The Advent singing had bad luck this year. Once again. But there are many ways to tell the Christmas story. Johann Sebastian Bach also contributed a classic. In Salzburg the (partial) performance of the Christmas Oratorio has developed into a beautiful tradition, which today also had the necessary luck.

Just as traditionally, Virgil Hartinger has been slipping into the role of various Bach evangelists for a decade and a half, for which his light tenor voice is perfect. On Tuesday, Hartinger was allowed to work for the first time in his role as …