Schütz saw no conflict between his artistic allegiance to Catholic Italy, which he called 'the true university of music,' and his staunch Protestant faith.
Composer Biography
Heinrich Schütz, a pre-eminent 17th-century German composer, was initially discouraged from music by his parents, who wanted him to pursue a legal career.
Compositional Technique
A repeating two-note bass figure in the angel's sections of 'The Christmas Story' depicts the 'rocking of the Christ child's cradle,' according to Schütz.
Compositional Technique
In 'The Christmas Story,' Schütz uses specific instruments to represent characters: 'pastoral' recorders for shepherds, ethereal violettas for the angel, 'regal' trumpets for King Herod, and mellow trombones for high priests.
Composition History
Schütz's 'Historia der Geburt Christi' (The Christmas Story) was described by a court diarist in 1660 as 'The birth of Christ in recitative style,' highlighting its innovative use of Italian-style operatic recitative.
Composer Biography
Schütz's musical career was saved by a princely patron who sent him to Venice in 1609 to study with Giovanni Gabrieli, a renowned Italian composer.
Performer Biography
David Hill, the conductor, has held prestigious positions including Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers and Musical Director of The Bach Choir, and was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2019 for his services to music.
