| In this study I will consider the instrumentation for three central movements of Heinrich Schutz's late work, Historia der freuden- und gnadenreichen Geburt Gottes and Marien Sohnes Jesu Christi, SWV 435,1 commonly called Weihnachtshistorie, to see whether there exists only one possible instrumental complement for the fourth Intermedium , or scene---two violine and one bassoon, as in primary source material and many editions---or whether it may be equally or even more valid to assign the coloristic consort lines to two sackbuts (trombones, in modern application) and a bassoon. In so doing, I will address a select but typical set of decisions that preparing a Schutz work engenders, in order to equip conductors to apply similar methodology and evidence when approaching works of this composer and of the early Baroque era in general.; I will demonstrate that using three sackbuts in an historically enlightened performance---or trombones, their modern analogues---would be preferable to the violine and bassoon the extant manuscript prescribes in the fourth Intermedium (each Intermedium consists of sinfonia [optional], recitative, and chorus) of Heinrich Schutz's Weihnachtshistorie.; 1The proper name for SWV 435, 435a, and 435b is Historia der freuden- und gnadenreichen Geburt Gottes and Marien Sohnes Jesu Christi, but I will shorten it to Wiehnachtshistorie throughout this document. |
