Repertoire

Johann Hermann Schein was a German composer of the early Baroque and a master of 17th century church music. His Dafne (1627; now lost) has been called the first German opera. Schütz traveled to Italy twice during his lifetime and studied in Venice with both Giovanni Gabrieli and Monteverdi. Gabrieli was so impressed with the young Schütz that he bequeathed him his signet ring as a sign that he considered him his truest disciple. Schütz thoroughly internalized the Venetian polychoral concertato style, which is the predominant style of his works, particularly the three books of the Symphoniae sacrae. However, his works include all styles, ancient and modern-subtleties of Venetian concertato for few voices, dramatic Florentine monody, the imagery and emotions of concertato madrigals, the seriousness of t he German motet, the simplicity of German secular song, and so forth. Schütz wrote oratorios and settings of the Passion that combined the Venetian style of antiphonal (alternating) choirs and the dramatic declamation of Florentine monody with German polyphony. This choral style influenced German music through the time of Handel and Bach.