How blest is he
ZWV 76
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Composer
Jan Dismas Zelenka
| 1679-1745The Bohemian composer Jan Dismas Zelenka was a double bass player and church music composer at the Saxon court of the Elector August the Strong and his son Friedrich August II. In the years after 1721 he composed an extensive repertoire of Catholic church music together with the Kapellmeister Johann David Heinichen. These works, together with the Dresden operas composed by Johann Adolf Hasse in quick succession from 1731 onwards, established the reputation of the Saxon court as one of the most important musical centers of the late Baroque period. Personal details
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Editor
Volker Kalisch
| 1957
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Continuo realization
Wolfgang Horn
| 1956-2019
Reviews
Beatus vir in C Major
Beatus vir in C Major. Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745)
Zelenka has enjoyed a remarkable revival in recent years. Although he wrote 20 masses, it is his 30 psalm settings that have been attracting considerable attention. This one, which is only about eight minutes long, has three movements. The Psalm itself is the bulk of the material, followed by a ”Gloria Patri” for soprano, and then the final movement, which is a contrapuntal amen with choral doublings by the instruments. His music which seems to have the vitality of Telemann and Bach, is often somewhere between them in difficulty, making it very attractive to all kinds of choirs. ”Beatus vir” begins with a long instrumental introduction leading to a bass solo. Later there are several tempo changes in brief subsections as Zelenka tries to capture the spirit of the tat. Both Latin and English versions are supplied.
Quelle: The Diapason 5/1995