Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562–1621) was a Dutch
composer, organist, and pedagogue whose work straddled
the end of the Renaissance and beginning of the Baroque
eras. He was among the first major keyboard composers
of Europe, and his work as a teacher helped establish
the north German organ tradition. His compositions
include both keyboard and sacred & secular choral
music, though it is for his keyboard music that he is
best known today. Sweelinck was extremely influential
as a teacher, especi...(+)
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562–1621) was a Dutch
composer, organist, and pedagogue whose work straddled
the end of the Renaissance and beginning of the Baroque
eras. He was among the first major keyboard composers
of Europe, and his work as a teacher helped establish
the north German organ tradition. His compositions
include both keyboard and sacred & secular choral
music, though it is for his keyboard music that he is
best known today. Sweelinck was extremely influential
as a teacher, especially of German students (including
Scheidemann, Scheidt, Praetorius, and Hasse) who would
propagate his compositional techniques far into eastern
Europe. He is one of the major figures in the
transition from Renaissance to Baroque compositional
styles. Sweelinck was one of the great transitional
figures in Western music, known for his formal rigor
and theoretical knowledge of the most influential
compositional schools of the time. His keyboard
compositions continued to be widely and directly
influential in Germany until the time of Dietrich
Buxtehude.
"Hodie beata virgo Maria puerum Jesum praesentavit"
("Today the Blessed Virgin Mary Presented the Baby
Jesus") is a motet for 5 voices & continuo from the
"Cantiones Sacrae" (SwWV 180 No. 30) written by
Sweelinck in 1619.
Although originally written for Chorus (5 Voices &
Continuo), I created this arrangement for Harp &
Woodwind quintet (Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, French Horn &
Bassoon).
PARTITION