Heinrich Schütz (1585–1672), often regarded as the most important German composer before J.S. Bach, stands as a central figure in the early Baroque. His music blends the expressive intensity of the new Italian style – absorbed during his studies with Giovanni Gabrieli in Venice – with the rigorous counterpoint and textual clarity favoured in Protestant Germany. Schütz devoted much of his long career to sacred music, serving as Kapellmeister in Dresden and producing works that profoundly shaped the development of German liturgical composition.

Among his most significant contributions are his Passions. Today, three authenticated Passions by Schütz survive: the St Matthew Passion (1666), the St Luke Passion (1665), and the St John Passion (1664). While no St Mark Passion by Schütz has survived, the existing three form a coherent and deeply expressive trilogy.

Schütz’s Passions are notable for their austere, devotional character. Unlike later Baroque Passion settings, they contain no instrumental accompaniment beyond the continuo pitch support used for recitative; instead, Schütz employs unaccompanied choral textures to emphasise the solemnity of the narrative. The Evangelist’s recitation is delivered in a chant-like, highly inflected recitative, carefully shaped to illuminate the nuances of Luther’s German Bible. Turba (crowd) choruses, though similarly unaccompanied, provide dramatic contrast through sudden harmonic shifts, rhythmic intensity, and dynamic changes.

The St John Passion, the most concise, is often admired for its emotional directness. The St Luke is more restrained, reflecting that Gospel’s narrative tone, while the St Matthew stands out for its broader scope and particularly poignant choral writing.

Founded in 2000 by the harpsichordist, organist and conductor Matteo Messori, the ensemble Cappella Augustana – composed of excellent European historically-informed singers and instrumentalists – focuses on the relationships between the Italian and Northern European music from the late Renaissance, through the Baroque era up to the Romantic Period. The Evangelist in the recordings is the eminent Gerd Türk.