Marco Gioseppe Peranda: Passion Music at the Dresden Court

For several years, the Cappella Sagittariana Dresden has stood for period performance at the highest level as well as sophisticated programme concepts. Dresden Passion is yet another remarkable dramaturgy presented by the ensemble's artistic director, Norbert Schuster: Marco Gioseppe Peranda’s (~1625–1675) rendition of the Gospel of Mark is the centrepiece of this recording. However, it is complemented by reflective figural music by Christoph Bernhard, Anton Colander, Johann Hermann Schein, Heinrich Schütz and Samuel Seidel. This compilation sets a sound stage for showcasing the Passion within the versatile context of music at the Dresden Court of the late 17th century. Similarly to the well-known Passions, in which recitatives are complemented by choruses, arias and chorales, the individual sections of sung biblical text in this example are flanked by short spiritual concertos, motets and sinfonias.

Cappella Sagittariana Dresden
Norbert Schuster

Pizzicato (13. Juli 2016, Guy Engels)

„Programmatisch ist diese Produktion zumindest ebenso gelungen wie interpretatorisch. Es entsteht ein inhaltlich kohärentes Gesamtwerk, getragen von liebevoller Stilpflege, vor allem aber von einem unaufgeregten, schlichten und rhetorisch klaren Musizieren. Gerade hierin liegt die große Ausdrucksstärke der Produktion. Die dynamisch klug differenzierte Aufnahme tut das Ihre dazu.“

„Combined with works by Schütz, Colander, Bernhard, Schein and Seidel, Marco Giuseppe Peranda’s St Mark Passion forms a coherent program. The performances are sober rhetoric and naturally expressive. The recorded sound is dynamic and allows the listener to fully experience the music.”

Gramophone (Februar 2016, David Vickers)

“The softgrained choral textures featuring more than 40 younger boys on the treble and alto lines conspire with splendid instrumental playing and intelligent solo singing to pull the listener through a rich banquet of psalms. […] confirms Rosenmüller's stature as supremely gifted composer worthy of a lot more attention.”

Rondo (Juli 2015, Carsten Niemann)

“prächtigste doppelchörige Psalmvertonungen”