Michael: Christvesper Dresden 1624

Only a few connoisseurs will be able to say without hesitation who preceded Heinrich Schütz in the post of Dresden Court Kapellmeister. The man was called Rogier Michaels, born in Mons (Belgium) and was one of the last representatives of the Franco-Flemish school of vocal polyphony, which was in demand throughout Europe. In the meantime, however, Italy was setting the tone and the old school had to rethink. Michaels succeeded in this. Among his few surviving works is an innovative Christmas history (1602), which was performed at the Dresden court for 50 (!) years - an all the more astonishing occurrence, as this music by no means trumps with external effects. When the devotional simplicity is combined with Christmas vocal and instrumental movements of the time, the simplicity becomes all the more apparent, and the Christmas Vespers 1624, which the Ensemble Polyharmonique presents here, is still enchanting today.