Heinrich Schütz (1585 -- 1672) was a German composer
and organist, generally regarded as the most important
German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach and often
considered to be one of the most important composers of
the 17th century along with Claudio Monteverdi. He
wrote what is traditionally considered to be the first
German opera, Dafne (Opitz-Schütz), performed at
Torgau in 1627, the music of which has since been lost.
He is commemorated as a musician in the Calendar of
Saints of the Lu...(+)
Heinrich Schütz (1585 -- 1672) was a German composer
and organist, generally regarded as the most important
German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach and often
considered to be one of the most important composers of
the 17th century along with Claudio Monteverdi. He
wrote what is traditionally considered to be the first
German opera, Dafne (Opitz-Schütz), performed at
Torgau in 1627, the music of which has since been lost.
He is commemorated as a musician in the Calendar of
Saints of the Lutheran Church on 28 July with Johann
Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel. He was
buried in the Dresden Frauenkirche but his tomb has
been destroyed.
Schütz's compositions show the influence of his
teacher Gabrieli (displayed most notably with Schütz's
use of resplendent polychoral and concertato styles)
and of Monteverdi. Additionally, the influence of the
Netherlandish composers of the 16th century is
prominent in his work. His best known works are in the
field of sacred music, ranging from solo voice with
instrumental accompaniment to a cappella choral music.
Representative works include his three books of
Symphoniae sacrae, the Psalms of David (Psalmen
Davids), the Sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreuz (the
Seven Last Words on the Cross) and his three Passion
settings. Schütz's music, while starting off in the
most progressive styles early in his career, eventually
grew into a style that is simple and almost austere,
culminating with his late Passion settings. Practical
considerations were certainly responsible for part of
this change: the Thirty Years' War had devastated the
musical infrastructure of Germany, and it was no longer
practical or even possible to put on the gigantic works
in the Venetian style which marked his earlier
period.
Schütz had a way of entering into sacred texts
musically, producing not personal responses but
emotional fervor that seems universal, that was matched
in the history of German music only by Johann Sebastian
Bach. Several of the psalms among the Psalmen David
heard here are familiar from Bach's settings, but the
Schütz versions have their own profundity.
Although originally written for Chorus (5 Voices &
Continuo), I created this arrangement for Viola Duet &
Concert (Pedal) Harp.
(par Magatagan, Michael)148x⬇ 81x
