Wednesday, November 22, 2023

CBS Christmas: Rosenmüller and Schütz

Having begun its 53rd season with a performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s BWV 232 Mass setting (best known as the Mass in B Minor), the California Bach Society (CBS) will celebrate Christmas with two rarely performed Baroque composers. One of those composers is familiar to me, even if I am not sure that I have heard any of his music in performance. That composer is Heinrich Schütz, and my knowledge is the result of having written about all twenty volumes of the “complete works” collection organized by Hans-Christoph Rademann and released by Carus-Verlag.

Cover of the second Kleine geistliche Konzerte CD in the Rademann “complete works” collection of the music of Heinrich Schütz (courtesy of Naxos of America)

Schütz will be represented on this program by two  relatively short motets, one from each of the two collections entitled Kleine geistliche Konzerte (small spiritual concerts). The first of these will be the SWV 314 “Verbum caro factus est” (the word is made flesh). The second will be the SWV 502 “Ein Kind its uns geboren” (unto us a child is born).

The remainder of the program will be devoted to Johann Rosenmüller; and his Wikipedia page asserts that “his sacred compositions show the influence of Heinrich Schütz” (although that quoted text has “citation needed,” rather than a footnote). He will be represented by a collection of six motets. Three are settings of German texts, and the other three are in Latin. The latter will include settings of both the “Magnificat” text and the “Gloria in excelsis Deo” section of the Mass.

The San Francisco performance of this program will take place on Friday, December 1, beginning, as usual, at 8 p.m. The venue will be the Saint Gregory of Nyssa church, located at 500 De Haro Street at the foot of Potrero Hill. General admission will be $40 with a $35 rate for seniors. Students and those under 30 will be admitted for $10. A Web page has been created to process all ticket sales, and the alternative will be to call 650-485-1097. Sales should be finalized at least 24 hours before the concert. Doors will open 30 minutes before the performance.

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