In the 18th century, Advent was a time for writing choral, festive and concert works. During his stay in Leipzig, Bach composed cantatas and oratorios for this highlight of the liturgical calendar. But what about his four short masses? In the absence of clear indications, we cannot say that these magnificent choral frescoes were conceived for Christmas. However, the splendour of the writing, the musical borrowings from cantatas composed for previous Christmases, the pastoral key of F major, and so on all suggest that, while we cannot be sure of the exact purpose of these works, it is reasonable to attribute them to a musical celebration of Advent.

On the other hand, we do know the precise context and intention of Pergolesi 's composition: the city of Naples having suffered a violent earthquake, Giovanni-Battista composed a jubilant work at the end of 1732 to celebrate the return to better times. It is this beautiful choral fresco with double choir and orchestra, dedicated to San Egisto, that musicologists have named Missa concertata, so virtuosic and jubilant is its writing. We will perform it from a manuscript version held by the Bibliothèque municipale de Lyon, where other works by the Neapolitan master, such as the celebrated Stabat Mater, can also be found.

Sharing the same tonality and the same instrumentarium, coloured by the presence of some fine parts for wind instruments, the two short masses form the two sides of this concert filled with the luminous spirit of Christmas. Locatelli's surprisingly nostalgic concerto grosso forms the instrumental middle section of this festive concert.