Hyperion Records

The Whitsun concerto Die Turteltaube lässt sich hören (‘The voice of the turtle dove is heard’) was written for a performance in May 1676, a few months before the death of the composer. Despite the enormous scoring, including four trumpets, the composition presents a particularly sweet mood which demonstrates Knüpfer’s great ability to incorporate stylistic elements of Rosenmüller and various Italian composers without giving up his own monumental style. The text of the work is a dialogue, drawn from different passages of the Bible, and is mostly scored for soloists. In this way the composer skilfully saves the full splendour of the tutti for the concluding hymn of praise to the Holy Trinity.

from notes by Peter Wollny © 2000
English: Viola Scheffel