Today, religious music from Johann David Heinichen, who left us not only a lot of instrumental music, but also a substantial oeuvre of sacred music.
Heinichen received his education at the Thomasschule in Leipzig, where he assisted the Thomaskantor, Johann Kuhnau. Though initially, he didn’t have any aspirations towards a musical career, his contact with Johann Philipp Krieger, kapellmeister at the ducal court in Weissenfels, changed this. Heinichen had settled here as a barrister, but ended up becoming kapellmeister at Dresden court. Here, he composed church music to Latin texts, to be played in the Catholic court chapel, that had been arranged after Frederic Augustus II converted to Catholicism in order to become king of Poland. An example are the vesper hymns at the end of this episode.
Heinichen’s appointment as kapellmeister followed his period in Italy. Some of these works, combining the German and Italian style, can be heard half-way through the programme.
Before his time in Italy, Heinichen worked several years in Leipzig, which is where he created his cantatas. They might have been intended for performances in the Neue Kirche. One of these can be heard at the beginning of this episode.
Johann David Heinichen (1683-1729)
1. Gott ist unser Zuversicht und Stärke (S 43)
Magdalene Harer (soprano), Bernadette Beckermann (alto), Tobias Hunger (tenor), Felix Schwandtke, (bass). Sächsisches Vocalensemble, Batzdorfer Hofkapelle conducted by Matthias Jung
(CD: “Gott ist unser Zuversicht – German Sacred Cantatas” – CPO 555 543-2, 2024)
2. Warum toben die Heiden (S 39)
Raimund Nolte, bass. Musica Antiqua Köln conducted by Reinhard Goebel
(CD: “Lamentationes, Passionsmusik” – Archiv 447092-2, 1996)
3. Dixit Dominus (S 44)
4. Confitebor tibi Domine (S 32)
5. Laudate Dominum (S 83)
6. Laudate pueri (S 84)
Ensemble Polyharmonique, Wroclaw Baroque Orchestra conducted by Jaroslaw Thiel
(CD: “Dresden Vespers” – Accent ACC 24381, 2022)
In addition:
7. Pastorale per la notte di natale in A (S 242)
Musica antiqua Köln conducted by Reinhard Goebel
(CD: see 2)
Image: Dresden (Bernardo Bellotto, 1748) (Wikipedia)
