This CD makes up for the silence and oblivion of 200 years. For the good fortune of Baroque lovers an original work is released again. It is a Pastoral Mass, or Christmas Mass, whose manuscript awaited in one of the libraries of the Archbishop at Strasbourg. Upon discovering the manuscript, the adventure began to recreate what could have been a Christmas Night at the Strasbourg Cathedral. Franz Xaver Richter, born on 1709 in Moravia, was not unknown when he arrived in Strasbourg in 1769 to be the Kapellmeister. He supplied the clergy with lavish music intended for the celebration of the greatness of God and the Monarchy. A veritable link between Baroque and Classical, Richter was one of those composers who pioneered a new, pre-classical symphonic style, admired throughout Europe for its instrumental virtuosity, dynamic effects, varied instrumentation, and a marked use of the winds. This Pastoral Mass mobilises numerous resources: a great baroque orchestra, a choir and four soloists. Richter makes abundant use of trumpets and percussions. The message is clear: Christmas, a great celebration, must be proclaimed, celebrated with all required dignity. The Magnificat is stated in the same fashion. The choir and the soloists alternate and, backed by the great orchestra, unfurl the beauty of this evangelical hymn. The program also includes the Symphony in D Major which Richter composed during his long stay in Manheim.