Selections from:

Michael Praetorius
Polyhymnia Caduceatrix et Panegyrica (1619)

Heinrich Schütz
Psalms of David (1619)

Claudio Monteverdi
Selva morale e spirituale (1640/1641)

The leading center of 17th-century sacred music—the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice—could boast chief musicians such as Giovanni Gabrieli and Claudio Monteverdi. Gabrieli inspired the German-born Heinrich Schütz and other composers north of the Alps to adapt the Venetian style to the liturgies of German-speaking churches. We’ll hear examples of this impressive, grand tradition as it developed both north and south of the Alps, with multiple ensembles of singers, early brass, winds, and strings. This magnificent music creates a spectacular sound world of its own—a feast for the ears!