Composer

:

Heinrich Schütz

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Motet

Publication Date

:

1648

Average_duration

:

4:13

Ich bin eine rufende Stimme, SWV 383 (Op. 11/15) is a sacred vocal work composed by Heinrich Schütz, a German composer of the Baroque era. The piece was composed in 1623 and premiered in the same year in Dresden, Germany. The work is a setting of a biblical text from the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 23: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord." The text is sung by a solo voice, accompanied by a basso continuo (a continuous bass line played by a keyboard instrument and a bass instrument such as a cello or bassoon). The piece is divided into two movements. The first movement is in a slow, mournful tempo and features a declamatory style of singing, with the solo voice singing the text in a recitative-like manner. The basso continuo provides a simple, yet expressive accompaniment, with occasional dissonances and suspensions adding to the emotional intensity of the piece. The second movement is in a faster tempo and features a more melodic style of singing. The solo voice sings the text in a series of short phrases, with the basso continuo providing a lively and rhythmic accompaniment. The movement ends with a brief coda, in which the solo voice repeats the opening phrase of the text, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness," before coming to a quiet and contemplative close. Overall, Ich bin eine rufende Stimme is a powerful and expressive work that showcases Schütz's skill in setting sacred texts to music. The piece is notable for its use of dissonance and suspensions, which add to the emotional intensity of the music, as well as its simple yet effective use of the basso continuo.

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