Amidst the avalanche of Amazon boxes and the mountains of plastic junk, it might seem irrelevant to point out that the most lasting symbols of the Christmas season are of German origins—from St.

Forget the Christmas tree and Saint Nic’s suit, it is music that marks Germany’s greatest contributions to the holiday. Aside from any number of carols, there is the ubiquitous Messiah, like Handel ...

Handel might have a chokehold on holiday-season oratorios with “Messiah.” But Bach’s lesser-known “Christmas Oratorio” has some festive fireworks and exultant beauty of its own. “The U.S. has adopted ...

The mighty organ is a powerful instrument that can shake, rattle and roll listeners with complex fugues, virtuosic toccatas and thundering chorales. On Christmas Day, many are in a more restful mood ...