Credits:

Alfven

Description:

A collection of works by Andreas Hofer (1628/29-1684), an unknown 17th century German composer, performed by the vocal ensemble Capella Spirensis and the ancient music ensemble L'Arpa Festante. Although Hofer's name is little known even among music connoisseurs today, he was a talented musician who served as Kapellmeister (music director) of the cathedral and court in Salzburg at a time when the princely archdiocese of Salzburg was one of the most important centers of Western music, and the deputy Kapellmeister at the time was the famous violin virtuoso Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber, a well-known violinist, was the deputy capellmeister, and Georg Muffat was the cathedral organist. From Hofer's music, of which all extant works were written for liturgical purposes, we find seven psalm concertos (for one or two voices solo, strings, and basso continuo) full of technical and melodic ideas, composed in the style of Monteverdi's "second composition," and Hofer's vocal Psalmi brevi" for five voices and strings, and "Missa Valete" (Farewell Mass), which demonstrates Hofer's mastery of polyphony. Tokyo M-Plus