rssGerman Cantatas
North German cantatas before Bach
Composer: Matthias Weckmann
Conductor: Konrad Junghänel
Ensemble: Concerto Palatino, Cantus Cölln
Harmonia Mundi HMC 902034
Released: 3/9/2010
A wonderful recording, highly recommended
New Yorker review with sound sample
Mandelsloh, St. Osdag
De Profundis Clamivi
Conductor: Mieneke Van der Velden
Bass: Peter Kooij
Ensemble: L'Armonia Sonora
Released: 9/1/2009
Ramee 604
Recording Details
Review by Mark Sealy
Harmonia Sacrae
Composers: Tunder, Meder, Weckmann and Biber
Conductor: Mieneke Van der Velden
Bass: Peter Kooij
Ensemble: L'Armonia Sonora
Released: 9/1/2009
Ramee 905
Recording Details
Samuel Scheidt: Organ Works from Tabulatura Nova
Composer: Samuel Scheidt
Organist: Wolfgang Stockmeier
Organ: Marcussen Orgel für St. Johann-Baptist, Köln-Thenhoven
Label: CPO 999 105-2
July 1991
St. Johann-Baptist Church, Köln-Thenhoven
Looking forward to Cantata BWV 21, Ich hatte viel Bekümmerniss, I have found it enlightening to listen to some cantatas written in Germany during the Thirty Years War, 1618-1648, by such composers as Matthias Weckmann, Heinrich Schütz and Franz Tunder. The effects of famine, disease and activities of mercenary armies helps me to understand the sadness, dreariness and gravity of much of the Northern German church music of the time. Bach was born 37 years after the 'Peace of Exhaustion'; this would have been during the period of recovery from the war. Although Bach lived and worked in an area not as directly affected by the war as some other areas, he would certainly have been influenced by the musical traditions.
References
Thirty Years War, 1618-1648A political picture of the war, with a great interactive map
Matthias Weckmann biography at WikiPedia
Weckmann bio and organ CDs at Naxos
Weckmann CDs at CD Universe
Weckmann CDs at Presto
Weckmann CDs at Archiv
Complete Organ Works of Matthias Weckmann played by Hans Davidsson
Weckmann's Fugue in d minor, played by James Pressler
A review of Hans Davidsson's dissertation: Matthias Weckmann: The Interpretation of his Organ Music, by Keith Elcombe, Music and Letters 1996
Heinrich Schütz
Heinrich Schütz at Presto
Heinrich Schütz at Archiv
Franz Tunder
Franz Tunder at Presto
Franz Tunder at Archiv
Samuel Scheidt
Samuel Scheidt at Presto
Samuel Scheidt at Archiv
Samuel Scheidt discography
A few Scheidt organ pieces, scroll down
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