Johann Valentin Rathgeber (1682-1750) was a German Benedictine monk. As an organist,
choirmaster, composer and preacher he lived and worked in the monastery Banz near Bamberg.
In 1743, in addition to choral and instrumental music, he published a collection of 10 pastorelles for christmas time (op. 22), from which the present nice Pastorella F major was taken from: a cheerful and lovely dialogue between oboes and flutes in a simple playful manner.