The Litania 'Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison' is an anonymously transmitted work attributed to Heinrich Schütz, setting Martin Luther's German Litany of 1529.
Recording & Production
This album is part of the first complete recording of Heinrich Schütz's works, an initiative by the Dresdner Kammerchor.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Heinrich Schütz, the composer, aimed for clear and understandable storytelling in his music, using it as a form of sermon.
Notable Performances
After a long period of neglect, Heinrich Schütz's Passions were revived in the early 1880s by Arnold Mendelssohn, a German composer and conductor, who was encouraged by scholar Philipp Spitta.
Historical Context
During Schütz's time, until the end of the 17th century, all instruments in the Dresden court chapel were silenced during Passiontide, meaning the sung text had no instrumental support.
Compositional Technique
Schütz's Turbae choruses, representing angry crowds, use specific musical techniques like a single voice leading followed by others, or voices entering successively and imitating each other, to depict the formation of mass opinion.
Compositional Technique
Schütz's St. John Passion uses a radically reduced musical palette, with the Evangelist's part being central despite its simplicity, demanding concentration from the listener.
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Historia Nativitatis
Schütz: The Resurrection (Auferstehungshistorie)
Schütz: Auferstehungshistorie
Handel: Coronation Anthems; Arias and Choruses
Missa 1724
Handel Edition, Vol. 6
J.S. Bach & Handel Arias [1960 Stereo Remake]
Bach, J.S.: St. John Passion, Bwv 245 (Highlights)
