L' Adoration des Bergers (Fantasie pastorale pour les fêtes des Noël)

Nicolas-Joseph Wackenthaler (6 December 1840 – 19 May 1913) was a French organist and composer. He was born in Sélestat (Bas-Rhin), and belonged to a large family of Alsatian organists.

His grandfather, François-Joseph Wackenthaler (9 December 1767 - 17 February 1828), his uncle, Joseph Wackenthaler (20 November 1795 - 3 March 1869), and his cousin, François-Xavier Joseph Wackenthaler (5 December 1823 - 11 October 1856) were all organists.

From 1853 to 1859, Wackenthaler studied at the École Niedermeyer de Paris where he was a student of Louis Dietsch and Georg Schmitt. In 1858, he won the Grand Prix for composition and the second prize for organ.

From 1858 to 1876, he was employed at the École Niedermeyer as an organ and improvisation teacher.

On 19 February 1859 in his 19th year, he succeeded his late father as organist at the St. George's Church, Sélestat.

In 1869 he settled in Dijon as a piano teacher, and in 1875, he was appointed organist of the great organ of the Dijon Cathedral succeeding Jacques-Reine Pâris and he took office on Sunday, November 21.

In 1909, when he was ill, he resigned from his position as organist. He died in Dijon in 1913 at the age of 72.

According to the testimony of his contemporaries, Wackenthaler was more appreciated as an instrumentalist and as a teacher than as a composer.

"L'Adoration des Bergers" is a novel, rather delightful "novelty work" in the style of Lefébure-Wély. It would be make a nice piece for a Christmas concert, especially if it were being used to contrast with more serious works.

It sounds especially fine and rustic on the St. Omer Cavaillé-Coll.

Fore me, struggling to gain feeling and judgment in my right hand after cancer surgery and radiation treatment, this was quite difficult and the stretch painful, as the "flute part" must be played in "open" position.

I think it was helpful by acting as a form of therapy for me.

The score and photos of Dijon Cathedral are attached below.