Motet notes - Schütz

Schütz made two settings of the sublime words that open the Gospel of John. The more familiar is the six-voice motet that we have recorded in our Geistliche Chormusik recording. The slightly earlier version heard today is for two sopranos and continuo. Here the two high voices intertwine to create an ethereal and heavenly texture appropriate to the Gospel. This particular reading has always been associated with Christmas.