Becker–Psalter. Complete recording, Vol. 15 (Rademann)

Heinrich Schütz is generally regarded as a master of the art of setting text to music, particularly the text of the Bible in its unaltered form which was of substantial significance to Lutheran doctrine. On the other hand, there are only few examples of settings of rhymed texts in Schütz's oeuvre. One of these is the so-called "Becker-Psalter," a collection of psalm translations by the Leipzig theologian Cornelius Becker. Shortly after the death of his wife, Schütz concentrated on this collection and set numerous verses to music. In the 15th volume of the Schütz Complete Recording, Hans-Christoph Rademann and his Dresdner Kammerchor present a colorful interpretation of a selection of these unusually unadorned, transparent, folk-like compositions. The cross-section of the CD is based on the selection of psalms that Schutz composed for his Psalms of David (Carus 83.255), thereby creating a sibling CD for these magnificent, multi-choral works.