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Heinrich schütz The Complete Narrative Works Ars Nova Copenhagen, Paul Hillier Heinrich schütz (1585-1672) CD 1 Lukas-Passion SWV 480 (1666) ��52:41 The Complete Narrative Works Historia des Leidens und Sterbens unsers Herrn und Heilandes Jesu Christi nach dem Evangelisten St. Lukas Ars Nova Copenhagen, Paul Hillier 1 Eingang ��1:34 2 Evangelist: Es war aber nahe das Fest der süßen Brot ��14:03 3 Evangelist: Und er ging hinaus nach seiner Gewohnheit ��9:17 4 Evangelist: Die Männer aber, die da Jesum hielten ��3:19 5 Evangelist: Und der ganze Haufe stund ab ��7:19 6 Evangelist: Aber sie lagen ihm an mit großen Geschrei ��11:09 7 Evangelist: Da aber der Hauptmann sahe ��3:54 8 Beschluß ��2:07 Johan Linderoth, evangelist Jakob Bloch Jespersen, Jesus

CD 2 Weihnachtshistorie SWV 435 (c. 1660) ��34:43 1 Eingang ��1:18 2 Evangelist ��2:57 3 Intermedium 1. Der Engel zu den Hirten auf dem Felde ��3:00 4 Evangelist ��0:13 5 Intermedium 2. Die Menge der Engel ��1:46 6 Evangelist ��0:14 7 Intermedium 3. Die Hirten auf dem Felde ��1:28 8 Evangelist ��2:43 German and English vocal texts available online from Dacapo’s website: 9 Intermedium 4. Die Weisen aus Morgenlande ��2:00 www.dacapo-records.dk/c/8.204035 10 Evangelist ��0:35 11 Intermedium 5. Hohepriester und Schriftgelehrte ��2:53 Dacapo is supported by the Danish Arts Council Committee for Music 12 Evangelist ��0:37 13 Intermedium 6. Herodes ��2:10 14 Evangelist ��2:08 3 Evangelist: Und es war um die dritte Stunde ��1:02 15 Intermedium 7. Der Engel zu Joseph ��1:52 4 Evangelist: Es stund aber bei dem Kreuze ��2:24 16 Evangelist ��3:08 5 Evangelist: Aber der Übelthäter einer ��2:58 17 Intermedium 8. Der Engel zu Joseph ��1:44 6 Evangelist: Und um die neunte Stunde ��2:20 18 Evangelist ��1:55 7 Evangelist: Darnach, als Jesus wußte ��0:50 19 Der Beschluss ��2:03 8 Evangelist: Und einer aus den Kriegesknechten ��1:23 Adam Riis, evangelist 9 Evangelist: Und abermal rief Jesus laut��1:52 Else Torp, Der Engel 10 Symphonia ��1:30 Jakob Bloch Jespersen, Herodes 11 Conclusio ��1:51

Auferstehungshistorie SWV 450 (c. 1623) �� 44:06 Johannes-Passion SWV 481 (1666) �� 38:10 Historia der Auferstehung Jesu Christi Historia des Leidens und Sterbens unsers Herrn und Heilandes 20 Introitus: Chor ��1:05 Jesu Christi nach dem Evangelistem St Johannem 21 Der Ostermorgen��9:34 12 Eingang ��1:36 22 Jesus erscheint der Maria Magdalena ��6:52 13 Evangelist: Da Jesus solches geredet hatte ��4:29 23 Der Jüngling im Grabe ��2:43 14 Evangelist: Die Schar aber und der Oberhauptmann ��5:37 24 Jesus erscheint den Frauen ��1:40 15 Evangelist: Da fürten sie Jesum von Kaipha ��6:23 25 Rat der Hohenpriester ��2:07 16 Evangelist: Da nahm Pilatus Jesum ��2:15 26 Jesus erscheint den Emmausjüngern �� 10:32 17 Evangelist: Da ihn die Hohenpriester und die Diener sahen ��6:21 27 Jesus erscheint den elf Jüngern ��6:19 18 Evangelist: Sie nahmen aber Jesum ��8:59 28 Der Sendungsbefehl ��1:44 19 Beschluss��2:30 29 Conclusio: Chor ��1:31 Adam Riis, evangelist Johan Linderoth, evangelist Jakob Bloch Jespersen, Jesus

CD 3 CD 4 Die Sieben Worte SWV 478 (before 1658) �� 19:47 Matthäus-Passion SWV 479 (1666) �� 54:42 Die Sieben Worte unsers lieben Erlösers und Seligmachers Jesu Christi 1 Introitus ��1:01 1 Introitus ��2:17 2 Und es begab sich, da Jesus alle diese Rede vollendet hatte �� 12:04 2 Symphonia ��1:18 3 Da kam Jesus mit ihnen zu einem Hofe, der hieß Gethsemane ��7:49 4 Die aber Jesum gegriffen hatten ��4:05 ST. LUKE’S PASSSION – HEARING SCHÜTZ IN A BACH WORLD 5 Petrus aber saß draußen im Palast �� 11:41 It is always unfortunate when our familiarity with one composer’s music gets in the way 6 Und da sie ihn verspottet hatten �� 10:37 of hearing another’s. But for most of us in the 21st century our experience with J.S. Bach’s 7 Und am Abend kam ein reicher Mann von Arimathia ��4:01 two passions makes us likely to hear settings by other composers primarily in comparison 8 Beschluß ��3:25 to them. If we approach the passions of Heinrich Schütz in particular with ears attuned to Julian Podger, evangelist Bach’s compositions we are likely to be puzzled and maybe even disappointed, because the Jakob Bloch Jespersen, Christus older composer’s approach and choice of musical medium were very different. The structure of both Schütz’s and Bach’s passions is governed by the musical recitation of the Gospel text. In Bach’s settings these words are presented by a musician represent- ing the Evangelist who sings the narrative accompanied by basso continuo instruments in melodically and harmonically expressive music that emphasizes the emotional and affec- For full artist credits, see pages 34-37 tive implications of the words. The closest musical relatives of these Gospel settings are actually the recitatives in Bach’s church cantatas, in which Bach sets free poetic texts and heightens them with musical gestures. In the passion the words of the Evangelist are narrative prose, but Bach sets them much like the cantatas’ poetry for expressive effect. Schütz’s St. Luke Passion takes an entirely different approach. The Evangelist’s words there are intoned in a kind of chant whose melodic contours are modest and whose largely unspecified rhythms are presumably meant to follow stylized speech. A few simple formulas govern most of the Evangelist’s extensive music in Schütz’s St. Luke Passion, formulas that emphasize recitation on one pitch with decoration at moments of grammatical punctuation. In comparison to Bach’s music the effect is stark and much less obviously expressive. Schütz was certainly capable of writing expressive monodic music with basso continuo – in fact he composed a passion-season work (The Seven Last Words) that draws largely on exactly this kind of writing. But his St. Luke Passion uses no instruments in deference to a tradition at the Dresden court (for which Schütz evidently composed his passion settings) of silencing them during Holy Week. This much plainer style to which Schütz turned would nonetheless have been intimately familiar to listeners because recitation according to a melodic formula was the usual way of presenting the passion story in the liturgy. This kind of setting has its own virtues; among other things, it puts a strong emphasis on continuous narration in the words of the

7 Gospel, in contrast to the tendency in Bach’s passion settings to focus on individual mo- The other resemblance to Bach’s passions is in the presentation of words of groups and ments in the story and to pause often for reflection on them. crowds. In Schütz’s St. Luke Passion these are set as short pieces for a four-part ensemble, Those moments of reflection represent another significant difference. In Bach’s passion today often sung by a chorus. They are labeled “Disciples,” “High Priests” and so on, and settings the narrative is frequently interrupted by commentary movements either in the clearly stand out by their scoring from the intoned narration and words of individuals. form of chorales (hymn stanzas almost always presented with their associated melodies) Here, too, Schütz is following a Lutheran tradition that sometimes decorated the plain or free poetry set as solo arias (and sometimes as instrumentally-accompanied recitatives). liturgical chanting of the passion story with polyphonic (multi-voiced) settings of the words These movements, together with framing ensemble pieces at the beginning and end of the of groups; his three passion settings can be seen as a culmination of this tradition, in fact, work, represent perhaps the most characteristic aspect of Bach’s passions. The arias reflect providing the most elaborate music for the words of groups. on the action in vivid and gripping terms with musical settings meant to evoke emotional These movements draw on the vocal style Schütz cultivated in collections like his Geist- reactions. The carefully selected chorales are designed to draw the congregational listener liche Chor-Music in which the entire musical substance resides in the voices, with no es- into the narration by their use of familiar texts and tunes. sential instruments and no basso continuo. Compared to the kind of setting that uses solo These commentary movements have no musical or emotional parallel in Schütz’s pas- voices against basso continuo, this style is expressively relatively neutral. But in Schütz’s sion. That work is introduced by a short ensemble number that announces the presenta- hands (and in contrast to the formulaic and plain recitation of the rest of the passion’s text) tion of the passion story according to Luke – essentially a liturgical formula, neutral in its these brief pieces stand out as particularly expressive. The composer often uses the charac- affect. The only other non-Gospel movement is the last, an ensemble setting of a chorale teristic texture of imitation among the parts to suggest multiple speakers; he controls the stanza that urges reflection on the passion story and on one’s own mortality. But this density of the texture and the speed of declamation to suggest different affects; and once piece is short, does not use the hymn melody associated with this text, and in its relatively invokes a musical convention of quick repercussive vocal writing to highlight the martial neutral musical style is not designed to provoke an emotional response to the story just violence suggested by words of the disciples who offer to take up the sword (“Herr, sollen concluded. The focus remains on the narrative. wir mit dem Schwert dreinschagen”). Two elements in Schütz’s setting are more closely related to Bach’s passion. The first These pieces go beyond the detached emotional neutrality suggested by the choice of is the presentation of the words of various characters. The direct speech of Jesus, Peter, unaccompanied recitation, and for the modern listener are likely to represent high points Pilate and others plays a large role in the telling of the passion story, particularly in of the work. This way of listening might be another legacy of our familiarity with Bach’s pas- Luke’s Gospel. In Schütz’s setting (as in Bach’s) these words are assigned to particular sions, with their emphasis on the listener’s personal and emotional reaction to events in singers. The liturgical tradition from which Schütz drew this practice used three people the story; Bach’s musical style and the expressive language of the added poetic commentary in total: one to sing the Evangelist’s words, one to sing those of Jesus, and a third to are especially well suited to exactly this kind of expression, and we are accustomed to lis- present all the other speaking characters. Schütz evidently used distinct singers for the tening for it. The choice of musical styles in Schütz’s St. Luke passion – liturgically-derived various roles (as did Bach), and just as in the traditional liturgical manner of presenta- unaccompanied recitation and ensemble settings that tend only somewhat towards text tion, their words are musically distinguished by range and by the choice of a reciting expression – result in a work that we need to hear differently, perhaps, to appreciate fully. note. It would be going too far to call Schütz’s passions dramatic, but the delivery of the If we have a tendency to see Schütz from the perspective of J.S. Bach at least we are in words of characters by specific singers (not the Evangelist) does bring an element of good company. The modern study of Schütz’s music started with 19th-century Bach schol- drama to the telling of the story. ars who were curious about the musical traditions from which his church music arose.

8 9 This spurred studies of Dieterich Buxtehude (whose music-making Bach experienced sors at the Dresden court. Scandello’s work dates from the late sixteenth century and was directly) and of earlier 17th-century predecessors including Johann Hermann Schein and published in the first years of the seventeenth; Schütz was familiar with it, and his own Schütz (whose music Bach was likely to have known at least in passing). So we might as well setting published in 1623 represented a stylistically more up-to-date presentation of the embrace our position as listeners who come first to Bach’s passions and try to understand same text. the ways in which Schütz’s pieces differ. The features of this text have consequences for a musical setting. After an opening In fact this was exactly the conclusion reached by Philipp Spitta, the greatest 19th-centu- chorus that announces the topic of the historia (just as in a passion) and declares its origin ry scholar of Bach’s music and one of the first to explore Schütz’s music thoroughly; he con- in “the four evangelists,” it begins a series of episodes drawn from scripture. The first is the cluded that the older composer’s passion settings had very little in common with Bach’s discovery of Jesus’ empty tomb three days after the crucifixion, starting with a long narra- but found immense value in each. This is surely a good model for our listening as well. tion by the Evangelist, who sets the scene. But the real goal of the section is the question asked by the three women at the tomb in their own voices: “Who will roll away the stone AuferstehungsHistorie from the grave’s entrance for us?” Up to this point, Schütz’s musical setting has consisted of an intonation of the Evange- The Lutheran tradition of musical passion settings grew out of liturgical presentations of list’s words accompanied by an ensemble of four string instruments and basso continuo, the crucifixion story during Holy Week. The kind of musical work that emerged, with a nar- a familiar texture often used for settings of Italian poetry. But with the direct speech of the rative text from scripture and framing movements at the beginning and end, was known three women the music changes; their words are presented in a different style that uses as a historia and was realized in a continuous and varied repertory dating from early in the solo voices over a basso continuo line. This music relies on melodic interest, harmonic Reformation to the settings of Schütz and beyond. The musical presentation of the resur- color, and the relationship of the several voices to each other, employing imitation, expres- rection story at Easter has a more modest history, and one reason was textual. The passion sive dissonance and its resolution, and other devices. This is the style of the modern vocal had long been presented according to one of the four gospels, but there were no equally concerto and represents the most up-to-date feature of Schütz’s work. well-established narratives of the resurrection in general use. In the Lutheran tradition, The alternation of narration and direct speech continues throughout the work and with Easter historiae were compiled from words drawn from the four gospels, combining words it the alternation of accompanied recitation and concerted settings. After another passage and episodes from each of them into a composite text, and their text was not fixed. of narration the concerted style reappears for the words of the two men in the tomb, who The most famous of the compiled narratives was by Johannes Bugenhagen (1485–1558), sing in a variety of speeds of declamation in distinct musical sections marked by strongly- a Wittenberg theologian and colleague of Martin Luther. Among his accomplishments was directed drives towards cadences. Their music aims for vivid expression of textual imagery the organization of the German reformed church in Denmark, where he lectured at the Uni- and affect, and often repeats phrases of text for emphasis. In the Resurrection historia this versity of Copenhagen during his stay in the 1530s. The strong political, confessional and style conveys not only the meaning of the words of direct speech but also their affect—their cultural connections between the regions were ultimately responsible for the period that expressive element—meant to move the listener’s emotions. Heinrich Schütz was to spend at the Danish court 100 years later. Both the textual compiler The narrative is undoubtedly important but the direct speech is the focus both of Bugen- and the composer of Schütz’s Resurrection historia thus have a connection to Denmark. hagen’s text and of Schütz’s musical setting. Each of the episodes included in the historia Bugenhagen’s resurrection text, first published in 1526, was well known from a musical was evidently chosen for the presence of the direct words of participants, including Mary setting by Antonio Scandello, an Italian-born composer who was one of Schütz’s predeces- Magdalene, the two men at the tomb, two angels, Cleopas, and particularly Jesus himself.

10 11 The expressive weight of Schütz’s setting falls decisively on these passages but occasion- by the texture of a single voice and basso continuo. Schütz himself suggested this option, ally spills over into the Evangelist’s part; sometimes his music goes beyond mere narrative and it is one to be taken seriously. intonation to a more luxuriant style that briefly invokes the monodic solo writing used in The text of the final framing movement prompts Schütz to move one last time from theatrical music. the telling of the story to the depiction of its associated emotions. The words are from The first two sets of quoted words—those of the three women at the tomb and of 1. Corinthians and invoke the theological topic known as Christus victor, using language the two men in it—appear to set up a quasi-realistic relationship between voices and that portrays Jesus’ resurrection and its significance in military terms. This is realized characters. Three high voices deliver the words of the women, and two voices in lower in an eight-part setting for two choruses presenting the epistle text itself (“Thanks be to ranges present the words of the men. But this is not consistent throughout the historia. God”), throughout which a ninth voice (the one who sang the Evangelist) continuously Larger groups are indeed presented by multiple voices (priests by three low voices, disci- weaves repetitions of the triumphal cry “Victoria.” Eventually the other eight voices ples by a six-voice complement), and pairs (the two men in the tomb, two angels, Cleopas pick up this word as well, and the entire concluding section consists of repetitions of it. and his companion) are represented by two voices. But most of the quoted words of The musical setting—quick declamation over static harmony—invokes a stereotyped individual characters are presented in a way that might not seem obvious to the modern 17th‑century musical expression of the text’s military metaphor. The tendency of this listener, by two voices with basso continuo, not just one. This includes the words of work to move from narration to expression here sweeps up the entire ensemble to round Mary Magdalene (soprano, with an additional soprano part below), Jesus (tenor, with off the historia. an additional alto above), and the young man at the tomb (alto, with an additional alto above)*. The only character represented by an individual voice is Cleopas (tenor), and it WeihnachtsHistorie may be significant that his words begin with the question “Are you alone such a stranger in Jerusalem?” The text of Schütz’s Christmas historia is similar to that of the resurrection piece in sev- The use of two voices for individuals, though not literally representational, allows Schütz eral respects. It, too, is compiled from more than one gospel, though it tends to use long to deploy the full range of expressive devices available in concerted settings, including dis- episodes from Luke’s and Matthew’s narratives rather than draw on all four evangelists in sonance between the two parts, imitation (and the text repetition and emphasis that comes small units. More importantly, the Christmas piece also divides its text clearly into narra- with it), and textural changes to delineate sections. These effects do not require that both tive passages and sections of direct speech and contrasts them musically. In this work the lines be sung, and in fact in his preface (which is full of detailed advice on the performance speakers are an angel, the host of angels, shepherds, wise men, high priests, and Herod, of the piece) Schütz offers the option of performing one of the two lines instrumentally. He and once again their words are the high points of the musical setting. also suggests that the second line may be eliminated altogether. This is rarely done in mod- Schütz handles the two kinds of text—narrative and direct speech—in very different ern presentations; performers are understandably reluctant to drop entire lines of Schütz’s ways. The gospel narrative is presented by a tenor voice accompanied by basso continuo. music. But doing so is not simply an emergency measure to be taken if forces are not avail- The composer’s instructions tell us that the singer of the evangelist’s words is to be accom- able. Performing these passages with individual voices tilts them (especially the words of panied by organ and violone (double bass), that his voice should be “good” and “bright,” Jesus) towards the soloistic and expressive—that is, towards the theatrical style suggested and that he should sing not according to a regular pulse but according to the measure of the words. Schütz here describes the stylo recitativo, or recitative style of the theater. He * In fact we perform one passage in this way with voice and instrument duet: The Young Man at the Tomb. (P.H.) does leave the option of singing the narrative in unaccompanied plainsong (chant) accord-

12 13 ing to liturgical formulas. But the point of the publication of this music was clearly the be heard 50 years later both in the Pifa of Handel’s Messiah and in the woodwind sinfonia dissemination of this new style and its flexibly expressive presentation of the story. that opens Part II of J. S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio BWV 248. Intermedium 4, for the three In this flexibility and responsiveness to the text, and in the approximation of speech-like wise men, matches a 3-part instrumental texture (imitative at the beginning to make the declamation, this presentation of the narrative is markedly different from that in the Resur- scoring clear) with a 3-part vocal texture. The high priests, as befitting their solemnity, are rection historia even though both are sung by a solo voice supported by basso continuo. The sung by four bass voices accompanied by trombones in Intermedium 5. In a strong con- narration in the Easter piece clearly owes its musical style to the intonation of biblical prose trast of color, texture and range, Herod (Intermedium 6) is depicted by a solo voice and two in plainsong; this can be heard particularly clearly in the tendency for the text to be recited high trumpets in keeping with his royal status. on one pitch for long stretches. In contrast, the narration in the Christmas work, with its in- The outer movements set their framing texts in a mostly simple and declamatory tex- flections, rhythmic variety, and relative harmonic freedom, is designed as a quasi-dramatic ture in which the four voices move almost entirely together. Probably they alternated with presentation of the story. This style is from the world of the musical theater, and was (as instruments playing in a similar texture, pitting a choir of voices against a choir of instru- Schütz pointed out in his preface) new in published music in German-speaking lands. ments in an antiphonal relationship. We have to say “probably” because the Christmas This approach to the narrative does elevate its importance and effect, but Schütz still historia is transmitted in a complex way, leading to several problems, and the instrumental focuses closely on the eight passages of direct speech in the Christmas work. He sets lines for these outer movements are missing. them—along with framing texts at the beginning and end—in an entirely different manner The difficulties stem largely from the way the composer himself treated the piece. When from the narration. These movements belong, in fact, to an entirely separate ensemble, a Schütz decided to publish this work in 1664 he did so in an interesting way. Having divided concerted group with organ. They present the 10 texts as a series of vocal concertos using the work’s performing forces into two choirs (one for the evangelist, one for the concerted an astonishing variety of textures and instrumentation. Schütz labels each of the settings framing movements and intermedia), he published only the first, “hesitating” (he wrote) of direct speech “Intermedium,” a label suggesting that he thought of them as inserts “to publish these pieces [the concertos], because he has observed that outside of princely between the passages of narration. musical establishments these inventions of his are unlikely to achieve their intended Schütz takes his cues for the musical style and instrumentation of each Intermedium effect.” He listed the ten concerted movements and their scorings in his preface and from the identity of the speaker. The angel’s words of reassurance in Intermedium 1, with instructed interested musicians that they could purchase copies of his settings from the its repetitive rocking bass that recurs throughout the movement, invokes the cradle songs organist of the Kreuzkirche in Dresden or the cantor in Leipzig (Sebastian Knüpfer). Either traditionally associated with tellings of the Christmas story. When the angel reappears in out of modesty or practicality he suggested that these pieces could alternatively be adapted Intermedia 7 and 8, this time addressing Joseph, the cradle-song material is reprised, now to available forces, or even composed anew. framing more expressive and text-responsive settings of words of warning and advice. The Just enough printed material from the Evangelist’s group survives to transmit the whole text of praise sung by the host of angels in Intermedium 2 calls forth a concerted setting of musical substance of the narrative, though not a complete set of parts; Schütz himself the Christmas text that German composers set to music more often than any other, “Ehre wrote of printing only a few copies. For the concerted movements we have to rely on two sei Gott in der Höhe.” The central place of this text in German musical celebrations of manuscript sources. These do not entirely agree with each other, and may reflect both Christmas helps explain its length and ample scoring in this work. revision over time by the composer and intervention by other musicians, some of it clumsy. The words of the shepherds in Intermedium 3 are introduced by a characteristic pasto- The result is an imperfect picture of the concerted movements, and even some variants in ral sinfonia with two recorders; this, too was a Christmas convention, one that could still the narrative that may well go back to the composer. But aside from the instrumental lines

14 15 in the framing movements and a few other gaps, we are fortunate that most of the musical the sixteenth-century motet in which the contrapuntal relationship of the voices is more text of Schütz’s Christmas historia does survive. It makes a striking companion to the Res- important than the expression of the words. This style is much better at laying out the urrection historia, adopting its basic textual framework but taking it a step further in musi- grammatical structure of a text – its division into phrases – than at expressing its content, cal expressivity both in its narrative and in the words of characters who appear in the story. let alone moving the listener. Schütz does sharpen the narration of the passion story and intensify its presentation, JOHANNES-PASSION but not by moving a listener’s affections. Instead, the composer expresses the text by careful control of the hearer’s progress through the narration, musically dividing the text into For his setting of the St. John Passion (as well as those of St. Luke and St. Matthew), Schütz smaller units and guiding of the listener’s path through the story. This allows him to focus chose an outline that was familiar to listeners and musicians of the time and evidently attention on particular moments, actions and words of special theological significance. traditional for the Dresden court chapel: individual voices present the narration and the In the evangelist’s narration, Schütz’s principal tools are the choice of reciting pitch and direct speech of most characters, and multiple voices sing the words of groups. But the the arrival on particular notes as resting places (cadence points). The composed narration, styles Schütz used in this composition were far removed from the most characteristic fea- like the liturgical chant on which it is modeled, tends to recite on one note, inflecting the ture of 17th-century music: the aim of moving the affections – stirring the emotions of the vocal line to demarcate phrases and clauses and eventually cadences at the end of sen- listener. In the case of a passion setting, the purpose was to move the devout listener to a tences. Schütz carefully varies the reciting pitch and controls the strength of cadences to particular reaction to the story and (according to Lutheran theology) towards a personal suggest a particular structure. connection to it. This is well illustrated in the opening narrative. The evangelist begins on the pitch E and In fact, Schütz was famous for his mastery of Italian ideals of expressive music. In solo narrates “Da Jesus solches geredet hatte ging er hinaus mit seinen Jüngern” mostly on B song this meant operatic monody – an individual voice presenting heightened musical natural, with an inflection in the middle; continues “über den Bach Kidron” still empha- speech supported by basso continuo. In writing monody the composer controlled vocal sizing B; then finishes the verse in a gradual descent back to the opening pitch (E) on the range, harmonic relationship to the bass line, and other melodic features to express the two phrases “da war ein Garte” and “darein ging Jesus und seine Jünger.” The return to text, also counting on a performer’s dramatic abilities to move the listener. In polyphonic the opening note signals the close of a unit, and the recitation mostly on one pitch unifies vocal music the expressive elements came from the introduction of dissonance between the section, whose text sets the scene. Schütz clearly separates this from the next (and very voices (and its resolution); from a wide range of text declamation from the slowly unfold- different) text, “Judas aber, der ihn verriet …” which recites on a different pitch, F; this lies ing to the rhythmically percussive; and from the creation of the forward drive of harmony an awkward musical distance from the previous reciting pitch, B, and contrasts Judas with resulting from the combination of vocal lines over a well-directed bass line. Jesus and the other disciples. The narrator recits next on G (“denn Jesus versammlete sich But the musical types Schütz chose for his passion settings do not allow for this kind of oft …”) for the words that first introduce the element of conflict. The third verse, begin- expression either in the solo material or the choruses. The solo singing is modeled on the ning “Da nun Judas zu sich genommen hatte die Schare” recites on yet a third pitch (A) as formulaic recitation of scriptural texts, favoring a melodic line that remains on the same the text introduces the next event in the narrative. The beginning of the following verse pitch for many words in a row. It uses no basso continuo, its range is limited, and there is (“Als nun Jesus wußte alles …”) recites on C, again distinguishing it. This segment of the no text repetition (a device often employed in monody at particularly expressive moments). narration is rounded off by the words “Judas aber, der ihn verriet …” which cadences on And for the settings of the words of groups Schütz uses essentially the inherited style of the original opening pitch E, and when the narration continues – “Als nun Jesus zu ihnen

16 17 sprach …” – Schütz uses the same formula and recitation on B as in the opening, as if start- idea to each. The first (“Wäre dieser nicht ein Übeltäter”) is declaimed at moderate speed ing over, reciting on B and cadencing on E (“und fielen zu Boden”). among the four voices in imitation, with a pause in the middle that emphasizes the word The result of this construction (which is much easier to hear than to read about) is that “nicht.” The next text segment (“wir hätten dir ihn nicht”) is declaimed in quicker notes. Schütz guides the listener through the narrative, dividing sentences, verses and sections Most of the voices repeat this text, adding to the urgency; and successive statements (in so- not just by inflecting the reciting note (as in the traditional liturgical formulas) but by mov- prano, tenor, soprano and bass) are on rising pitches (E-F-G-A) with a similar effect. The se- ing the recitation onto various pitches (B to F to G to A to C and back to B) to give a sense of ries of strong arrivals on the word “nicht” in this section points up the grammatical parallel progression through the story and to shape larger sections. The structure guides the listen- with the first textual phrase; together these settings emphasize the strange conditional state- er through the elements of the story; this is an indirect kind of expression but an effective ment attributed to the Jews (“If he were not . . we would not have …”). Schütz finally reaches one nonetheless. The various reciting pitches in slightly different parts of a singer’s range the last word, “überantwortet,” the culminating and dramatically most important element also give the performer scope for a more expressive delivery of the text than recitation on that identifies the group’s action; this he presents in a drawn-out setting that contrasts with one note would allow. the syllable-by-syllable declamation of the previous two phrases. Here the German grammar In the ensemble pieces that present the words of groups Schütz similarly structures (which pushes this verb to the end of the sentence) works in Schütz’s favor, allowing him to text and music within the inherent neutrality of the unaccompanied polyphonic style he emphasize the word by making its musical setting drive towards a musical conclusion. chooses. Almost all of the choral utterances are imitative, with successive entrances of the In this kind of choral piece, as in the narrative recitation, Schütz is more concerned with four voices (or of pairs of voices). The choice of imitative textures highlights the multiple the division and pacing of the text than with its overt emotional expression. But in a text as voices in these passages in contrast to the single voices of individuals and of the narrator. significant to the devout listener as the passion story, this is a powerful tool in his hands. To the extent that John’s gospel recounts a large number of agitated words of groups (a feature with some troubling implications, particularly for the depictions of the Jews), the Die Sieben Worte repetition of words from voice to voice adds a degree of urgency, as well as obviously em- phasizing the words of witnesses to and participants in the narrative with whom listeners Schütz never published “Die Sieben Wortte unsers lieben Erlösers und Seeligmachers Jesu are perhaps meant to identify. Christi” as he did his Resurrection and Christmas Historias, and the work is known only in There is also a great deal of word repetition even within each vocal line; Schütz extends a set of performing parts whose connection to the composer is uncertain. We do not know most of the choral passages by repeating musical ideas and the text they carry. He also whether the piece was intended for liturgical use in Dresden (though this is possible), and breaks up the longer texts into small grammatical units, giving each its own musical idea. our only clue to its date is an inventory of music once found in Naumburg that evidently cites Once again, Schütz guides the listener through each phrase of the text, here by segmenta- the piece; if the work listed is indeed Schütz’s setting then the piece must have been com- tion, imitation, and repetition. He also introduces a greater variety of text declamation posed before 1657/8, when the inventory was compiled. We do not know exactly how Schütz than is found in classical polyphonic models, using shorter or longer note values to set expected the work to be presented; the surviving set of performing parts represents one re- various phrases of text; this often has the effect of highlighting particular phrases, particu- alization of the piece from the 17th century, but presumably was not the only possibility. larly in more active (faster) choruses. The text of the Seven Words deals with the passion story but it is not a narration of the The techniques are illustrated in the chorus “Wäre dieser nicht ein Übeltäter, wir hätten crucifixion, nor does it present only one of the four gospels. Rather it is a compilation of dir ihn nicht überantwortet.” Schütz divides the text into three units, devoting a new musical Jesus’ utterances from the cross drawn from all four evangelists, sometimes quoted one at

18 19 a time and sometimes in combination. Each of the “words” has the same structure: Nar- other, greatly intensifying the description of the outcry. And repetition also surfaces in two rative material in the voice of an evangelist introduces the words of Jesus’ direct speech, passages of solo narration: at the words “alles vollbracht, alles vollbracht war” (that all, all which are the high points of each section. (The second and last sections each add a brief was accomplished) in the fifth section, and “Und abermal rief Jesus laut, rief Jesus laut und narrative tag.) Schütz realized this structure musically by clearly distinguishing the two sprach” (And Jesus cried out, cried out and said), which introduces Jesus’ final words in kinds of material, making an audible contrast between the narrated portion (evangelist) the seventh section. These passages heighten the narration, transferring to it some of the and the spoken words (Jesus). expressive language otherwise reserved for direct speech. Schütz distinguishes the narration from the quoted words by vocal scoring. Jesus’ words In addition to using word repetition, Schütz intensifies the words of Jesus by adding two are sung by the same tenor voice throughout, whereas the words of the narrator are sung by high-range instruments that play along with the singer, sometimes in passages of brief imi- various other voices: soprano, or alto, or another tenor, or (in two cases) by a four-voice en- tation of the voice and sometimes in alternation with it. The four parts – two instrumental semble. That is, the voice of Jesus is associated with a particular singer but that of the evan- lines, the tenor voice of Jesus and the basso continuo – together form a complete harmonic gelist is passed among three different voices, and even entrusted to a four-voice ensemble ensemble that offers further contrast with the much plainer texture of one voice and con- for the fourth (central) word and the last one. The constantly-changing narrating voice is tinuo heard in most of the narration. less dramatically realistic than in Schütz’s passion settings, but the changes in narrator The text of the third section presented a challenge to the distinction between narration help distinguish sections of the piece, which are more episodic than dramatically continu- and direct speech because it includes the words of the two criminals executed with Jesus. ous – more a series of tableaux than a sequence of events. Their long passages of direct speech are set, like the surrounding narration, for voice and Schütz also distinguishes the two kinds of text by musical style. The evangelist’s words continuo – that is, texturally closer to narration than direct speech. But their musical style, are presented primarily in narrative recitation that draws both on the traditional chanting including expressive repetition, mark them as directly-spoken words, like those of Jesus. of gospel texts and on theatrical recitative. The tendency towards recitation on one note The lack of the two instruments that constantly accompany Jesus’ words distinguishes over a static bass line is most clearly audible at the beginning of sections; as each develops, them, and the choice of alto and bass voices separate them from the narrator (soprano in the narrator’s vocal line tends to take more expressive turns. Jesus’ words are set in a very this section) and from Jesus (tenor). different style entrusted to one singer in the texture of the modern vocal concerto, setting The seven sections narrating and quoting the words are doubly framed. Immediately be- an expressive line against an independent basso continuo. The vocal lines in these sec- fore and after is a brief expressive sinfonia in a five-part texture (the two instruments that tions, in contrast to the evangelist’s recitation, are characterized by musical and textual accompany Jesus as well as three others heard only in these passages). This repeated sinfo- repetition including so-called sequences, passages in which a small musical and textual nia is framed, in turn, by 5-part vocal movements that combine all the voices (SATTB) used idea is repeated successively at several pitch levels (rising or falling) for intensification. in the work. The texts of these sections are the opening and closing stanzas of a hymn, In fact, text repetition in the passages of direct speech, mostly absent in the narration, is “Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund,” whose words have pre-Reformation origins and that ap- among the most important differences and helps make the organization of the text clear. pear both in Roman and Lutheran hymnals. Although there was a tune that had come to It also makes for some striking moments in which Schütz breaks the pattern and does be associated with this hymn in the German Protestant tradition by the mid-17th century, allow some repetition of text in the narration. One is at the start of the fourth section, in Schütz does not use it, instead treating the text phrase by phrase in the manner of a motet. which Schütz assigns the narration to four voices rather than one. Those voices repeat the The stanzas serve the same function both in the original hymn and in Schütz’s setting, words “schrei Jesus laut” (Jesus cried out) both within their own lines and between each for the inner verses of Johannes Böschenstein’s nine-stanza chorale text paraphrase the

20 21 seven words, one each in stanzas 2-8. So the opening verse’s message, urging the listener its own setting completed with a cadence before the next is begun. Given the length of the to consider well Jesus’ last words, is equally apt for Schütz’s setting. The final stanza of the texts, most of these settings are homorhythmic (with voices declaiming together to move hymn (the closing text of Schütz’s work) promises God’s favor to those who reflect on the efficiently through the words), with only a few passages using the voices in independent words. This surely points to the composer’s goal: to offer up and frame the words in expres- imitation of each other. These pieces in the St. Matthew Passion are miniature motets. sive ways, less for narration and drama than for contemplation and reflection. At the opposite end of the spectrum are the settings of short texts in the passion, which Schütz typically treats by presenting the text once through. Examples include “Wo willst Voices of groups in Schütz’s St. Matthew Passion du, daß wir dir bereiten?” “Wahrlich, du bist auch einer von denen,” and “Der rufet den Elias.” A few of these sections are briefly extended in various ways. “Herr, bin ich’s?” is Schütz made the decision to set his St. Matthew Passion with the words of the Evangelist amplified by the repetition of the textual phrase “bin ich’s,” clearly in loose illustration and individual speakers presented in newly-composed unaccompanied intonation. He com- of the voices of the many disciples who ask the question “Is it I?” “Ja nicht auf das Fest” is plemented those sections (which account for the vast majority of the work’s text) with set- rounded off musically and rhetorically by the emphatic repetition of the opening assertion tings of the words of groups mostly for four voices. The scoring of these sections brings with “Not on the feast day” at the end of the setting. it several distinctive musical features: These passages are metrical (with a regular pulse and The very shortest texts are presented with artful repetition. The single word “Barrabam” with an organization of beats into regular groups); they are harmonized (resulting from the is presented repeatedly both on and off the beat in each of the voices, confusing the musi- combination of voices, in contrast to the unaccompanied intonation of the rest of the text); cal meter and suggesting a kind of continuous outcry (even while not being literally repre- and they allow for the polyphonic interaction of the voices with each other in various ways. sentative). The two identical settings of “Lass ihn kreuzigen” and portions of “Gegrüsset These sections sound a great deal, in fact, like works in the inherited tradition of vocal seist du” are in homophony with one offset voice. By these means, Schütz slightly elabo- polyphony, the legacy of the 16th century still pursued (in a more modern musical lan- rates a simple declamation of these short passages. guage) by Schütz and his contemporaries in collections like the composer’s own Geistliche One of Schutz’s most common models in the St. Matthew Passion is the presentation Chormusik. There are differences, of course—the sections in the St. Matthew Passion are of a text twice through. The sections “Weissage uns” and “Gegrüsset seist du” do this, as very short compared to free-standing compositions—but in many respects these passages does “Sein Blut komme über uns.” The setting of “Halt, lasst sehen” is similar except that draw on the same techniques as their models. One way to hear these passages, which it repeats only its final words. This is a tendency that can be heard throughout the passion certainly stand out to the modern ear, is to listen for features Schütz borrows from these setting; the repetition of the ending words of a text helps contribute to the finality of its larger pieces. And it is not difficult to discern some basic patterns the composer adopted in cadence. “Wozu dienet dieser Unrat” employs a version of this technique, presenting its setting these kinds of words throughout the passion. opening phrase once but its second twice. The passion movements that most closely resemble freestanding polyphonic composi- “Wahrlich, dieser ist Gottes Sohn gewesen” works much the same way with an important tions are those that set long texts. In these pieces (“Andern hat er geholfen,” “Herr, wir variation: its opening word (“Wahrlich”) is treated in a strikingly elaborate fashion, empha- haben gedacht,” and the slightly shorter “Der du den Tempel Gottes zerbrichst”), Schütz sizing a theologically important moment. This demonstrates another important strategy: the sets each of the texts’ many phrases as its own unit, marking new textual phrases by chang- isolation of a single attention-grabbing word, often presented in long notes, at the start of es in musical texture, melodic material, level of rhythmic activity, and so on. In essence, he the text. This is a borrowing from motets, which typically start with slow note values and with borrows the compositional construction of the motet, in which each phrase of text receives some kind of rhetorical exordium (call to attention). The clearest examples in the St. Mat-

22 23 thew Passion are “Herr, bin ich’s?” with its voice-by-voice opening statements of “Herr”; and sum of its parts, and each element resonates with added meaning. With songs, as with “Wahrlich, du bist auch einer von denen,” which presents its opening word in long note val- poems, we need some kind of context in which to position ourselves in relation to what we ues simultaneously in all voices. Clearly related is the setting of “Sein Blut komme über uns,” are hearing, some kind of narrative (in the broadest sense) that helps us find our place. And in which the opening words of this troubling text (“Sein Blut”) are isolated and dwelt upon. it was this general concern that led me to plan the present series. Schütz has several techniques for suggesting the participation of many people in the Although Schütz is a major figure in the history of music, he is not so often performed. groups whose words are quoted, even when the musical setting might well be performed I put this down to the usual early music problem: lots of pieces, mostly rather short (three by only four singers. Text repetition is one, as in “Herr, bin ichs?” Another is the suggestion to five minutes typically); and to do Schütz justice you need a rather unusual array of voices of a double-choir setting in at the opening of “Halt, lasst sehen,” in which the lower three and instruments, at a cost that is normally only justified if you can use them for a whole voices (alto, tenor and bass) and then the upper three (soprano, alto and tenor) present the concert. But I do enjoy his music, so I looked again and noticed that – of course – six of first words in turn, simulating the effect of opposed choruses. his largest works are ones that tell a story, using a narrator and several characters. What There is even some broad symbolism in the scoring of several movements. The words of worked in new music would surely work in old: and quite suddenly I had the idea that we the two false witnesses (“Er hat gesagt”) are presented by exactly two singers, as might be should perform and record all of them over a period of four years. expected; Schütz further puts most of their music in strict canon, perhaps to suggest their It would require careful planning, so that the preparation and performances of each lack of independence from each other. Essentially all of the other multi-voice movements work could be followed by the recording of them – after a little pause to allow the experi- are for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, but two are scored for low voices (alto, two tenors and ences of performance to sink in. This would lead to the publication of the CD in the follow- bass). These are two of the passages spoken by the high priests (in one case together with ing season, by which time we would have moved on to the next work(s). the elders), “Was gehet es uns das an?” and “Es taug nicht.” By his choice of scoring, which This meant that for several seasons in a row our Easter offering would be a Schütz Passion eliminates the soprano line that would most likely have been sung by younger boys and – and I hoped this would not be detrimental to our box office receipts (such as they are) nor turns to the three lines typically sung by adult male singers, Schütz briefly hints at a depic- exhaust the patience of our regular audience in Copenhagen! Fortunately this was not a prob- tion of words he otherwise gets across by his control of musical material and by his borrow- lem and the Danish audience proved very receptive to the music. There are several reasons ing of techniques from vocal polyphony. for this. First, Denmark shares very closely in the Protestant tradition that we more widely Daniel R. Melamed is Professor of Musicology at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University associate with northern Germany, and the musical links throughout the area are just as deeply interwoven: the music’s message is ‘local’. Second, German is widely understood and Singing stories spoken here (as is English), and therefore audiences are able to hear texts sung in German and understand them without necessarily having to bury their heads in a printed translation. I wanted to record the narrative works of Schütz because I am interested in singing stories. There can be no doubt that a feeling of linguistic familiarity with words sung transforms the There is plenty of vocal music that does other things of course – describing nature, profess- listener’s experience. Third, the Danish church, which still enjoys State support, is active as a ing love, celebrating wine, uttering a prayer, decorating a ceremony; we choral musicians promoter of concerts. Many (perhaps most) of the local village and town churches maintain frequently make whole concerts (or CDs) of such things, using contrast and balance to try some kind of musical season, which is well supported locally. This has the happy tendency to and hold the audience’s interest. But when you take a sequence of songs and weave them turn a concert into an event that is still rooted in a local sense of community, with a sense of together into a narrative of some kind, then you create something that is more than the identity that goes beyond the merely aesthetic concerns of a music club or festival.

24 25 Schütz did in fact spend several periods of his career here in Denmark, where he was that use a variety of instruments: a Christmas History, the 7 Last Words, and the Resurrec- greatly appreciated. Indeed it was this association that first prompted me to focus on tion History. Schütz and it has led me to a deeper historical appreciation of the cultural interdepend- The Christmas History is fresh, tuneful, and crisply characterized through its instrumen- ence of all the countries hereabouts: Germany and Denmark, yes, but also England, Scot- tation. It was the first work by Schütz I ever encountered – I sang the bass solo in Bridport land, Norway, southern Sweden, and Holland. (in Dorset) when I was about 17 – and I have held it in special affection ever since. One of my first decisions in planning the series was aimed at creating a natural variety The 7 Last Words is an ineffable masterpiece. To be honest, I only added this to the series in the Passions by choosing a different tenor for each Evangelist, while keeping the same rather late in the day. I had not thought of it as a ‘narrative’ work, given its serene, contem- bass singer as Christus – who remains the fixed point of focus. Schütz already helps us plative character: but it does indeed narrate, and forms a link between the Passions and by casting each Passion in its own mode, which has a profound effect on the harmonic the following piece. coluring not only of the polyphony, but also of the monophonic chant (about which, more The Resurrection History closes the narrative sequence, though it was the first to be com- in a moment.) I feel that this has worked even better than I dared hope: each of our tenor posed and is the nearest in feeling to Schütz’s mentor, Monteverdi. It presents two unusual Evangelists has his own very distinct way of telling a story and this inevitably coloured our and highly effective novelties: the narrator is accompanied by a quartet of viols, who are collective response to each of the three works in turn. Of course, take any three singers and instructed to improvise following the singer and using the chord patterns provided; while they will always have different performance mannerisms, but individually our three Evan- Christus (like Mary Magdalene) is represented by two voices singing in duet. gelists are singers who have already immersed themselves in baroque performance and Although there is much to say about the musical fabric of these works, the thing which developed their own sense of style in the light of that. struck me most forcefully as we engaged with the three Passions one after the other, was The various other roles in the stories are taken by members of the chorus, and here we the unending variety and expressive virtuosity of the quasi-plainchant that Schütz invented enjoyed ourselves in seeking out suitable characterisations, having in mind that Schütz is for the Evangelist, Christus and other characters (only the chorus sings polyphonically). known to have composed operas (including during his time in Copenhagen) – although, To appreciate what he accomplished I think two things are important. First, to understand sad to relate, these have not survived. that while to imitate chant is easy, to do it well and with any sense of authentic creativ- In addition to variety I also wanted continuity – as of a repertory company. Therefore ity is extremely difficult! Second, we should remember that by this time the tradition of in the non-Passion works I called upon the same individuals plus soli from the chorus to continuo accompaniment, rooted in the harmonic relationship between melody and bass present the various roles and to sing as a consort in The Seven Last Words. part, had been the basis of composition for two generations of composers. The old style of Apart from the choosing of singers and players, another early decision was prompted imitative polyphony was still used, but mostly for its symbolic value to mark moments of by my visit to the Brücke Museum in Berlin. Here I saw Karl Schmidt-Rottluff’s sculpted special solemnity. Schütz had been schooled in that style and heartily recommended it to reliefs of four Evangelist heads and decided to make them the cover art for our series. younger composers, for whom he felt the basso continuo was too often relied upon as an (Schütz didn’t compose a Mark Passion, so we adopted Mark for the Christmas/Resurrec- easy option. It is not surprising therefore to find him writing imitative polyphony – but that tion CD.) There is a connection: Schmidt-Rottluff studied in Dresden, where Schütz also is something quite different from monophonic chant. worked for much of his life. In his ‘chant’ Schütz in fact creates something new. Certainly he is looking back to the The six pieces we have now recorded rank as some of the finest of the 17th century: ancient tradition of chanting psalms and gospel lessons. But he is also well versed in the three Passions (Matthew, Luke, John,) which are entirely unaccompanied, and three works newer kind of monody – the sort with basso continuo – and its harmonic underpinnings.

26 27 In writing unaccompanied chant in a style that respects the venerable tradition standing The Performers behind it, yet allows itself a degree of affective expression suited to more modern expecta- Johan Linderoth (tenor) has specialized in renaissance and baroque music since the be- tions, Schütz achieves a remarkable balancing act. Taking examples from the St Matthew ginning of his career. He performs regularly as a soloist in masses, oratorios and passions Passion only, we can hear right at the outset that the Evangelist begins in a very traditional from Monteverdi to Mozart, but with a special fondness for the slightly older repertoire manner, reciting primarily on a single pitch (Bb – not in fact the tonic, the work is in G around the 1600s. He has appeared at many major festivals all over and outside Europe, minor), with a signature dip on the third syllable (Und es begab sich), a half-cadence to the and he works regularly with Weser Renaissance in Bremen, Gothenburg Baroque, Svenska median pitch of A (vollendet hatte), and then another signature formula, this time more Vokalharmonin and with the Baroque ensembles Concerto Copenhagen in Copenhagen lyrical, to cadence onto the tonic G (sprach er zu seinen Jüngern). Christus responds in a and the Swedish Ensemble 1700. As a soloist and ensemble musician he has appeared similar manner, approaching his reciting pitch of G from below, and with an expressive in radio, TV and CD productions. In 2002, with the lutenist Inger Alebo, Johan Linderoth flourish on the middle syllable of gekreuziget. In the next passage the Evangelist takes his released a CD of lute songs by John Dowland to international critical acclaim. recitation up to a higher pitch (D), which provides musical balance, but also helps to open up our auditory perspective to picture the group of High Priests now mentioned. The name Jakob Bloch Jespersen (bass) began his studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music of Kaiaphas is carefully dropped in on a brief semi-cadence (F), which is echoed by the followed by further studies at the Opera Academy of the Royal Danish Theatre, where he placing of töteten; and the passage concludes back on the first recitation pitch (Bb). also made his operatic debut as Angelotti in Tosca in 2006. He has further more appeared Elsewhere we can find stronger elements of harmonic patterns being used to draw to- in the DVD production of Carl Nielsen’s Maskarade in the role of Magister as well as roles gether a sequence of utterances by more than one singer. Kaiaphas sings Ich beschwöre dich in numerous contemporary opera productions. Jakob Bloch Jespersen has made a name (a little after the beginning of track 4) with a falling 5th outlining the triad of D minor. This as one of his generation’s most talented singers in a repertoire that ranges from Baroque initiates a passage built around interlocking 5ths, first ascending: dass du uns sagest (Bb - F), music to first performances of works by living composers. He has worked with a number of ob du seist Christus (C-G), der Sohn Gottes (D -A) ...stepwise! This is answered by Evangelist, Danish and international orchestras and ensembles, such as Theatre of Voices, Concerto now descending, Jesus sprach (C- F), and Christus, Du sagest es (A-D), Doch ich sage euch Copenhagen, Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen, I Solisti del Vento, Leipziger Kammer- (G - C). Further 5th activity marks the next passage with Evangelist and Kaiaphas, starting at orkester, and The Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Jakob Bloch Jespersen features on a long Da zureiss der Hohepriester seine Kleider. list of recordings, among others, several releases on Dacapo. A similar exchange occurs in the exchange with Peter (middle of Track 5) where Peter’s descending A minor triad (Ich kenne des menschen nicht) is echoed and varied by the Evan- Adam Riis (tenor) began his singing career as a member of Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir. gelist (Und alsbald krähet der Hahn) to cadence on F. Soon after this follows a phrase by In 2005 he graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, where he Judas with its chromatic colouring taken from the contrasts between Eb and En and Ab (Ich studied with Bodil Gümoes. Subsequently he took private lessons from Klavs Lewinsky habe Übel getan, das ich unschuldig Blut verraten habe). and Tonny Landy, and he has attended Baroque and singing courses given by Paul Hillier, While these harmonic outlines are very clear, there can be no sense of imagining a bass Josef Protschka, Andreas Schmidt, and Anthony Rolfe Johnson. After his time with Ars Nova line, and certainly no feeling that an accompaniment is in some sense ‘missing’. Schütz has Copenhagen and Danish National Radio Choir he is now a member of Danish National succeeded in creating his own monophonic world which holds itself together masterfully. Vocal Ensemble. As a soloist, Riis has sung with orchestras such as Danish National Sym- Paul Hillier, 2011 phony Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, Concerto Copenhagen, Øresunds

28 29 Barokorkester, Baroque Fever, and Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen. As a permanent mem- Julian Podger (tenor) started his musical career whilst still at school in Kassel, Germany, ber of Liedkompagniet he has given many recitals, some of which included Schubert’s Die where he first established himself as a singer and conductor. In 1987 he took up a choral schöne Müllerin, Schumann’s Dichterliebe og Britten’s The Holy Sonnets of John Donne. He award to read music at Trinity College, Cambridge. As a soloist he is much in demand in has sung the part of Lehrbube in Wagner’s Meistersinger at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen. England and abroad, highpoints include recent recordings of Bach cantatas, and psalm Adam Riis has been awarded a Sonning-Fonden stipend and a Van Hauen bursary. settings by Lili Boulanger, both with John Eliot Gardiner; a tour of Japan as “Lucano” in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea with The Purcell Quartet Opera Project; and Bach Else Torp (soprano) has specialized in performance of early and new music, but also cantatas with Andrew Parrott and the Taverner Consort at the Ansbach Festival. He has covers an extensive repertoire of Danish and German Lieder. She has recently been fea- appeared in many major concert venues, including the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican, tured with Scottish Chamber Orchestra, with the Copenhagen Philharmonic and with London, the Mozarteum, Salzburg and the Konzerthaus, Vienna. Also an ensemble singer, Concerto Copenhagen. 2008 included Arvo Pärt’s Miserere at the Sonning Prize festival Julian Podger is a member of one of the world’s leading mediaeval ensembles, Gothic for Pärt in Copenhagen, and performances at BBC Proms, Berliner Festspiele and Sacrum Voices, and also sings regularly with The Tallis Scholars and The Harp Consort. He contin- Profanum in Krakow with Theatre of Voices and Stockhausen’s Stimmung. She sang Pärt’s ues his career as a musical director, running his own ensemble Trinity Baroque, which first Passio in his official televised Estonian 70th birthday concert in 2005, and later performed started in conjunction with his research into performance practice at Cambridge. Julian Nørholm’s The Bell with the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon. She has done the first perfor- Podger has conducted the ensemble Florilegium, in performances of Handel’s Messiah and mance of Gavin Bryars’ “The Stone Arch” with the Kronos Quartet at the Babican Centre’s Israel in Egypt, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas, and more recently, Steve Reich 70th birthday celebration festival and the first performance of Liu Sola’s “The the the Norwegian Baroque Orchestra at the Trondheim Festival. Afterlife of Li Jiantong – also at the Barbican and Takkelloftet at the Royal Opera in Copen- hagen in spring of 2009. Recent CDs: “Cries of London” with Theatre of Voices/Fretwork Concerto Copenhagen is Scandinavia’s leading period instrument ensemble. Also known (Harmonia Mundi), Songs by Weyse (Dacapo), Stimmung by Stockhausen and David Lang’s as “CoCo”, the ensemble has since its establishment in 1991 become known for its lively The Little Match Girl Passion (both Harmonia Mundi). and captivating performances and has become a favorite among audiences wherever it goes. In 1999 the internationally acclaimed harpsichord player Lars Ulrik Mortensen became the Linnéa Lomholt (alto) graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen ensemble’s artistic director. Mortensen is considered to be one of the leading harpsichord- and has attended master classes in Switzerland, Austria and the USA with among others ists and chamber musicians of our day. With Lars Ulrik Mortensen as principal leader and Helmut Deutsch, Malcolm Martineau, Hans Peter Blochwitz and Oren Brown. She has been artistic director, CoCo has embarked on an exciting artistic and musical journey, combining a soloist in major sacred music works and oratorios by among others Bach, Handel and lesser-known repertoire of Scandinavian origin with the repertoire of the baroque and classi- Mozart with many orchestras in Denmark and abroad. Linnéa Lomholt is an active singer of cal legacy, thus adding a fresh and Nordic flavor to the traditional concert repertoire. lieder and has for example sung Wagner’s Wesendonck-lieder with the Felix Ensemble; with www.coco.dk the Amadeus Ensemble she has performed Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody and premiered works by Svend Nielsen, Bo Andersen and Martin Åkerwall dedicated to her. Linnéa Lomholt has also Hille Perl gathered the viola da gamba ensemble Sirius Viols with the intention to have appeared in music drama productions with Hotel Pro Forma and Danish Dance Theatre, and a group featuring her most beloved instrument with her most favorite players, a group has sung Amastre in Handel’s opera Xerxes with performances in Malmö and Copenhagen. that is based on solidarity and on having pride in each other, rather than on hierarchy and

30 31 dominance. Artistic freedom of each individual in the end gives the most satisfying artistic by Oxford University Press. In 2006 he was awarded an OBE for services to choral music. result. Sometimes the Sirius Viols play together with violins, a continuo group and singers, In 2007 he received the Order of the White Star of Estonia, and was awarded a Grammy or with whoever else they feel fit to meet their high standards. The name of course is cho- for Best Choral Recording. In 2008 he became Chief Conductor of the National Chamber sen to remind us of the brightest star of the northern sky. Choir of Ireland and was appointed artistic director of the Coro Casa da Música in Porto. During 2009 he was artist in residence at Yale University’s Institute for Sacred Music and Ars Nova Copenhagen is widely recognized as one of the finest vocal ensembles in Europe. gave the Springfield Music Lecture at Rhodes College, Memphis. In 2010 he won a second Founded in 1979, the ensemble today is busier than ever. In addition to its annual season of Grammy, this time in the category for Best Small Ensemble Performance. concerts in Copenhagen and throughout Denmark, the ensemble regularly appears across www.paulhillier.net Europe, and in North and South America. At the heart of Ars Nova Copenhagen’s work is its equal dedication to early music and new music. Some programs explore the cross-currents between the two, while others form detailed portraits of individual composers or genres within a given period. Since its beginning, Ars Nova has worked closely with some of the most important Danish and Scandinavian composers like Per Nørgård, Pelle Gudmundsen- Holmgreen, Bent Sørensen, and Svend-David Sandström, and each season, the group invites a composer in residence: Toivo Tulev (Estonia) in 2007, Bernd Franke (Germany) 2008, Sunleif Rasmussen (Faroe Islands) 2009 and Áskell Másson (Iceland) 2010. Ars Nova is also building collaborations with creative artists in different fields such as drama, film and bal- let, as well as cultivating new modes of concert performance and innovative repertoire. The group records for Dacapo, Harmonia Mundi, and its own label Ars Nova Records. www.arsnova.dk

Paul Hillier is from Dorset in England and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. His career has embraced singing, conducting, and writing about music. Earlier in his career he was founding director of the Hilliard Ensemble, and subsequently founded Theatre of Voices. He has taught in the USA at the University of California cam- puses at Santa Cruz and Davis, and from 1996-2003 was Director of the Early Music In- stitute at Indiana University. He was Principal Conductor of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (2001-2007) and has been Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of Ars Nova Copenhagen since 2003. His recordings, over a hundred CDs including seven solo recitals, have earned worldwide acclaim and won numerous prizes. His books about Arvo Pärt and Steve Reich, together with numerous anthologies of choral music, are published

32 33 CD 1 CONCERTO COPENHAGEN Frederik From, Antina Hugosson – Violin LUKAS-PASSION Frauke Hess, Mimi Yamahiro – Viola da gamba Evangelist – Johan Linderoth Lars Baunkilde – Violone Jesus – Jakob Bloch Jespersen Lene Langballe, Judith Pacquier – Zink/Recorder Ole-Kristian Andersen, Erik Björnqvist – Sackbutt ARS NOVA COPENHAGEN Zoe Shevlin – Dulcian Sopranos Fredrik Bock – Theorbo Louise Skovbæch Korsholm, Else Torp (Die Magd), Hilde Ramnefjell Dolva Allan Rasmussen – Organ Altos Ellen Marie Brink Christensen, Rikke Lender, Linnea Lomholt (1. Schächer) AUFERSTEHUNGSHISTORIE Tenors Evangelist – Johan Linderoth Kasper Eliassen, Tomas Medici (1. Knecht, 2. Schächer), Poul Emborg (Petrus) ARS NOVA COPENHAGEN Basses Sopranos Asger Lynge Petersen (2. Knecht), Henrik Lund Petersen (Pilatus), Thomas Kiørbye Else Torp – Die drei Weiber oder Marien; Maria Magdalena Louise Skovbæch Korsholm – Die drei Weiber oder Marien; Maria Magdalena Hilde Ramnefjell Dolva – Die drei Weiber oder Marien CD 2 Altos WEIHNACHTSHISTORIE Rikke Lender Ellen Marie Brink Christensen Evangelist – Adam Riis Linnéa Lomholt – Der Jüngling im Grabe Der Engel – Else Torp Tobias Nilsson – Jesus Herodes – Jakob Bloch Jespersen Tenors ARS NOVA COPENHAGEN 1 , 5 og 19 Christopher Watson – Jesus Sopranos Tomas Medici – Kleophas Else Torp, Louise Skovbæch Korsholm, Hilde Ramnefjell Dolva Josef Hamber – Kleophas – seiner Gesell Altos Kasper Eliassen – Die zweene Männer im Grabe; Zweene Engel; Die Hohenpriester Rikke Lender 7 , Ellen Marie Brink Christensen, Linnéa Lomholt 7 Basses Tenors Asger Lynge Petersen – Die zweene Männer im Grabe; Zweene Engel; Die Hohenpriester Tomas Medici 11 , Kasper Eliassen 7 - 9 , Josef Hamber 7 Henrik Lund Petersen – Die Hohenpriester Thomas Kiørbye Basses Asger Lynge Petersen 9 , Henrik Lund Petersen 11 , Thomas Kiørbye 11 , Jacob Bloch Jespersen 11

34 35 SIRIUS VIOLS Tenors Hille Perl, Marthe Perl, Frauke Hess, Juliane Laake – viola da gamba Tomas Medici (Petrus), Josef Hamber (Pilatus), Poul Emborg CONCERTO COPENHAGEN Basses Lars Baunkilde – Violone Asger Lynge Petersen (Der Knecht), Henrik Lund Petersen, Thomas Kiørbye Lene Langballe – Zink Ian Price, Thomas Dahlkvist, Stefan Wikström – Sackbutt Zoe Shevlin – Dulcian CD 4 Fredrik Bock – Theorbo MATTHÄUS-PASSION Allan Rasmussen – Organ Evangelist – Julian Podger Christus – Jakob Bloch Jespersen CD 3 ARS NOVA COPENHAGEN DIE SIEBEN WORTE Sopranos Else Torp (Pilatus’ Wife), Hilde Ramfjell Dolva (First Maid), Louise Skovbæch Korsholm (Second Maid) Soloists and players from the Ars Nova Copenhagen Schütz project: Altos Else Torp – Soprano Ellen Marie Christensen (Judas), Sine Tofte Hannibal, Linnea Lomholt Linnéa Lomholt – Alto Adam Riis – Tenor (Jesus) Tenors Johan Linderoth – Tenor Tomas Medici, Josef Hamber (Peter, First False Witness), Christian Damsgaard (Pilatus, Second False Jacob Bloch Jespersen – Bass Witness) Juliane Laake, Sarah Perl – Viola da gamba Basses Eric Lindblom, Erik Björkqvist, Ian Price – Sackbutt Asger Lynge Petersen, Jakob Soelberg (Kaiphas), Thomas Kiørbye Allan Rasmussen – Organ

JOHANNES-PASSION Evangelist – Adam Riis Jesus – Jakob Bloch Jespersen ARS NOVA COPENHAGEN Sopranos Louise Skovbæch Korsholm (Die Magd), Else Torp, Hilde Ramnefjell Dolva Altos Rikke Lender, Ellen Marie Brink Christensen, Rie Koch, Linnéa Lomholt

36 37 d Recorded on 29-30 March 2008 (Auferstehungshistorie), 1-2 December 2008 (Weihnachtshistorie), 27-29 August 2009 (Die Sieben Worte) and 5-8 April 2010 (Matthäus-Passion) in Garnisonskirken, Copenhagen; on 10-11 April 2007 (Lukas-Passion) and 5-7 June 2009 (Johannes-Passion) in St. Paul’s Church, Copenhagen. Recording producer: Preben Iwan Sound engineer: Preben Iwan All album tracks are available for high-resolution download on Dacapo’s website at www.dacapo-records.dk/c/8.204035 Previously released on 8.226019, 8.226058, 8.226093 and 8.226094 2007-2010 Dacapo Records, Copenhagen © 2011 Dacapo Records, Copenhagen Liner notes: Daniel R. Melamed and Paul Hillier Proofreaders: Svend Ravnkilde, Asger Lynge Petersen and Michael Chestnutt Photo p. 38: © Magnus Skrede Cover image: Reliefs of four evangelist heads by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff: St. Lukas (1912), St. Markus (1912), St. Johannes (1912) and St. Matthäus (1912). Reproduced with kind permission of the Schmidt-Rottluff estate Graphic design: elevator-design.dk Dacapo Records and Ars Nova Copenhagen acknowledge, with gratitude, the financial support of Augustinus Fonden, Sonning-Fonden, Bikuben Fonden, Wilhelm Hansen Fonden, Etatsraad Georg Bestle og Hustrus Mindelegat, and Generalkonsul Einar Høyvalds Fond 8.204035

Ars Nova Copenhagen

Dacapo Records, Denmark’s national record label, was founded in 1986 with the purpose of releasing the best of Danish music past and present. The majority of our recordings are world premieres, and we are dedicated to producing music of the highest international standards.