Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

340 SCHUTZ SCHUTZ
three alto voices with two flutes and bassoon
;
of the Wise Men for three tenor voices with
two violins and bassoon ; of the High Priests
for four bass voices and two trombones ; and
so on with the rest of the work. The loss of
these concerted movements is the more to be
regretted, as they would doubtless have shown
Schiitz's maturer views on instrumentation and
the combination of voices and instruments.
The last work of Schiitz preserved to us, and
perhaps his most famous work, is his setting
of the story of the Passions, four settings in
all, after the four Evangelists, Historia ' des
Leidens und Sterbens- unserer Herrn und
Heylandes Jesu Christi ' (1665-66). This work
was never published in his own lifetime, and
the only original copy extant is that of the
St. John Passion, presented by the composer
himself to the Duke of Wolfenbiittel, and now
in the library at Wolfenbiittel. The only copy
of the other settings is that made by a later
hand in 1690, regarding which see below in
list of Schiitz's works. As we now have the
work, it is for voices alone without instruments.
It is, therefore, a.s if the composer here wished
to renounce the mere external advantages of
the newer concerted and dramatic style for the
sake of showing how the spirit of it could be
retained and applied to the purely vocal and
older polyphonic style. For what specially
distinguishes this Passion Music, is the series
of brief choruses of surprising dramatic energy
and truth of expression, yet never overstepping
the bounds of devout reverence inspired by the
subject. Otherwise the work is more purely
liturgical than later Passions, not having arias
and chorales to interrupt the narrative and
give that variety of interest so needed for
modern concert performance. Each Passion is
opened according to old custom with a setting
of the title (' the Passion, etc.') and closed with
a devotional chorus in motet style, the text
taken from some familiar Church hymn. The
rest of the work is written in unaccompanied
recitative, though parts of it may have been
meant to be accompanied in the manner
suggested by Schiitz himself in his ' Resurrection.
In the ' ' St. Matthew ' the recitative has
more of melodic expressiveness than in the
other Passions. The ' St. Mark ' is peculiar in
combining the greatest monotony of recitative
with the richest dramatic character in the
choruses. Dr. Spitta, the editor of the new
complete edition of Schiitz's works, is inclined,
on this and other grounds, to doubt the
authenticity of the ' St. Mark Passion ' (see his
preface, pp. xx, xxi). But the fact of its being
joined with the other undoubtedly authentic
Passions without anything to indicate its being
by a different author, is sufficient to outweigh
mere suspicions. These ' Passions, ' compressed
by Carl Riedel and so far adapted to the requirements
of modern performance, have been
repeatedly produced with considerable success
by the Riedelschfi Verein of Leipzig.
In his later years Schiitz's powers began to
fail, especially his sense of hearing ; and we
are told, when he could no longer go out, he
spent the most of his time in the reading of
Holy Scripture and spiritual books. His last
attempts at composition were settings of portions
of the 119th Psalm ; and no verse indeed of
that psalm could have been more fittingly
chosen as the motto of both his personal life
and his art-work than that on which he was
'
last engaged, but left unfinished : Thy statutes
have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.'
He is the true predecessor of Handel
and Bach, not so much in the mere form of
his work, as the spirit. If in the dramatised
'
Biblical scenes of his Symphoniae Sacrae,' he
is more especially Handel's predecessor, in his
Passion Music he is Bach's. Both Handel and
Bach simply brought to perfection what lay
in germ in Heinrich SchUtz. His great merit
consists in this, that at a time when the new
dramatic styla was threatening the complete
overthrow of the older polyphonic style, he
saw how to retain the advantages of both, and
laboured to engraft the one upon the other.
It was thus he prepared the way for the greater
work of Handel and Bach after him. Schiitz
died at Dresden, Nov. 6, 1672. The rather
singular coincidence of Schiitz's birth -year
being exactly a hundred years earlier than the
birth -year of Handel and Bach, brought about,
on the occasion of the keeping of the bicentenary
of the two latter, in 1885, a gi-eat revival of
interest in the work of their forerunner, which
has had ttiis practical result at least, the
publication of a monumental edition of his
works by Messrs. Breitkopf & Hartel of
Leipzig.
The following is a list of Schiitz's works,
based on Eitner, Monatsheftefiir Mitsikgeschichte,
xviii. pp. 47 ff., and the Quellen-Lexikon.
I. WORKS PUBLISHED IN LIFETIME.
1. n primo Ubro de MEulrigali de Henrico Sagitario Alemaono.
Venice. 1611. Dedicated to lAndgiaf Moritz of Hesse-Casael, Contains
18 Madrigals a B, and 1 Dialogo a 8.
2. 3 Fi§ces d'occasion, entitled 'Concerte,' published separately.
Dresden, 1618,
8, Die Worte Jesus Syracli; Wol dem der ein tugends. Weib,
1618.
4. Concerto in two parts. 1618.
5. Fsalmen Davids sampt etlichen Moteten und Concerten mit
acht und mebr Stimmen, nelwnat audem zvveien Capellen dass
dero etiiche auf drei und vier Chor nach Beliebung gebraucht werden
Icttnnen, wie aucb mit beigefUgten Basso Continuo Tor die Orgel,
Lauten, Chitaron, etc. Dresden, 1619. Contains 26 Psalms.
6. Psalm cxxxiii., tor 8 voices with Basso Continuo, composed for
Ilia brother's wedding. Leipzig, 1619.
7. Syncharma Musicum tribus Choris adomatum, etc A pl£ce
d'occasion for the restoration of peace in Silesia. Breslau, 1621.
8. Historia der frOhlichen und siegreichen Auferatehung unsers
einigen ErlSaers und Sellgmachers Jesu Cliristi. In fUrstllcheu
Capellen Oder Zimmern um die Osterllche zeit zu gelstlidher
Becreation fUglichen zu gebrauchen. Dresden, 1623. An Oratorio
on the Besurrection of Christ. The title shows tliat it was
intended as well for Chamber performance as for Churcl).
9. Elegy on the Death of 'Fiirstln Frau Sophia, Herzogin zu
Sachsen.' Melody with Basso Cont. Text by SchUtz himself.
Freiberg, 1623.
10. Cantiones Sacrae quatuor vocum, cum Baaso ad Organum.
Freiberg, 1625. Contains 41 pieces a 4 with Latin words.
11. De Vitae fugacltate, Aria quinque vocum supra Bassum Continuum.
Freiberg, 1625. A pidce d'occasion.
12. Fsalmen Davids, in Teutsche Beinien gebrachte dnivh D.
Comelium Beckern . . . nach gemeiner Contrapunctsart in 4