Schütz and Venice

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Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: Heinrich Schütz

Label: Capriccio

Magazine Review Date: 5/1993

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 63

Mastering:

DDD

Catalogue Number: 10 418

Tracks:

Composition	Artist Credit
Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Quemadmodum desiderat cervus, SWV336	Heinrich Schütz, Composer Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, Conductor Heinrich Schütz, Composer Tölz Boys' Choir
Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Aufer immensam, Deus, aufer iram, SWV337	Heinrich Schütz, Composer Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, Conductor Heinrich Schütz, Composer Tölz Boys' Choir
Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Die Seele Christi heilige mich, SWV325	Heinrich Schütz, Composer Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, Conductor Heinrich Schütz, Composer Tölz Boys' Choir
Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: ~	Heinrich Schütz, Composer Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, Conductor Heinrich Schütz, Composer Tölz Boys' Choir
Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, SWV327	Heinrich Schütz, Composer Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, Conductor Heinrich Schütz, Composer Tölz Boys' Choir
Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Veni Sancte Spiritus, SWV328	Heinrich Schütz, Composer Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, Conductor Heinrich Schütz, Composer Tölz Boys' Choir
Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Ist Gott für uns, SWV329	Heinrich Schütz, Composer Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, Conductor Heinrich Schütz, Composer Tölz Boys' Choir
Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Wer will uns scheiden von der Liebe Gottes, SWV330	Heinrich Schütz, Composer Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, Conductor Heinrich Schütz, Composer Tölz Boys' Choir
Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Die Stimm des Herren, SWV331	Heinrich Schütz, Composer Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, Conductor Heinrich Schütz, Composer Tölz Boys' Choir
Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Jubilate Deo omnis terra, SWV332	Heinrich Schütz, Composer Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, Conductor Heinrich Schütz, Composer Tölz Boys' Choir
Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Was betrübst du dich, SWV335	Heinrich Schütz, Composer Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, Conductor Heinrich Schütz, Composer Tölz Boys' Choir

Composer or Director: Giovanni Gabrieli, Heinrich Schütz, Michael Praetorius, Claudio Monteverdi

Label: Capriccio

Magazine Review Date: 5/1993

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 62

Mastering:

DDD

Catalogue Number: 10 409

Tracks:

Composition	Artist Credit
Psalmen Davids sampt etlichen Moteten und Concerte, Movement: Ich danke dem Herrn (Ps 111), SWV34	Heinrich Schütz, Composer Heinrich Schütz, Composer Howard Arman, Conductor, Baritone Schütz Academy
Symphoniarum sacrarum, tertia pars, Movement: Saul, Saul, was verfolgst du mich, SWV415	Heinrich Schütz, Composer Heinrich Schütz, Composer Howard Arman, Conductor, Baritone Schütz Academy
Stehe auf, meine Freundin	Heinrich Schütz, Composer Heinrich Schütz, Composer Howard Arman, Conductor, Baritone Schütz Academy
Magnificat	Heinrich Schütz, Composer Heinrich Schütz, Composer Howard Arman, Conductor, Baritone Schütz Academy
Symphoniae sacrae, liber secundus, Movement: Magnificat, 14vv	Giovanni Gabrieli, Composer Giovanni Gabrieli, Composer Howard Arman, Conductor, Baritone Schütz Academy
Lieto godea	Giovanni Gabrieli, Composer Giovanni Gabrieli, Composer Howard Arman, Conductor, Baritone Schütz Academy
Puericinium, Movement: Meine Seele erhebt den Herren	Michael Praetorius, Composer Howard Arman, Conductor, Baritone Michael Praetorius, Composer Schütz Academy
Selva morale e spirituale, Movement: Gloria in excelsis Deo (7vv, instr)	Claudio Monteverdi, Composer Claudio Monteverdi, Composer Howard Arman, Conductor, Baritone Schütz Academy

Author:

This is the third and final volume of the Tolz Boys' Choir's series of the Kleine geistliche Konzerte, and lives up to the high standard of the previous two, though I find the rather thick sound of some of the boys' voices a little tiring after a time. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that the recording is really rather indigestible as it stands; it is advisable to listen to no more than three tracks at a time, since stylistically they are really quite similar. In spite of the—perfectly legitimate—claims made in the booklet-note by Reinhold Schlotterer that their variety is abundant, this variety is nevertheless much better perceived if the pieces are heard in contrast with other kinds of works by Schutz, rather than as an indivisible set.
I do not intend by these observations to diminish the stature of the music; indeed, it is the music's subtlety that causes the problem. The richness and detail of a work such as Quemadmodum desiderat (No. 30) needs careful attention. These works are best listened to with the texts at hand, since much of their subtlety has to do with the way in which Schutz treats the German and Latin languages. Schlotterer's note is rightly insistent upon this point, and there is a fascinating comparison to be made by listening to No. 28, the impressive Sei gegrusset, Maria followed by its Latin-texted contrafactum (Ave Maria), recorded here as an appendix. Both versions receive good performances, though there is a certain vocal insecurity occasionally to be felt in both these and some other tracks.
The Schutz Academy had been unfamiliar to me until now, but to judge by ''Schutz and Venice'' they are a group worth watching out for. The singers have a pleasingly warm sound, and the upper voices in particular are impressively acrobatic. The instrumental group would benefit from being recorded a little closer (or possibly simply playing louder), however, in particular the viols.
The selection of music has been thoughtfully chosen, showing connections and differences between Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Praetorius and Schutz. The extensive triple-choir setting of the Magnificat by Praetorius (from the Puericinium, 1621) is a particularly worthwhile piece, full of impressive contrasts of mood and texture, and it receives here a convincing performance, as does the much shorter but more famous Saul Saul, was verfolgst du mich by Schutz. The real discovery here, though, is Schutz's Song of Songs setting Stehe auf, meine Freundin, which was published only in 1972, having been discovered in a village near Meiningen by Wolfram Steude. This is work of real intensity and gives the singers a real opportunity to sing through the lines, in contrast to the more baroque 'effects' which abound in Saul, for example.
Monteverdi's seven-part Gloria is quite a shock after Gabrieli and Schutz. In fact, its literal demonstrativeness seems exaggerated. The links to the 'internal' relation of text to music of the Renaissance which are so clear in Schutz, even in a dramatic scena like Saul, are decisively cut. Translations of both Latin and German texts are unaccountably absent, but otherwise the disc is well presented.'

Schütz Little Sacred Concertos

Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Quemadmodum desiderat cervus, SWV336

Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Aufer immensam, Deus, aufer iram, SWV337

Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Die Seele Christi heilige mich, SWV325

Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: ~

Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, SWV327

Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Veni Sancte Spiritus, SWV328

Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Ist Gott für uns, SWV329

Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Wer will uns scheiden von der Liebe Gottes, SWV330

Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Die Stimm des Herren, SWV331

Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Jubilate Deo omnis terra, SWV332

Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Was betrübst du dich, SWV335