Hammerschmidt (1611-1675) - Ach Jesus Stirbt -Motets : Meunier / Vox Luminis - Import CD

Credits:

Liszt / Lardaret

Description:

Hammerschmidt was born in Bohemia, studied in Freiberg, and worked as an organist in Zittau. His fame as a composer was immense, and he was one of the most successful composers of the post-Schütz generation in central Germany, with numerous collections of chamber and vocal music published since the German Thirty Years' War. Even in the 18th century, when public taste in music changed dramatically after his death, Hammerschmidt's church music remained a strong favorite throughout Germany, much to the amazement of subsequent generations of musicians. The style of the concertato, which Schütz brought to Germany from Venice, is inherited, and the voices and choirs, together with the brass instruments, are very flamboyant. The Vox Luminis, a small group of elite old-time vocalists who have earned a reputation for their interpretations of 17th century works by Schütz, Kerl, Fuchs, and others from German-speaking countries, give a wonderful performance that questions the true value of the works and reminds us of their reputation at the time. The string part is played by the Clematis led by Stephanie de Faye.Like its predecessor on Vox Luminis, Bach's Ancestors (RIC401, domestic edition NYCX-10068), this recording does not use the cello, which was not necessarily widespread in 17th century Germany, but only the violone (predecessor of the double bass) and dulcian (Renaissance bassoon) as keyboard and basso continuo players. The composition of the bass continuo is also effective, and the content of the performance vividly recalls the music of 17th century Saxony that led to the young Bach. Naxos Japan