C. Graupner: Gott will mich auch probieren: (Arr. Guido Erdmann): Chœur Mixte et Ensemble

Born in Saxony and originally trained at the St. Thomas school in Leipzig, Christoph Graupner [1683 1760] celebrated great success at the Hamburg Opera on the Gänsemarkt. In 1709 he was lured away to a position in Darmstadt, where he remained for the rest of his life. The sacred composition Gott will mich auch probieren [GWV 1121/14] was written during the early years of his tenure as Music Director at the Court of the Landgraves. In it he attempted to make the genre of the motet useful for church music in Darmstadt through innovative design and varied structure. The present chorale motet is a markedly charming and catchy piece of choral music [easy to mid-level difficulty] whichmanages totally without solo arias and recitatives and through its compact dimensions can excellently be suited for use in today’s worship services.