Customer Reviews

Schütz: Symphoniæ Sacræ III

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Konrad Junghänel is known to Early Music fans as the leading authority in that field, so it is not surprising that he was a person who led the performance and recording of this masterpiece of German Geistliche Musik. The only known previous complete recording of Symphoniae Sacre III was a long out of stock 2 CDs of Musica Fiata and Kammerchor Stuttgart, made back in 1989 and issued on DHM.Junghänel outdoes them in every aspect, using much smaller forces and argueably better instrumentalists. The performance of Cantus Cölln is first rate, as well as the sound. For this CD he assembled again already known team of singers, among them Johanna Kozlowsky. The only minor quibble is that he is not playing lute in continuo, as he did in his earlier recordings. I was always fascinated by his ability. Recommended.

THIS TWO-DISC SET CONTAINS SACRED MUSIC OF HEINRICH SCHUTZ (1585-1672). THE SOLE REASON FOR PURCHASING THIS COLLECTION IS "O, Herr, Hilf." [I used to own "Masterpieces of Music Before 1750" ("MOM") on CD. While a sophomore at Arkansas State University (1985), I took a listening exam which included "O, Herr, Hilf." Therefore, "O, Herr, Hilf" has had an impact on my life. In the "MOM" recording "O, Herr, Hilf" is performed at a slow pace (utilizing "mature" voices) and the prelude is repeated as a postlude]. IN THIS COLLECTION (CONDUCTED BY THE FAMOUS LUTENIST, KONRAD JUNGHANEL) "O, Herr, Hilf" IS PERFORMED AT A FASTER PACE AND THE PRELUDE IS NOT REPEATED; THE SINGERS SOUND LIKE ADOLESCENTS. [For me, the poignancy of the piece was destroyed in this recording; I was extremely disappointed. Although youthful voices are an asset in reference to historical accuracy in early-music-performance practice, I prefer the "mature" sound of the slower version (with postlude) on "MOM"]. "O, Herr, Hilf" IS A SACRED CONCERTO - A COMPOSITION FOR VOICES AND INSTRUMENTS, BASED ON A RELIGIOUS TEXT. [IN THIS COLLECTION "O, Herr, Hilf" IS PERFORMED BY FIVE VOICES, TWO VIOLINS, CORNETTI (EARLY WIND INSTRUMENTS) AND CONTINUO]. "Symphoniae Sacrae III" (1650) IS THE THIRD PART OF A COLLECTION OF HYMNS DEVOTED TO PEACE IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR (1618-1648). SCHUTZ COMPOSED THIS WORK BECAUSE THE WAR HAD A DEVASTATING IMPACT ON MUSICAL TRADITION IN GERMANY - TOWN AND COURT ENSEMBLES WERE ALMOST (OR, IN SOME CASES, TOTALLY) DESTROYED. THE CD BOOKLET CONSISTS OF FIFTY-FIVE PAGES; IT INCLUDES TEXT TRANSLATIONS AND MUSICOLOGICAL DATA. INFORMATION IN THE BOOKLET IS PRESENTED IN ENGLISH, FRENCH AND GERMAN.

Heinrich Schutz almost bears the musical relationship to Bach that St. John the Forerunner does to Jesus Christ. Schutz' sacred music contains all the foreshadowing of Divine Masterpiece that you would expect of one who prefigured Bach's magnificent Cantatas. And yet, Schutz stands well on his own and is great in his own right.

Certainly, when Schutz fled to Venice during the 30 years' war and composed Symphoniae Sacrae I as an homage to Gabrielli, he earned his chops as a master. Years later, when he returned to his native German lands and tongue, he proved he had lost nothing.

Stephan Schreckenberger, a master of period music, brings this work, Symphoniae Sacrae III to life in a flawless rendition, with good technical and artistic qualities. The vocalists are talented and on their form.

Recommended for: Enthusiasts of early-mid baroque music, sacred music, Bach and/or Schutz or Giovanni Gabrielli.

High Points: The very first track on the first CD, Der Herr ist mein Hirt (The Lord is My Shepherd- psalm 23) is haunting. In a number of places on both CDs, the performers manage to almost make the instruments sing with human voice. The libretto translation is also good--almost surprisingly so for this genre!

Low points: If the listener is expecting the sublime, Roman-church-style Latin, the German rendition of these works might be a bit jarring. Also, I can't imagine a less appropriate bit of folder art for what is generally a gentle compilation.

Schütz: Symphoniæ Sacræ III is a 2005 Harmonia Mundi recording under the direction of Konrad Junghängel who leads the Cantus Cölln & Concerto Palatino. Peter Wollny has written the music notes and Charles Johnston has translated them into English. Lyrics are available in German, French and English. Amazing painting on the cover. Being a very devout person the lyrics had a significant meaning to me. Highly recommended indeed. 5/5