Schütz believed that "The Christmas Story" could only be adequately performed in "well-appointed royal chapels," indicating his high standards for its performance.
Composer Biography
Heinrich Schütz was born exactly one century before Johann Sebastian Bach and Handel, and lived to be eighty-seven, serving as Kapellmeister in Dresden for 55 years.
Composer Biography
Schütz studied in Venice with Giovanni Gabrieli, a Venetian master and organist at Saint Mark's, between 1610 and 1612, which influenced his early works.
Compositional Technique
In "The Christmas Story," Schütz uses specific instruments to characterize different figures, such as cornetts for Herod and sackbuts for his High Priests.
Composer Biography
Heinrich Schütz, the composer, was the first German composer of international repute.
Performer Biography
The Oxford Camerata, the ensemble on this recording, was formed to meet the demand for choral groups specializing in Renaissance music and has won a European Cultural Prize.
Composition History
Schütz's "The Christmas Story" was unusual because only the Evangelist's music was published for sale; the rest was only available for hire.
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