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Donald Macleod explores the life and music of German early-Baroque master Heinrich Schütz. Today we’re in Venice, where Schütz studies with Gabrieli and hobnobs with Monteverdi.

Landgrave Moritz of Hesse-Kassel did the world a great favour when he suggested to his 25-year-old second court organist Heinrich Schütz that he should head south to Venice and learn at the feet of the Italian master of sound in space, Giovanni Gabrieli – a period of study that left an indelible imprint on the German composer’s musical style. Schütz’s first Venetian sojourn, which began in 1609, was well-timed – Gabrieli was in poor health and had only three years to live. Two decades later, Schütz returned to a Venice where Monteverdi was now the musical kingpin, and found that things had changed a good deal since his previous visit. Once again, Schütz eagerly absorbed his new discoveries into his own musical language, with splendid results – among them his first set of Symphoniae Sacrae, published in Venice in 1629.

Jubilate Deo in chordis et organo, SWV 276 (Symphoniae Sacrae I, Op 6)
Tobias Mäthger, Georg Poplutz, tenor
Felix Schwandtke, bass
Friederike Otto, Anna Schall, cornetti
Clemens Schlemmer, dulcian
Andreas Arend, theorbo
Matthias Müller, violone
Ludger Rémy, organ
Hans-Christoph Rademann, conductor

Ride la primavera, SWV 7; Di marmo siete voi, SWV 17; Vasto mar, nel cui seno, SWV 19 (Italian Madrigals, Op 1)
Sette Voci
Armin Bereuter, violone
Julian Behr, chitarrone
Lorenzo Feder, harpsichord (organ)
Peter Kooij, director

Nun lob, mein Seel, den Herren, SWV 41; Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen, SWV 29; Ich danke dem Herrn von ganzem Herzen, SWV 34 (Psalmen Davids, Op 2)
Cantus Cölln
Concerto Palatino
Konrad Junghänel, director

Fili mi, Absalon, SWV 269 (Symphoniae Sacrae I, Op 6)
Felix Schwandtke, bass
Sebastian Krause, Julian Nagel, Masafumi Sakamoto, Fernando Günther, trombone
Andreas Arend, theorbo
Matthias Müller, violone
Ludger Rémy, organ

In te, Domine, speravi, SWV 259
David Erler, countertenor
Margret Baumgartl, violin
Clemens Schlemmer, dulcian
Andreas Arend, theorbo
Ludger Rémy, organ

Hans-Christoph Rademann, conductor

Es steh Gott auf, SWV 356, (Symphoniae sacrae II, Op 10)
Capella Augustana
Matteo Messori, director

Produced by Chris Barstow for Â鶹Éç Wales