Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel - 5 Masses (Bernhard Klapprott)

Information

Composer: Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel

• Missa in A Minor, StoeR III:a1
• Missa in E Minor, StoeR III:e1
• Missa in C Major, StoeR III:C1 "Missa canonica"
• Missa in G Major, StoeR III:G1
• Missa in E-Flat Major, StoeR III:Es1

Cantus & Capella Thuringia

Bernhard Klapprott, conductor

Date: 2025

Label: CPO

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Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel (1690–1749), five years younger than J.S. Bach and part of the same central German circle, was a prominent composer who gained recognition beyond his region, particularly as court conductor in Gotha. Known for passions, oratorios, and cantatas, his sacred output also includes concise missae breves, reducing the Catholic Mass to Kyrie and Gloria. Five of these works, now published, highlight his melodic skill and liturgical refinement. Celebrated by Johann Mattheson in his Ehrenpforte (1740) as a “reasonable, learned and great composer,” Stölzel’s music continues to confirm his stature as a significant figure of the Baroque era.

Bernhard Klapprott (b. 1964) is a German harpsichordist, organist, and conductor. He studied harpsichord with Hugo Ruf and Bob van Asperen, and organ with Michael Schneider and Ewald Kooiman. In 1991, he won first prize at the International Organ Competition in Bruges for performances of Bach and Mozart. Klapprott has performed worldwide as soloist and continuo player, recording extensively, including Thomas Tomkins’ complete keyboard works (award-winning, MDG) and Bach’s organ music on Silbermann instruments (AEOLUS). In 1999, he co-founded Cantus Thuringia & Capella, focusing on 16th–18th century Central German repertoire, and launched the “Music Legacy Thuringia” project to revive forgotten vocal and instrumental works.