from his Vespers of the Blessed Virgin has got to be the most sublime setting of the Magnificat I've ever heard in my whole life. Once again I stand in awe of the musical heritage that is our Lutheran tradition. Amazing, simply amazing.
Thanks, Father. I tried to do some searching on him via the internet. I assume he was Roman Catholic though he was German. Anyway, I've added that particular CD to my wishlist. Thanks for heads up!
No, I believe he was Lutheran. He did end up in Italy after a scandal. But he came back to Germany. I remember reading somewhere that his Vespers of the Blessed Virgin originally had the Lutheran texts, but that they altered them back to traditional catholic texts for the recording.
That's interesting. Because it looks like he set the hymn "Ave maris stella" a very Marian hymn to music. I think many Lutherans even then might have had a problem with it (Though I find nothing objectionable).
And considering that other Lutheran illuminaries of Church music also studied in Venice (Schutz and Hassler for examples), the religious differences didn't seem to be as big a deal as we would think.
Lutherans in the 17th century commonly observed the chief Marian festivals, but they revised the wording of some of the canticles and hymns associated with those festivals, to bring the theology of those pieces into accord with Reformation theology.
The published editions of Rosenmueller's setting of Vespro della beata Vergine employ the Lutheranized texts, but the two-CD recording of this setting reverts to the pre-Reformation Catholic texts.
Never heard of this guy. Do you have a sound clip?
ReplyDeleteCheck this out:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/Rosenmüller-Vergine-Concerto-Palatino-Junghänel/dp/B0000007BF/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1262456124&sr=8-3
Sadly, the Magnificat is not included in the sound clips, but you'll get the feel for his amazing work.
Thanks, Father. I tried to do some searching on him via the internet. I assume he was Roman Catholic though he was German. Anyway, I've added that particular CD to my wishlist. Thanks for heads up!
ReplyDeleteNo, I believe he was Lutheran. He did end up in Italy after a scandal. But he came back to Germany. I remember reading somewhere that his Vespers of the Blessed Virgin originally had the Lutheran texts, but that they altered them back to traditional catholic texts for the recording.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting. Because it looks like he set the hymn "Ave maris stella" a very Marian hymn to music. I think many Lutherans even then might have had a problem with it (Though I find nothing objectionable).
ReplyDeleteAnd considering that other Lutheran illuminaries of Church music also studied in Venice (Schutz and Hassler for examples), the religious differences didn't seem to be as big a deal as we would think.
Again, thanks for bringing this to my attention.
Rosenmueller was a Lutheran.
ReplyDeleteLutherans in the 17th century commonly observed the chief Marian festivals, but they revised the wording of some of the canticles and hymns associated with those festivals, to bring the theology of those pieces into accord with Reformation theology.
The published editions of Rosenmueller's setting of Vespro della beata Vergine employ the Lutheranized texts, but the two-CD recording of this setting reverts to the pre-Reformation Catholic texts.