Motet notes - Schütz

The Cantiones Sacrae of 1625 stands apart from Schütz's other works. A collection of 40 four-voice motets in Latin, the stylistic traits are a melding of the stile antico polyphony of Palestrina, Garbrieli influenced Italian polychoral writing, and a more rigorous Germanic structure. Intense expression, chromaticism and madrigalian text painting characterize these inward, meditative texts adapted from the Bible. Our motet, Oculi omnium/Pater noster, begins in a simple homophonic manner that quickly becomes more imitative and text driven. The second part of the motet sets the familiar “Our Father” text, replete with vivid text painting.