A Christmas Collection-Schütz and Gabrieli
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Francesco Usper, Matthias Weckmann, Heinrich Schütz, Giovanni Gabrieli
Label: Classical Express
Magazine Review Date: 12/1997
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 67
Mastering:
Stereo
DDD
Catalogue Number: HMU90 7202
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Canzoni et Sonate, Movement: Canzon X, a 8 |
Giovanni Gabrieli, Composer
Academy of Ancient Music Giovanni Gabrieli, Composer Paul Goodwin, Conductor |
| Canzoni et Sonate, Movement: Canzon XI, a 8 |
Giovanni Gabrieli, Composer
Academy of Ancient Music Giovanni Gabrieli, Composer Paul Goodwin, Conductor |
| Sonata a 8 |
Francesco Usper, Composer
Academy of Ancient Music Francesco Usper, Composer Paul Goodwin, Conductor |
| Sonata a 4 |
Matthias Weckmann, Composer
Academy of Ancient Music Matthias Weckmann, Composer Paul Goodwin, Conductor |
| Geistliche Chormusik, Movement: Tröstet, tröstet mein Volk, SWV382 |
Heinrich Schütz, Composer
Academy of Ancient Music Academy of Ancient Music Chorus Heinrich Schütz, Composer Paul Goodwin, Conductor |
| Geistliche Chormusik, Movement: Ein Kind ist uns geboren, SWV384 |
Heinrich Schütz, Composer
Academy of Ancient Music Academy of Ancient Music Chorus Heinrich Schütz, Composer Paul Goodwin, Conductor |
| Geistliche Chormusik, Movement: Das Wort ward Fleisch, SWV385 |
Heinrich Schütz, Composer
Academy of Ancient Music Academy of Ancient Music Chorus Heinrich Schütz, Composer Paul Goodwin, Conductor |
| Geistliche Chormusik, Movement: Der Engel sprach zu den Hirten, SWV395 |
Heinrich Schütz, Composer
Academy of Ancient Music Academy of Ancient Music Chorus Heinrich Schütz, Composer Paul Goodwin, Conductor |
| Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: O Jesu, nomen dulcem SWV308 |
Heinrich Schütz, Composer
Academy of Ancient Music Academy of Ancient Music Chorus Heinrich Schütz, Composer Paul Goodwin, Conductor |
| Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Hodie Christus natus est, SWV315 |
Heinrich Schütz, Composer
Academy of Ancient Music Academy of Ancient Music Chorus Heinrich Schütz, Composer Paul Goodwin, Conductor |
| Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Joseph, du Sohn David, SWV323 |
Heinrich Schütz, Composer
Academy of Ancient Music Academy of Ancient Music Chorus Heinrich Schütz, Composer Paul Goodwin, Conductor |
| Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, SWV327 |
Heinrich Schütz, Composer
Academy of Ancient Music Academy of Ancient Music Chorus Heinrich Schütz, Composer Paul Goodwin, Conductor |
| Kleiner geistlichen Concerten, Anderer Theil, Movement: ~ |
Heinrich Schütz, Composer
Academy of Ancient Music Academy of Ancient Music Chorus Heinrich Schütz, Composer Paul Goodwin, Conductor |
| Magnificat |
Heinrich Schütz, Composer
Academy of Ancient Music Academy of Ancient Music Chorus Heinrich Schütz, Composer Paul Goodwin, Conductor |
| Psalmen Davids sampt etlichen Moteten und Concerte, Movement: Alleluja, lobet den Herren (Ps 150), SWV38 |
Heinrich Schütz, Composer
Academy of Ancient Music Academy of Ancient Music Chorus Heinrich Schütz, Composer Paul Goodwin, Conductor |
Author: Fabrice Fitch
This handsome anthology of Schutz’s Christmas music was recorded last year during the festive season. The selection spans the whole of Schutz’s career and output, ranging from large-scale polychoral pieces to the more diminutive works composed when the Thirty Years War imposed relative hardship even on the courts of kings and dukes (such as Schutz’s patron, the Elector of Saxony). The lovely Sei gegrusset, Maria combines both monumentality and intimacy, being a dialogue between the archangel Gabriel and the Virgin, framed by interventions from the choir and ensemble. Interspersed among these are instrumental pieces, mostly from the pen of Schutz’s beloved mentor, Giovanni Gabrieli. There is something inherently festive about these pieces, so their inclusion here is very apposite. Mostly they are performed with panache and verve, and count among the disc’s most satisfying moments; I particularly enjoyed the delightfully quirky canzona by Schutz’s pupil, Matthias Weckmann, in which a violin, a cornet, a sackbut and a dulcian exchange melodic material largely made up of ascending thirds (from 2'25'' onwards), an enchanting conceit treated with increasing freedom.
The sound quality throughout is most engaging, but may surprise some listeners: even in the more grandiose selections, the emphasis is not on grandeur but on a compactness, not loudness but richness. It is largely a matter of adjusting one’s expectations accordingly. But there are problems too: perhaps most disappointing is the contribution of the soloists, whose intonation (Sei gegrusset,Joseph, du Sohn David) and delivery (in Hodie Christus natus est, and at the phrase “dispersit superbos” of the Magnificat, for instance) are none too assured. Even the instrumental pieces have their share of difficulties in that respect. For this reason the pieces that work best are those where the choir carry the bulk of the argument, such as Der Engel sprach and Ein Kind ist uns geboren. A mixed bag, then; but the music is so satisfying, its range so admirable as to make for compelling listening. '
The sound quality throughout is most engaging, but may surprise some listeners: even in the more grandiose selections, the emphasis is not on grandeur but on a compactness, not loudness but richness. It is largely a matter of adjusting one’s expectations accordingly. But there are problems too: perhaps most disappointing is the contribution of the soloists, whose intonation (Sei gegrusset,
A Christmas Collection-Schütz and Gabrieli
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