▁earlier ▁compos itions , ▁including ▁three ▁sec ular ▁cant at as ▁written ▁during ▁ 1 7 3 3 ▁and ▁ 1 7 3 4 ▁and ▁a ▁largely ▁lost ▁church ▁cant ata , ▁B W V   2 4 8 a . ▁The ▁date ▁is ▁confirmed ▁in ▁Bach ' s ▁aut ograph ▁manuscript . ▁The ▁next ▁performance ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁ 1 7 ▁December ▁ 1 8 5 7 ▁by ▁the ▁Sing - A kadem ie ▁zu ▁Berlin ▁under ▁Edu ard ▁Gre ll . ▁The ▁Christmas ▁Or atorio ▁is ▁a ▁particularly ▁s oph istic ated ▁example ▁of ▁par ody ▁music . ▁The ▁author ▁of ▁the ▁text ▁is ▁unknown , ▁although ▁a ▁likely ▁collabor ator ▁was ▁Christian ▁Friedrich ▁Hen r ici ▁( P ic ander ). ▁ ▁The ▁work ▁belongs ▁to ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁three ▁or ator ios ▁written ▁in ▁ 1 7 3 4 ▁and ▁ 1 7 3 5 ▁for ▁major ▁fe asts , ▁the ▁other ▁two ▁works ▁being ▁the ▁As c ension ▁Or atorio ▁( B W V ▁ 1 1 ) ▁and ▁the ▁E aster ▁Or atorio ▁( B W V ▁ 2 4 9 ). ▁All ▁three ▁of ▁these ▁or ator ios ▁to ▁some ▁degree ▁par ody ▁earlier ▁compos itions . ▁The ▁Christmas ▁Or atorio ▁is ▁by ▁far ▁the ▁longest ▁and ▁most ▁complex ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁three . ▁ ▁The ▁Christmas ▁Or atorio ▁is ▁in ▁six ▁parts , ▁each ▁part ▁being ▁intended ▁for ▁performance ▁on ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁fe ast ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁Christmas ▁period . ▁The ▁piece ▁is