8.1 Schütz and the early German Baroque

Heinrich Schütz was a pivotal figure in early German Baroque music. He blended Italian and German styles, creating sacred works that emphasized text expression and musical rhetoric. His compositions laid the groundwork for future German composers.

Schütz's works, like Psalmen Davids and Symphoniae Sacrae, showcased his innovative approach. He used techniques like word-painting and polychoral writing to convey textual meaning. His music reflected the religious and political context of 17th-century Germany.

Heinrich Schütz and the Early German Baroque

Characteristics of Schütz's compositional style

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• Synthesized Italian and German musical styles by incorporating Italian polychoral techniques and expressive text-setting learned from studying with Giovanni Gabrieli in Venice and adapting them to German Lutheran sacred music
• Emphasized text expression and musical rhetoric using music to convey the meaning and emotions of the text through word-painting and affective devices
• Developed the German sacred concerto by composing works for voices and instruments (Kleine geistliche Konzerte) which laid the foundation for the German cantata tradition
• Expanded the German Baroque repertoire by composing a wide range of sacred works including motets, psalms, and oratorios influencing subsequent generations of German composers (Buxtehude, Bach)

Text expression in Schütz's sacred works

• Psalmen Davids (1619) set German translations of Biblical psalms to music employing madrigalisms and word-painting to express the text's meaning and using contrasting textures and vocal groupings to highlight textual content
• Symphoniae Sacrae (1629, 1647, 1650) collections of sacred concertos for voices and instruments utilized rhetorical devices (repetition, contrast) to emphasize key words and phrases, incorporated Italian-style recitatives and ariosos for expressive solo passages, and employed affective chromaticism and dissonance to convey emotions
• Musikalische Exequien (1636) funeral music with biblical texts and chorales
• Historia der Auferstehung Jesu Christi (1623) Easter oratorio with narrative and reflective sections

Italian influence on Schütz's music

• Studied with Giovanni Gabrieli in Venice (1609-1612) learning Italian polychoral techniques, expressive text-setting, and the Venetian style of combining voices and instruments
• Admired Claudio Monteverdi praising his works in the preface to Symphoniae Sacrae, incorporating his innovations in recitative and arioso style, and adapting his affective use of chromaticism and dissonance
• Synthesized Italian and German styles by applying Italian techniques to German Lutheran sacred music, combining polychoral writing with German chorale melodies, and integrating Italian expressive devices with German text-centered approach

Historical context of Schütz's compositions

• Served as Kapellmeister at the Dresden court composing music for Lutheran church services and court ceremonies as court composer for the Electors of Saxony
• Lutheran theology emphasized the vernacular and congregational participation, the importance of the chorale as a means of teaching and expressing faith, and music as a vehicle for proclaiming the Word and moving the affections
• Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) was a period of political and religious upheaval in Germany during which Schütz's compositions offered comfort and solace reflecting the war's impact on society (Musikalische Exequien)
• Influenced later German Baroque composers by paving the way for the development of the German cantata and oratorio with his synthesis of Italian and German styles and his text-expressive approach and use of musical rhetoric influenced composers (Buxtehude, Bach)