B-Dur-Francesco Durante's Magnificat in B flat major is one of his most important works and also one of the most siginifcant settings of the Magnficat text here in cantata form. This work displays a mastery of the polyhonic style and though the use of certain pre-classical 'modern' elements its various forms never sound archaic rather the work presents a synthesis leading to a unique style. For a performance during the Christmas season Christmas hymns can be inserted between each of the individual movements. Six arrangements of such hymns are also available as octavos (Carus 10.270/06): - Johann Crüger: Nun komm der Heiden Heiland - Cornelius Freundt: Wie schön singt unsder Engel Schar - Johann Sebastian Bach: Uns ist ein Kindlein heut geborn - Erhard Bodenschatz: Joseph lieder Joseph mein - Johann Crüger: Fröhlich soll mein Herze springen - Gregor Joseph Werner: Der Tag der ist so freudenreich The string parts for these movements are included in the parts Carus 10.270/11-14.