Christmas and music are inextricably linked. For generations, certain melodies and songs have become the soundtrack to our holiday season, evoking warmth, nostalgia, and festive cheer. Classical composers, deeply moved by the spirit of Christmas, have contributed significantly to this rich musical tapestry, creating pieces that continue to resonate centuries later. If you’re looking to enhance your holiday season with sophisticated and heartwarming sounds, explore these 15 Classic Christmas Songs composed by masters of classical music. From familiar favorites to hidden gems, this list offers a journey through centuries of Yuletide musical artistry.
1. Corelli’s Christmas Concerto: An Italian Pastoral Christmas
Arcangelo Corelli, a celebrated violinist and composer of the late 17th and early 18th centuries in Italy, gifted the world a beautiful “Christmas Concerto.” The original manuscript itself bears the inscription “Fatto per la notte di Natale,” meaning “made for the night of Christmas,” revealing its intended purpose right from its creation. This Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op. 6 No. 8, culminates in a Pastorale ad libitum, a movement specifically designed to evoke the image of the shepherds who visited the newborn Jesus. Its gentle and evocative melodies paint a picture of a peaceful, pastoral Christmas night, making it a perfect addition to any classic Christmas songs playlist.
Arcangelo Corelli's Christmas Concerto manuscript cover featuring elegant script and baroque ornamentation.
2. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio: A Grand Baroque Celebration
For a truly grand and celebratory experience, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is an essential addition to your collection of classic Christmas songs. Composed for Christmas 1734, this monumental work is divided into six parts, each designed to be performed on different feast days throughout the Christmas season. While Handel’s Messiah is often more widely known, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio provides a deeper dive into the Christmas narrative, exploring various aspects of the Nativity story with Bach’s characteristic brilliance and intricate counterpoint. For those who appreciate the majesty of Baroque music and seek a more profound Christmas musical experience, Bach’s Oratorio is a rewarding discovery.
3. Handel’s Messiah: The Iconic Hallelujah Chorus and More
No list of classic Christmas songs would be complete without Handel’s Messiah. This oratorio, particularly famous for its exhilarating “Hallelujah Chorus,” has captivated audiences for centuries. Its enduring popularity is not just due to the iconic chorus, but also to the powerful narrative it conveys – the story of Christ, from prophecy to resurrection. The tradition of performing Messiah during Christmastime began in 19th-century America and has since become a global holiday tradition. Orchestras around the world, including the Houston Symphony, proudly present it annually. Delve deeper into the fascinating history of Handel’s Messiah through dedicated blog posts and podcasts that uncover the story behind this timeless masterpiece.
4. Mozart’s Sleigh Ride: A Lighthearted Winter Waltz
Before Leroy Anderson’s popular Sleigh Ride, there was Mozart’s charming musical depiction of a winter sleigh ride. This delightful piece is the final movement of his Three German Dances, K. 605, likely composed for a ball at the Viennese imperial court. In a manner similar to contemporary artists adding sleigh bells to create a wintry atmosphere, Mozart incorporated posthorn and sleigh bells into this dance. The result is a light, playful, and undeniably Christmassy piece, showcasing Mozart’s genius for melody and orchestration even in a seemingly simple dance movement. It offers a glimpse into the festive celebrations of Mozart’s time and adds a touch of elegant merriment to your classic Christmas songs selection.
5. Berlioz’ L’enfance du Christ: Beyond the Nativity Scene
Hector Berlioz’s L’enfance du Christ (The Childhood of Christ) takes a slightly different approach to classic Christmas songs. Technically a musical sequel to the traditional Nativity story, it begins after the visit of the Magi. The oratorio focuses on King Herod’s decree to murder infant boys and the Holy Family’s subsequent flight to Egypt. While not directly depicting classic Christmas scenes like Santa Claus or reindeer, it does include a poignant scene of the shepherds bidding farewell to the Holy Family, offering a subtle Christmas connection. Regardless of its specific Christmas theme, L’enfance du Christ is a magnificent score, showcasing Berlioz’s orchestral mastery and dramatic flair. Perhaps best enjoyed after the main Christmas festivities, on Boxing Day or during the quieter days of the holiday season, it provides a more reflective and profound Christmas musical experience.
6. Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël: A French Christmas Masterpiece
Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël (Christmas Oratorio) is a testament to the composer’s incredible talent and efficiency. Completed in just two weeks to be ready for performance on Christmas Day 1858, this oratorio is far from a rushed or simplistic work. It is filled with beautiful melodies and rich harmonies, particularly notable for its movements featuring the harp, creating ethereal and enchanting textures. This oratorio offers a distinctly French flavor to the realm of classic Christmas songs, providing a sophisticated and elegant listening experience perfect for a peaceful Christmas morning or evening.
7. Liszt’s Christmas Tree Suite: Intimate Carols for Piano
Franz Liszt, known for his flamboyant virtuosity as a young pianist, revealed a different side of his musical personality in his later years. After joining the Third Order of Saint Francis, he embraced a more spiritual and introspective approach to composition. His “Christmas Tree Suite” was written in 1881 as a gift for his granddaughter Daniela, born on Christmas Eve. This gentle and charming suite is based on familiar Christmas carols, including “Good Christian Men Rejoice,” arranged for piano. It offers a warm and intimate atmosphere, perfect for quiet Christmas moments and showcasing Liszt’s ability to create beauty in simplicity, making it a unique addition to classic Christmas songs collections.
8. Tchaikovsky’s December: Christmas from The Seasons
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons is a set of twelve piano pieces, each representing a month of the year. Commissioned for a magazine, subscribers received a new Tchaikovsky piece with each monthly issue. For December, Tchaikovsky composed a graceful waltz, aptly subtitled “Christmas.” The magazine accompanied the music with verses by Vasily Zhukovsky, evoking traditional Russian Christmas fortune-telling rituals. This piece, while not explicitly a carol or oratorio movement, captures the spirit of a Russian Christmas with its elegant waltz rhythm and evocative melody, offering a different cultural perspective on classic Christmas songs.
9. Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker: The Quintessential Christmas Ballet
Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker arguably stands as the most famous classical Christmas music ever written. Every December, its iconic melodies, such as the “Trepak,” “Waltz of the Flowers,” “March,” and “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” fill the airwaves and concert halls. However, the entire score is a masterpiece of musical storytelling, enchanting listeners with its rich orchestration and memorable themes. Based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story, the ballet begins with a charming depiction of a bourgeois Christmas party but evolves into a symbolic representation of a young girl’s coming-of-age. While a financial boon for ballet companies during the holiday season, The Nutcracker’s tradition of annual Christmas performances only began after choreographer George Balanchine brought it to New York in the 1950s. Its enduring appeal and universally recognized melodies solidify its place as a cornerstone of classic Christmas songs.
9.5. Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn’s Nutcracker Suite: A Jazzy Christmas Twist
For a refreshing and unexpected take on classic Christmas songs, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s Nutcracker Suite offers a brilliant jazz interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece. Created in 1960, likely inspired by the popularity of Balanchine’s Nutcracker revival, this arrangement infuses Tchaikovsky’s melodies with Ellington and Strayhorn’s signature wit and jazz harmonies. Interestingly, Tchaikovsky’s protégé, Rachmaninoff, was known to be a jazz enthusiast, suggesting that Tchaikovsky himself might have appreciated this inventive reimagining. This suite provides a fun and sophisticated alternative, demonstrating how classic Christmas songs can be reinterpreted across genres while retaining their festive spirit.
10. Rimsky-Korsakov’s Christmas Eve Suite: A Russian Folk Tale in Music
Rimsky-Korsakov’s Christmas Eve Suite is derived from his opera of the same name, based on Nikolai Gogol’s short story Christmas Eve. This suite brings to life a fantastical Russian Christmas Eve tale: Vakula, a blacksmith, captures the devil and rides him to St. Petersburg to obtain a pair of the Tsaritsa’s slippers as a gift for his beloved. The music is vibrant and evocative, capturing the magical and whimsical elements of the story. The suite includes music depicting Vakula’s wild ride and a grand polonaise representing the court of Catherine the Great. It offers a unique and less commonly heard example of classic Christmas songs, steeped in Russian folklore and Rimsky-Korsakov’s colorful orchestration.
11. Schoenberg’s Christmas Music: Dissonance and Carol Harmony
Arnold Schoenberg, a composer known for his revolutionary and often dissonant modernist style, surprisingly harbored a love for Christmas music. For those who might typically shy away from Schoenberg’s avant-garde works, his Christmas Music is a delightful and accessible piece. It’s a lovely arrangement of the traditional carol “Es ist ein Ros entsprungen” (A Rose Has Sprung Up), attributed to Praetorius. Schoenberg even subtly weaves in Silent Night as a countermelody, creating a harmonious blend of tradition and his unique compositional voice. This piece demonstrates that even composers associated with musical innovation can find beauty and inspiration in classic Christmas songs.
12. Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Greensleeves: English Pastoral Charm
Ralph Vaughan Williams, a prominent English composer, contributed his own distinct voice to the repertoire of classic Christmas songs with his Fantasia on Greensleeves. The melody “Greensleeves,” legendarily attributed to King Henry VIII, is often associated with Christmas as it is sung to the words “What Child Is This?”. Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia beautifully arranges this iconic melody, evoking a sense of English pastoral charm and gentle reflection. Furthermore, he also composed a Fantasia on Christmas Carols, offering an additional treasure trove of Christmas-themed music. These fantasias showcase Vaughan Williams’s mastery of orchestration and his ability to create deeply moving and evocative musical landscapes, firmly placing him within the tradition of classic Christmas songs composers.
13. Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols: Medieval Poems in Song
Continuing the English tradition of Christmas music, Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols is a captivating and unique contribution to classic Christmas songs. This work sets Middle English poems from The English Galaxy of Shorter Poems, creating a medieval atmosphere with its texts and musical style. Like Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio, it features a prominent and beautiful harp part, adding to its ethereal and enchanting quality. A Ceremony of Carols offers a sophisticated and historically rich listening experience, showcasing Britten’s genius for vocal writing and his ability to blend ancient texts with modern musical sensibilities within the realm of classic Christmas songs.
14. Poulenc’s Four Motets for Christmastime: A Cappella Contemplation
For those seeking a purely vocal and contemplative Christmas musical experience, Francis Poulenc’s Four Motets for Christmastime are an ideal choice among classic Christmas songs. These short a cappella works create a spiritual and introspective atmosphere, perfect for moments of quiet reflection during the busy holiday season. Poulenc’s motets are characterized by their harmonic richness and melodic beauty, showcasing his mastery of choral writing and his ability to evoke profound emotion through vocal textures. These pieces offer a serene and deeply moving addition to any collection of classic Christmas songs.
15. Messiaen’s Noël: A Modern and Mystical Christmas
Olivier Messiaen, known for his unique and often complex musical language, offers a less sentimental and more modern perspective on classic Christmas songs with his Noël. This piece, taken from his larger piano cycle Vingt regards sur l’enfant-Jésus (Twenty Contemplations on the Infant Jesus), is characterized by Messiaen’s signature angular melodies and harmonically rich, sometimes crunchy, textures. For listeners seeking a departure from traditional Christmas sweetness and sentimentality, Messiaen’s Noël provides a challenging yet rewarding listening experience. It invites contemplation of the mystical and profound aspects of Christmas through a distinctly 20th-century musical lens, expanding the boundaries of what we consider classic Christmas songs.
Arcangelo Corelli's Christmas Concerto manuscript cover featuring elegant script and baroque ornamentation.
Dec. 20, 21 & 22, 2024
Handel’s Messiah
Jones Hall will be filled with joyous refrains and exultant arias, including the iconic “Hallelujah” Chorus, in this powerful presentation of the greatest story ever told.
There you have it: a journey through three centuries of classic Christmas songs composed by classical masters. We hope this list enriches your holiday season and encourages you to explore the vast and beautiful world of classical Christmas music. Did we miss one of your favorite classic Christmas songs? Share your recommendations in the comments below!
