There is no doubt that the best of Alessandro Stradella's output lies in his valuable sacred works. The Christmas cantatas are representative of his typically Roman art and illustrate the story of the Nativity with a certain theatricality, by means of polichorality. We are at the origin of the concerto grosso genre, with a large ensemble in conversation with a concertino of soloists, while delicate, heavenly vocal atmospheres alternate with infernal fury. The recording reveals Stradella as one of the greater geniuses of the seventeenth century, possibly the most versatile in both vocal and instrumental writing. Enrico Gatti The complete Christmas cantatas. Alessandro Stradella was one of the most important Italian composers of the seventeenth century. This recording presents the only two cantatas Stradella composed for Christmas, preceded by the instrumental Sonata di Viole, the earliest entirely instrumental works (i.e., unconnected to a vocal source) for the concertino-concerto grosso ensemble in the history of the genre.