Heinrich Schütz was a German composer born in 1585 who helped bridge the Renaissance and Baroque styles. He studied under composers like Giovanni Gabrielli and Claudio Monteverdi and held prestigious positions as Kappelmeister in the courts of Johann Georg of Saxony. Schütz composed around 500 works, including large sacred pieces like the Psalms of David and German Magnificat, establishing himself as one of the most important early Baroque composers before his death at age 87 in 1672.

1. Heinrich Schütz
October 8th 1585 - November 6th 1672

2. Notable Facts/History
 Born in Köstritz
 At age thirteen he went to Kassel to sing as a chorister in the Kapelle
of Land- grave Moritz
 In 1609 traveled to Venice to study with Giovanni Gabrielli
 Transitional composer. Helped bridge the gap between Renaissance
and Baroque styles. (However he never completely converted to
Baroque)
 Composed around 500 works that have survived
 In 1615 moved to the court of Johann Georg, Elector of Saxony, and
was appointed to the position of Kappelmeister

3. Notable Facts/History
contd.
 While in Johann Georg’s court he composed many large scale works
(Psalms of David,
 Returned to Venice in the 1620’s to escape hardship caused by the
Thirty Years war.
 When Schütz was 71 Johann Georg died and his successor, Johann
Georg II, appointed Schütz the equivalent of Kapellmeister emeritus
 While in this position he composed two of his most monumental
works, eutsch Magnificat (German Magnificat) and his
Schwanengesang (Psalm 119)
 He suffered a stroke on the morning of November 6, 1672, and died
later that afternoon at age eighty-seven.

4. Contemporaries
 Worked under Giovanni Gabriell
 went to Magde- burg, along with Michael Praetorius and Samuel
Scheidt, to help reorganize the music at the Kapelle there. Also
joined Praetorius and Scheidt in inaugurating a new organ in
Bayreuth
 Studied under Claudio Monteverdi

5. Composition Style