Heinrich Schutz (1585-1672) was one of the greatest German composer of his time and the first of international status. Due to his early experiences of traveling in Italy, and studying with Giovanni Gabrieli (c. 1556-1612) and Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), he learned about the Italian musical styles and techniques, such as cori spezzati, concertato style, etc.

The large-scale work "Historia der Geburth Jesu Christi" (SWV 435) was his masterpiece. The work follows the traditions of historia and takes the believes of Lutheran faith. Schutz used a new type of recitative in replacing the traditional narrative portions, and the concertato medium dominates most of the oratorio scenes.

This thesis is divided into four parts, respectively: Italian music at the turn of the century; influence of Italian music in Germany; the analysis of Schutz's "Historia der Geburth Jesu Christi" the performance practice.

The first two chapters focus on the historical background and the development of the new style, especially on those appeared in the late sixteenth century, and how they influenced the music in Germany in the seventeenth century.

The third chapter concentrates on the music, focusing on subjects such as figurations, meters and word paintings.

The final chapter addresses the performance practice. It deals with performing issues such as performing forces, tempos, dynamics, articulations and singing styles.