Our collection of previously unknown Christmas oratorios is growing impressively and happily. After Joseph Eybler in October, I can even announce two trouvailles for this month. There is the Christmas Oratorio by Carl Heinrich Graun (1703-1759), the conductor of Frederick the Great. It was only recently found in Washington. A precise dating is not yet possible, but it certainly arose in Graun's pre-Berlin time in Dresden or Braunschweig. However, it is a masterpiece on the threshold of a sensitive style. The well-balanced alternation of melodically accented and contrapuntally rigorous choral movements, of soulful, colorfully orchestrated arias and harmoniously far-reaching recitatives is particularly impressive.

Der Wiederaufbau der Dresdner Frauenkirche hat in ganz Europa eine breite öffentliche Aufmerksamkeit gefunden. Den „Klangspuren“ dieser Kirche, der eigens für sie komponierten Musik nachzugehen, ist das Anliegen dieser CD, auf der Kantaten von Homilius zu Himmelfahrt, Exaudi, Pfingsten und Trinitatis erstmals eingespielt werden, in einer Farbigkeit, wie sie nur wenige kennen.

This world premiere recording reveals a new masterwork by the 18-century Italian master Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, brilliantly reconstructed by musicologist Malcom Bruno from the composer's single-movement woks. Most of this music has been lost or forgotten since its creation more the 250 years ago, and most, if not all, has never been recorded.

The Adoration is the latest release by the Warsaw Philharmonic, performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic Choir conducted by Bartosz Michałowski. This album is devoted entirely to the music of Paweł Łukaszewski – one of the most outstanding contemporary Polish composers – and comprises selected works of sacred music for a cappella choir written between 2006 and 2018.

Antonio Florio et son équipe de la Cappella de'Turchini nous ont habitués à de passionnantes découvertes dans le répertoire de leur ville de Naples, au passé musical si riche et pourtant délaissé par la plupart des musiciens.

Cantatas for an evening's music. Buxtehude's major contribution to mid-baroque German sacred music lay in the Abendmusiken, the evening concerts organized before Christmas by the organist of Lübeck outside the context of his official duties. While most contemporary cantors had to produce a cantata a week, Buxtehude placed his genius in the service of works of the highest artistic demands. Here are some of the most dazzling examples.

David Pohle (1624-1695) was born in Marienberg in the Erzgebirge. He came from a family of miners and town pipers. Little is known about his life. After studying with Heinrich Schütz, who was later the godfather of his son, he was an instrumentalist, Music Director and composer at various princely courts in northern Germany. Despite holding mostly leading positions and although he produced an extensive oeuvre which provides interesting insight into the origins of the Protestent church cantata, none of his works were published during his lifetime - certainly an important reason why today Pohle's music is known only by insiders and specialists.

Interesting recording of the famous Stabat Mater by Pergolesi performed by the Accademia Bizantina, under the direction of Ottavio Dantone. The program is complemented by the very little-known and interesting Salve Regina by Porpora. It is a version with original instruments and notable historical criteria. It is worth highlighting the good role of the solo voices.

Verses in praise of music for St Cecilia's Day were fashionable in the seventeenth century but in poetic inspiration none equalled Dryden's two poems in which he attempts to imitate the effects of music in language. He wrote this one, his Song for St Cecilia's Day, in 1687; it was set to music during the poet's lifetime but not, of course, by Handel whose setting dates from 1739… The highlight of Handel's score for me is, without question, his hauntingly beautiful setting of Dryden's second stanza, ''What Passion cannot Musick raise and quell!''. Here, especially, Handel matches a text which Dr Johnson regarded as exhibiting the highest flights of fancy with a tenderly expressive cello obbligato.

C.P.E. Bach eclipsed his legendary father s fame to become the mid-18th century s leading German composer. This wide-ranging collection of symphonies, concertos and vocal works by the great forerunner of Haydn and Mozart is performed by authoritative interpreters including Trevor Pinnock and The English Concert. The evident delight of the musicians in this music makes for rewarding listening … Impressive and fascinating.

For a long time Johannes Ockeghem (ca.1420-1497) was one of the most famous Unknown Persons in music history. There is no doubt about his position as the most important representative of the second generation of Franco-Flemish composers.

In November 1984 Sir Colin Davis conducted a performance of Messiah in Munich which, says the booklet which comes with these records, ''was a revelation to public and performers alike''. The surprising fact is that Messiah was previously almost unknown there. Enthusiasm was such that a recording was quickly organized with the same soloists. At rehearsal Sir Colin told the chorus to forget the B minor Mass; ''this is the world of Italian opera'', and as a result many of the choruses ''dance with a vitality born of freshness and discovery''.

The Brook Street Band join forces with the Choir of The Queen’s College, Oxford, and their director Owen Rees, for the first ever pairing on disc of the two settings of the Dixit Dominus by Alessandro Scarlatti and George Frideric Handel.

The Brabant Ensemble continue their investigation into unknown jewels of the Low Countries Renaissance, researched by their director Stephen Rice and recorded with equal amounts of passion and erudition by the young singers of the group.