Famous for his keyboard works Sweelinck was also a skilled composer for voices as well, and composed over 250 works for voice (chansons, madrigals, motets and Psalms). Some of Sweelinck's innovations were of profound musical importance, including the fugue-he was the first to write an organ fugue which began simply, with one subject, successively adding texture and complexity until a final climax and resolution, an idea which was perfected at the end of the Baroque era by Bach. This is a world premiere recording of the complete Latin Motets, including the Christmas motet Hodie Christus natus est. |
