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Luther's Lute

Franz Vitzthum (countertenor), Julian Behr (lutes)

Luther's Lute
Vitzthum's delivery is excellent, and even without reading the lyrics in the booklet one can hear every word. He has a beautiful and agile voice and is at ease in every register; even on the...

Luther's Lute

Franz Vitzthum (countertenor), Julian Behr (lutes)

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This release includes a digital booklet

Stream now lossless, 44.1 kHz, 16 bit
Vitzthum's delivery is excellent, and even without reading the lyrics in the booklet one can hear every word. He has a beautiful and agile voice and is at ease in every register; even on the...

About

As a child, Martin Luther already received intensive musical training at the schools in Magdeburg and Eisenach. He sang not only in the school choirs during the church services, but also for wealthy citizens. During his studies in Erfurt, Luther studied the music theory of both the Middle Ages and antiquity and engaged in musical practice. Luther had an intimate relationship with the music of his time: he was an admirer of the works of Senfl, Finck and Josquin and wrote a number of melodies of his own. Luther’s pastoral and almost intimate text “Frau Musica singt” (Ms. Musica Sings) to the nigthingale, makes one thing clear: music also provided Luther with solace and a place of refuge. At his own request, Martin Luther learnt to play the lute whilst suffering from an illness in 1503. He not only studied the lute, but also the technique of intabulation, which is the arrangement of a polyphonic vocal piece for the plucked instrument. The present selection of pieces by Luther and composers from his immediate environment, performed here by the countertenor Franz Vitzthum accompanied by the lute, could have been performed at an evening of domestic music-making at Martin Luther's house, although this cannot be proven by contemporary sources.

Contents and tracklist

Surrexit Christus / Christ ist erstanden [Eisenacher Kantorenbuch]
Track length1:20
Nigra sum, sed formosa
Track length5:20

Awards and reviews

January 2016

Vitzthum's delivery is excellent, and even without reading the lyrics in the booklet one can hear every word. He has a beautiful and agile voice and is at ease in every register; even on the top notes there is not a hint of stress. Julian Behr is a sensive accompanist and plays the solos beautifully. This is a fine disc with some little-known music and an original approach to polyphony.
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