Ottorino Respighi’s cantata, Praise for the Lord’s Nativity, is a delightful piece for chorus and three soloists, accompanied by a small wind ensemble, and piano four hands.
His wife Elsa sang the role of Mary at the premiere on St Cecilia’s Day in 1930. This work presents the Nativity from the point of view of the shepherds. It contains elements familiar to other Respighi works: traditional forms–though recast with 20th century harmonizations, plainchant-inspired melodies, and even a nod to Monteverdi.
