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  • One Long River of Song
    • 2025-2026 Concerts >
      • The Rise of Polyphony
      • Music's Renaissance
      • A Three-Nation Celebration
      • Exploring the 18th Century
      • Partsong in the Romantic Era
      • Johannes Brahms and the Geometry of Hope
      • Music for Modern Times
    • Donate today!
  • Tickets
    • Tickets
    • Subscriptions
  • Who we are and What we do
    • Board of Directors and Staff
    • Mission Statement
  • Our Ensembles
    • Sonoma Bach Choir
    • Circa 1600
    • Green Mountain Consort
    • Live Oak Baroque Orchestra
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Sponsor a Singer!
    • Escrip & Amazon Smile
  • Resources
    • Virtual Offerings - Archive >
      • The Choir Loft
      • Virtual BachTalk
      • Adventures in Sightsinging
      • Madrigal Mondays
      • Chorale Wednesdays
      • Motet Fridays
      • Virtual Recording Projects
      • Virtual Concerts >
        • Live Oak Baroque Orchestra
        • Music for these Distracted Times - Barefoot All-Stars
        • Agave Baroque American Originals
        • Bach's Long Walk to Lübeck - Anne Laver, organ
    • Concert Programs
    • Scores & Parts
    • Choir Resources
  • Contact
  • Join our Mailing List!
The Spiritual Madrigal Goes North
Bob Worth

From 1623 to 1653, four major collections of sacred polyphony were published in Germany: 
   Johann Hermann Schein: Israelsbrünnlein, or Fontana d’Israel (1623)
   Tobias Michael: Musicalische Seelenlust (1635-37)
   Heinrich Schütz: Geistliche Chormusik (1648)
   Andreas Hammerschmidt: Chor-Music auf Madrigal-Manier (1652-53)
 
Taken together, these publications form an incredible treasure-trove of what are essentially spiritual madrigals, settings of sacred German texts in the Italian madrigal style. Each publication alludes to the madrigal as a model, and the colorful, super-expressive musical settings bear out the assertion. In addition, each volume includes a basso continuo part, another indication that significant Italian developments of the early Baroque were making an impact in northern climes.
 
In our session, we’ll trace this influence of Italian style upon the older forms of German polyphony, and we’ll look at, listen to and read through wonderful pieces from each of these publications, using recordings by the excellent Ensemble Polyharmonique and by other early-music groups.
 
Singer and non-singers alike are warmly invited to join Bob Worth as we gather together
​to learn about and celebrate this magnificent music!
Scores and Materials
Playlist
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