Erdmann Neumeister (12 May 1671 – 18 August 1756) was a German

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

and

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

ologist. He was born in Uichteritz near

Weißenfels Weißenfels (; often written in English as Weissenfels) is the largest town of the Burgenlandkreis district, in southern Saxony-Anhalt, central Germany. It is situated on the river Saale, approximately south of Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Halle. His ...

in the province Saxonia of Germany. As a fifteen-year-old boy he started his studies in Schulpforta, an old humanistic gymnasium. He became a student of poetology and

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

in the

University of Leipzig Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 Decemb ...

between 1691 and 1697. He began his career as a minister of religion in the spa town of Bibra. He became diaconus (

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

) for the duke of Saxonia-Weissenfels. From 1705 to 1715, he was superintendent in Sorau (today Zary in Poland). He left for Hamburg because of theological disputes. (As an adult, he would become a vehement opponent of

Pietism Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christian life, including a social concern for the needy and ...

). He died in

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

as an honoured main pastor. His grave in the St. Jacobi Church was destroyed during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Works

Hymns

He is remembered for several hymns, including "Jesus, Great and Wondrous Star" and "Sinners Jesus Will Receive".

Cantatas

Neumeister was an influential writer of texts for cantatas. He was a pioneer of the use of a format using

recitative Recitative (, also known by its Italian name "''recitativo''" ()) is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repea ...

and

aria In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...

, which was new in religious music, but established in secular cantatas and

baroque opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

. This gave scope to carry over techniques from the world of secular music, and the texts were set by

Johann Philipp Krieger Johann Philipp Krieger (also ''Kriger'', ''Krüger'', ''Krugl'', and ''Giovanni Filippo Kriegher''; baptised 27 February 1649; died 7 February 1725) was a German people, German Baroque composer and organist. He was the elder brother of Johann Krieg ...

, the ''

kapellmeister (, also , ) from German ''Kapelle'' (chapel) and ''Meister'' (master)'','' literally "master of the chapel choir" designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term ha ...

'' at Weissenfels, and other composers, notably Bach. Other cantata librettists in this genre included

Georg Christian Lehms Georg Christian Lehms (; 1684 – 15 May 1717) was a German poet and novelist who sometimes used the pen-name ''Pallidor''. He published poetry, novels, libretti for operas, and the texts of cantatas. Life Born in Liegnitz (now in Poland) in 168 ...

. Neumeister's first cycle of cantata texts was ''Geistliche Cantaten staff einer Kirchen-Music'', completed in 1700 and published four years later. He began adding biblical words and

chorales A Lutheran chorale is a musical setting of a Lutheran hymn, intended to be sung by a congregation in a German Protestant Church service. The typical four-part setting of a chorale, in which the sopranos (and the congregation) sing the melody al ...

from his third cycle onwards. His fifth cycle of 1716 uses

ode An ode (from grc, ᾠδή, ōdḗ) is a type of lyric poetry. Odes are elaborately structured poems praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structured in three majo ...

form.

Neumeister and Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

set his texts in some of his cantatas. Bach began setting his texts in about 1713 when he was working at

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...

. Later, while working at Köthen, he applied for a job as organist at Neumeister's church in Hamburg. The following is a list of relevant Bach cantatas. *

Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt, BWV 18 (Just as the rain and snow fall from heaven), 18, is an early church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Weimar for the Sunday Sexagesimae, the second Sunday before Lent, likely by 1713. The cantata is based on a text by Erdma ...

"BWV" is

Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis The (BWV; ; ) is a catalogue of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was first published in 1950, edited by Wolfgang Schmieder. The catalogue's second edition appeared in 1990. An abbreviated version of that second edition, known as BWV2a ...

, a thematic catalogue of Bach's works. (1713?)

Sexagesima Sexagesima , or, in full, Sexagesima Sunday, is the name for the second Sunday before Ash Wednesday in the pre-1970 Roman Rite liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church, and also in that of some Protestant denominations, particularly those with L ...

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61 Johann Sebastian Bach composed the church cantata (Now come, Savior of the heathens), 61, in Weimar for the first Sunday in Advent, the Sunday which begins the liturgical year, and first performed it on 1714. The cantata text was provided b ...

(1714) First Sunday in

Advent Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity. The name was adopted from Latin "coming; arrival", translating Greek ''parousia''. In ...

* Ein ungefärbt Gemüte, BWV 24 (1723) Fourth Sunday after

Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...

Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 59 (Whoever loves me will keep my word), 59, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the cantata for Pentecost and probably first performed it in Leipzig on 28 May 1724, but an earlier performance on 16 May 1723 at the , the Univ ...

(1724),

Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles in the Ne ...

Sunday *

Gottlob! nun geht das Jahr zu Ende, BWV 28 (Praise God! Now the year comes to an end), BWV28, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach for the Sunday after Christmas. He first performed it on 30 December 1725. History and text Bach composed the cantata in his third year as in Le ...

(1725) First Sunday after

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

Notes

References

*Gross, Ernie. ''This Day in Religion''. New York: Neil-Schuman Publishers, 1990. . *Uwe Riedel: Erdmann Neumeister, Biografisches Mosaik, 2010, 1671 births 1756 deaths People from Weißenfels People from Saxe-Weissenfels 18th-century German Lutheran clergy German cantata librettists German Lutheran hymnwriters Leipzig University alumni {{Lutheran-stub