He who seeks a moving and lyrical work with rewarding roles for the choir could do no better than to choose Rheinberger’s Stern von Bethlehem. In nine scenes (Expectation, The shepherds, The appearance of the angels, The Star, etc.) the Christmas story is lyrically portrayed. Songlike and pastoral choruses, a heartfelt soprano part and finally, the exotic, charming procession of the Wisemen through the desert have insured this work an increasing popularity. It was written in 1890 to a libretto by Rheinberger’s wife Fanny. On account of their similar scoring, this work can be easily combined for a performance with Mendelssohn’s Vom Himmel hoch or Die Geburt Christi.
