Search - Andreas Hammerschmidt, Manfred Cordes, Weser-Renaissance :: Andreas Hammerschmidt: Sacred Works

Stunning Sacred Music from the early Baroque period

Rob | Fullerton, NE USA | 07/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Andreas Hammerschmidt may not have the name recognition of J.S. Bach or Heinrich Schutz, but he is of the same mold. A fine Lutheran composer who was well acquainted with the musicians and poets of his day.



In my opinion, the best track on this cd is "Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ". I think this is one of the most creative and beautiful settings of this Lutheran Christmas hymn I have ever heard. Gently deceptive, Hammerschmidt's manner not only puts harmony to the melody, but draws out from the melody the richness that is latent in it.



The other tracks are also quite breathtaking. I am glad that the Weser-Renaissance ensemble is recording the music from this time period that has been forgotten. The vocals and instrumentals are all quite fine. The text is clear and the quality superb. A fine addition to a good music collection."

If you like Schütz, you will like Hammerschmidt

Johannes Climacus | Beverly, Massachusetts | 04/08/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The name of Andreas Hammerschmidt is hardly a household word, even among Baroque music aficionados; but on the evidence of the music contained in this superb recording, this student of Heinrich Schütz deserves to be ranked not far below his mentor. Indeed, perhaps the only criticism one could make of Hammerschmidt's music is that it is clearly "derivative"--though I for one am not inclined to complain when the derivation in question is from the "Prince of Protestant Music"!



Weser-Renaissance, under the able direction of Manfred Cordes, has given us some outstanding recordings of early and mid-Baroque sacred music; this is perhaps this ensemble's finest outing so far. Hammerschmidt's kaleidoscopic range of texts, idioms and scorings seems on this occasion to have inspired them to sing and play with maximal expressiveness and exuberance.



The other reviewer rightly mentioned Hammerschmidt's luminous setting of *Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ* as a particular highlight of this compilation; to that example of this composer's finest work I would add the equally stunning elaboration of *Christ lag in Todesbanden*. Not that Hammerschmidt's setting can rival Bach's (what could?) in sheer craftsmanship and musico-dramatic splendor; nevertheless, the mystical fervor of the former provides a different, and equally valid, take on Luther's ineffably beautiful hymn (itself a metrical adaptation of the Medieval sequence *Victimae Paschale laudes*).



But this generously filled CD is fairly bursting at the seams with striking instances of Hammerschmidt's compositional virtuosity. If, in the end, Hammerschmidt's responses to textual affects seem somewhat generalized when compared with Schütz (compare, for instance, their respective settings of Paslm 8, "Herr, unser Herrscher"), we will not hold that against him, for the subtlety of Schütz's text-paining remains incomparable.



If you enjoy Schütz, however, you are sure to enjoy Hammerschmidt--particularly when performed with such evident brilliance and stylistic acumen. Urgently recommended."