Hana Blazikova, soprano : Cantates baroques allemandes

   in Early Music Today (Jun, 2014)
All but one of these composers flourished in the second half of the 17th century. The exception is Johann Schop, who was born around 1590. He spent a few years at the court of Christian IV in Copenhagen and is one of three composers with a Danish connection represented here: Buxtehude, of course, but also Johann Philipp Krieger, who studied in Copenhagen in the 1660s.

The prevailing mood is sombre, even Schop’s ‘Jauchzet dem Herren’ being in the minor mode. Fortunately there are two instrumental pieces – a ciaconna by Pachelbel and a sonata by Krieger – to add variety. And it’s the prominence of the instrumental writing that helps to …