'Israelsbrünnlein' was the only one of Schein's religious works to be reissued 22 years after his death, indicating its high quality and influence.
Composition History
Schein's 'Israelsbrünnlein' (The Fountain of Israel) was dedicated to the Council of Leipzig and published in 1623.
Composition History
Schein decided to publish 'Israelsbrünnlein' as a collection of 'beautiful edifying religious quotations' so that music would not be entirely silent during the adversities of the Thirty Years' War.
Composer Biography
Johann Hermann Schein, the composer of this album, was the cantor at St. Thomas in Leipzig.
Critical Reception
The musicologist Wolfgang Caspar Printz stated in 1690 that Schein's command of the madrigal style was in no way weaker than that of any Italian composer.
Compositional Technique
The 'Israelsbrünnlein' collection contains 26 vocal compositions that can be performed with voices and instruments, or on organ/harpsichord, with an often dispensable figured bass.
Recording & Production
This recording is a co-production between Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln and Capriccio, made in Mandelsloh, St. Osdag, in early 1989.
