Motet notes - Schütz

Schütz' marvelous Easter dialogue between the two Marys and Jesus is an expansion of a segment of his 1623 Easter Oratorio.  It is not known when he wrote this piece but it is a marvelous and skilled adaption of his earlier material.  We have put the two Marys in the middle of the congregation with a lute accompanying them.  As was often done in the 17th century, the part of Jesus is represented by two singers.  It was considered blasphemy for a solo singer to presume to represent the Christ. The wonderful Italianate phrasing reaches its climax in the hushed recognition of the Marys when they utter "Raboni" (Rabbi).