This greatly loved composition by a still young Bach follows an old tradition made popular by Corelli´s Concerto for Christmas Night: A Christmas atmosphere of popular inspiration and folk melodies intermingled with the structures of instrumental music. Frescobaldi, Stradella, Torelli, Zipoli and many other composers wrote pastorals too, but the great Bach expanded this inspiration into a large-scale work: the true pastoral (I and II movement) is followed by a pathetic ´Aria cantabile´ and a lively Italian ´Corrente´.