Cantiones sacrae 1625 (SWV 53-92) (Score, hardback)

Schütz Cantiones sacrae 1625 (SWV 53-92) (Score, hardback)

Heinrich Schütz, who lived from 1585-1672 was undoubtedly the most important German composer in the era before Bach and Handel, and his work exercised a considerable influence on the development of music.  Making use of some of the innovations which had occurred in Italy, where he studied under Giovanni Gabrieli, he introduced a number of new elements into German music - a more monodic style of writing, the use of different and novel combinations of choirs and instrumental groups, and the setting of German words as well as Latin for religious works.  All of this resulted in works of a much more dramatic character than had hitherto been heard in Germany.

Cantiones sacrae published in 1625 is a collection of forty motets for four-part chorus with basso continuo mostly based on texts and scriptural passages from the 1553 prayer book Precationes by the Lutheran theologian Andreas Musculus.  The pieces are some of Schütz's most expressive and the counterpoint is regarded as unmatched in sacred vocal works of the period.  

- Urtext of the New Schütz Edition Vol.8/9