movements10
Scoring
  • soprano
  • mezzo-soprano
  • alto
  • tenor
  • baritone
  • mixed chorus
  • organ
  • harp
  • strings

The Oratorio de Noël, Op. 12, by Camille Saint-Saëns, also known as his Christmas Oratorio, is a cantata-like work scored for soloists, chorus, organ, strings and harp. While an organist at La Madeleine, Saint-Saëns wrote the Christmas oratorio in less than a fortnight, completing it ten days before its premiere on Christmas 1858. The vocal score of this oratorio was prepared later by the composer and organist Eugene Gigout, a colleague of Saint-Saëns.