By this time, Schütz had given up the thought of any other career besides music, and had devoted himself to a more thorough study of the art. He became, in all but name, the Kappelmeister at Dresden, though Rogier Michael still held the official title. Michael Praetorius also was on call for special occasions, but Schütz effectively did the work of both men.
After another disagreement between Moritz and Johann Georg, Schütz's employ was officially ceded to the elector. As a memento of their collaboration, the landgrave gave Schütz a gold chain and cameo, evidently the same one that appears in both of the authentic portraits of the composer. Johann Georg still had some reservations about naming Schütz to the position of Kappelmeister, and did not truly do so until a reference in a letter of 1619. Schütz's duties were mainly court oriented; the religious ceremonies were conducted by a vice-Kappelmeister. He also supervised the choirboys.
Schütz was consulted many times on the reorganization of various musical groups, notably those of Prince Heinrich Posthumus of Reuss and Magdeburg Cathedral. These years also saw a period of steady productivity for the composer. In 1618, the two wedding concerti, SWV 20 and 21, were published, and the following year saw the first set of Psalmen Davids published. A third wedding concerto, SWV 48, was for the marriage of Georg Schütz. Early in 1619, Schütz himself was married to Magdalena Wildeck.
Many pieces were published in the next few years, including the Syncharma musicum (SWV 49), and an elegy (SWV 52) for the death of Johann Georg's mother, the Duchess Sophia, in 1623. In the spring of that year, the Historia der Aufferstehung Jesu Christi (SWV 50) was published. In 1625, another collection of sacred music was published, the Cantiones sacrae.
In the fall of 1625, Schütz suffered the first of what seems to be a neverending series of personal tragedies and hardships. After a short illness, his wife died, leaving him two young daughters, Justina (born early in 1621) and Euphrosina (born November 28, 1623). The two girls were placed in the care of Magdalena's mother, as Schütz felt he could not care for them properly. Contrary to custom, Schütz never remarried.
After the death of his wife, Schütz engrossed himself in the composition of the Becker Psalter. The texts were by Cornelius Becker; rhymed German versions of the psalms that were set by many Lutheran composers, and were recognized in 1661 as the official psalter of Saxony.
The spring of 1627 saw one of the most monumental events in all of music history. Elector Johann Georg organized a festival for the wedding of his daughter Sophia Eleonora to Landgrave Georg II of Hessen-Darmstadt. The party was thrown at the castle of Hartenfels at Torgau. This event is important because the music that Schütz wrote is recognized as the first German opera ever created. A reporter wrote, "the musicians enacted with music a pastoral tragi-comedy about Daphne". Tragically, the music to this opera does not survive. The libretto was an adaptation of the Dafne written by Rinuccini more than thirty years earlier.