Heinrich Schütz Christmas Story

First Methodist Palo Alto 12.16.11 8:00PM
First Congregational Berkeley 12.17.11 7:30PM
St. Mark's Lutheran San Francisco 12.18.11 7:30PM

Andrew Rader, countertenor Dominic Lim, countertenor Clifton Massey, countertenor Christopher LeCluyse, tenor Daniel Hutchings, tenor Martin Hummel, baritone Hugh Davies, bass Peter Becker, bass Carla Moore, violin Anthony Martin, violin John Dornenburg, violone John Lenti, lute Katherine Heater, organ with The Whole Noyse and The Sex Chordæ Consort of Viols

Magnificat joined in celebrating the 35th anniversary of The San Francisco Early Music Society in a co-production of Heinrich Schütz's beloved Christmas Story. Though written near the end of his life, Schütz's masterpece sparkles with a child-like wonder with its colorful blend of cornetts, sackbut, recorders, viols, and violins. Magnificat will combine forces with The Whole Noyse and The Sex Chordæ Consort of Viols in a program that sets Schütz’s account of the Christmas narrative as part of the celebration of Christmas Vespers at the Electoral Court of Saxony in Dresden. Along with traditional chorales and chant, the program also drew from the Italian repertoire that dominated musical fashion during the reign of Johann Georg II, including Vincenzo Albrici's setting of Lætatus sum and Francesco Cavalli's concertato Magnificat from Musiche sacre of 1656.

San Jose Mercury News Review: Magnificat celebrates holiday and its 20th anniversary with Schütz’s ‘Christmas Story’

Read more about Schütz's Christmas Story

Read about performing sacred music in liturgical context

The background image is Albrecht Dürer's altarpiece for the Wittenberg Castle, commissioned by Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony in 1496, now in the Gemäldegalerie, Dresden.