Heinrich Schutz

Schutz is a German-born composer from the 17th century, considered by many music historians to be the most significant German composer to precede Bach. His most treasured compositions were sacred vocal arrangements, although he is also noted for the opera Dafne, which is often considered to be the first German opera. His modal compositions were some of the last of their kind, however he was regarded to have a strong sense of tonality regarding rhythmic structures. He died in 1672, leaving behind him a rich imprint on the evolution of music.