Die sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreuz (The Seven Words of Jesus Christ) SWV 478 (Full Score)

Schütz Die sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreuz (The Seven Words of Jesus Christ on the Cross) SWV 478 (Full Score)

“All is done.”

The "Seven Words" is Passiontide music in which Schütz sets the last utterances of Jesus Christ on the cross to music.  These "words" have been passed down in the four Gospels, from which Schütz virtually compiles the dramaturgical structure of his work.  The only authoritative source of SWV 478 is a manuscript held in the Murhardsche Library in Kassel.  To this day, however, SWV 478 cannot be dated precisely.  Before Schütz’s time, some of Jesus’ last words or statements had already been set to music, but Schütz’s work is one of the first to include all seven.  Other well-known settings were penned by Joseph Haydn as well as other 19th- and 20th-century composers.

In short, the "Seven Words" are an extraordinary, expressive, impressive and beautiful work.  The structure is compact and symmetrical: two variably-scored chorale stanzas (movements 1 and 7) frame two instrumental sinfonias (movements 2 and 6) which in turn frame the Passion words.  In the central (movement 4), Jesus cries out in despair "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  Schütz assigns the Gospel words to different vocal parts, the assumption being that he wished to point to the different sources (Luke, John, Mark, Matthew).  The words of Christ are performed throughout by a tenor accompanied by two variable instruments and basso continuo.  As in countless other works, Schütz's ability to convey a maximum of textual interpretation and emotion within a small number of bars with only a few means is very striking.  Prime examples of this can be found in Christ’s words "Es ist vollbracht." or in the compact, quiet and expressive sinfonias, which basically consist of one and the same piece but ideally are performed by different instruments.
 
Schütz’s work "The Seven Words of Jesus Christ on the Cross" is outstanding and self-contained in form and content.  Due to its brevity, the work can be incorporated into any Passiontide concert programme.

- Full score, choral score and performance material (BA1577) available for sale