18/03/2010
In his online diary and in a new promotion video, conductor Paul Hillier tells the story of our highly acclaimed Schütz series.
Excerpt from Paul Hillier's online diary:
"Over the next few weeks I shall be performing and recording Schütz's Mathäus-Passion with Ars Nova Copenhagen, and Julian Podger as Evangelist. This will mark the conclusion of our 4-CD cycle recording all the "narrative" works of Schütz. This project has been rather an interesting exercise in balancing budgets and diaries, and for that reason I am quite impressed that we have actually seen it through! Musically it has been a very fine experience - involving a number of singers and instrumentalists - and I am happy to say that the results have been very warmly received. Schütz is a familiar enough name, and yet he can be a hard ‘sell'. Perhaps this is because his music is somewhat inward looking - or gives the impression of being - and somehow he is, I feel, a neglected master. But I come away from each of these CD projects with renewed admiration for his music, especially the pseudo-chant style he created for the Passion settings. It seems easy, but it most certainly is not. All composers should follow his example..."
"Each of the CDs carries a picture of one of the four Evangelists by Karl Schmidt-Rotluff (1884-1976). I am a great fan of Baltic painting from the turn of the last century: Emil Nolde, the Skagen painters from Northern Denmark (especially Krøyer), and the Bridge (Brücke) group formed in Dresden in 1905. About four years ago I was in Berlin and visited the Museum "Die Brücke" - a small, potentially distinguished collection (if they would but show a bit more). On one wall were these four reliefs in beaten metal by Schmidt-Rotluff. As I looked at them, I realised that I had my CD covers for this Schütz project, then still in the planning stage. I always reckon that a visit to an art gallery has been worthwhile if i can carry away the memory of just one specific painting or group of pieces - so I was well satisfied on this occasion."
Excerpt from www.paulhillier.net - March 2010