Znojmo, South Moravia, July 21 (CTK) – The Story of Christ, a baroque opera based on German composer Heinrich Schutz (1585-1672) works, had its world premiere in Znojmo’s St Michael church at a local music festival on Thursday, a unique event presenting the works in an authentic form involving period instruments.
Schutz is considered the most significant German composer before J.S. Bach.
The Story of Christ consists of a few compositions about Christ’s birth and death, respectively.
“Our production connects the important periods of the liturgical year, which is Christmas and Easter. Such connection is unfeasible at concerts that are usually held in churches. The two compositions have been played separately in Germany and elsewhere, but very rarely in the Czech Republic,” conductor and Znojmo festival artistic director Roman Valek told CTK.
He said the production, directed by Linda Keprtova, is visually modern but sensitive in view of the liturgical premises and the timeless story.
Out of the historical instruments, the listeners could hear theorbo, a formerly popular lute-like instrument, a positive organ, cornetts, or conical wooden pipes covered in leather, renaissance trombones dubbed sackbuts, a cembalino and recorders.
The production was made especially for the Znojmo festival, which annually focuses on staging unusual compositions, often in Czech premiere.
“This year festival’s motto is the philosophic legacy of the work of Martin Luther, whose reform movement opened the doors of cathedrals and churches to new music, inspired by Renaissance Italy, mainly the Venetian stream,” Valek said.
This year is the 500th anniversary of Luther’s release of his famous 95 theses in Wittenberg.
