Christoph Bernhard (1628-1692) is first and foremost known as a pupil of the most famous German composer of the 17th century, Heinrich Schütz. He wrote treatises, which found a wide circulation throughout Germany and were generally considered reflective of the views of his teacher. He started his career as an alto singer in Dresden, worked for some time in Copenhagen, and later in Hamburg, and in 1681 he was appointed Kapellmeister in Dresden. He may also have studied with Carissimi during one of two visits to Rome.

Only one of his sacred works, the Geistliche Harmonien, was published. It includes 20 concertos with German text for one to four voices and basso continuo, and for many the addition of two violins. Although generally similar to the Kleine geistliche Konzerte and the Symphoniae sacrae by Heinrich Schütz, they have a unique melodic style and are often demanding for the voice, with long melismatic passages and aria-like sections in the 17th-century operatic style.

Recorded: 1995