Heinrich Schütz

1585 - 1672

Born in Thüringen in the Holy Roman Empire, Heinrich Schütz demonstrated musical talent at an early age, beginning as a chorister in his home town. In 1609, he travelled to Venice where he studied at St. Mark's Basilica with Giovanni Gabrieli.

He returned to Germany in 1615, moving to Dresden and becoming court composer to the Elector of Saxony. He married and had two daughters, but his wife died five years after their marriage.

In 1628, Schütz made another visit to Venice, where he studied with Claudio Monteverdi and was influenced by his compositional style, as is evident in the homophonic texture and use of recitative in Schütz's cantatas such as Die Sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreutz. He returned to Germany in 1635 but moved to Denmark to escape the Thirty Years' War. During this time, he kept composing, but his compositions took on a smaller scale.

At the war's conclusion in 1648, he once more returned to Dresden, where he spent the rest of his life.