Gottfried August Homilius (2 February 1714 – 2 June 1785) was a German composer, cantor (church), cantor and organist.Dennis Shrock ''Choral Repertoire'' 2009 -- Page 303 "1714–1785 Homilius was born near Dresden, where he was educated and where he served as substitute organist at the ..." He is considered one of the most important church composers of the generation following Johann Sebastian Bach, Bach's, and was the main representative of the ''sensitive style, empfindsamer'' style.

Life

Homilius was born in Rosenthal-Bielatal, Rosenthal, Electorate of Saxony, Saxony, the son of a Lutheran pastor, and was educated at the Annenschule (Dresden), Annenschule in Dresden. He then studied law at Leipzig University and the organ under Johann Sebastian Bach. From 1742 he was organist at the Dresden Frauenkirche, and from 1755 until his death Cantor (church)#Protestant Cantors, cantor at the Kreuzkirche, Dresden, Kreuzkirche in Dresden with the associated responsibility of music director at the Kreuzkirche, Dresden, Kreuzkirche, the Sophienkirche, and the Dresden Frauenkirche, Frauenkirche. After the destruction of the Kreuzkirche during the Seven Years' War he worked mainly at the Frauenkirche.

Works

Homilius predominantly composed church music: more than 10 passions (one printed in 1775; his St. Matthew Passion, particularly outstanding in the preclassical style of C.P.E. Bach and an extremely worthy successor of J.S. Bach's best-known work of the same name, has been recorded on CD), an oratorio for Christmas (1777) and one for Easter, over 60 motets, more than 150 cantatas (six arias from these appeared in 1786), chorales, prelude (music), preludes, and choral works. He composed also organ music: 36 Chorale preludes for organ. His students included eminent composer Daniel Gottlob Türk as well as Johann Adam Hiller. His vocal compositions enjoyed great popularity through the 19th century, as witnessed by the large number of copies still extant. A complete worklist and edition is in preparation at Carus Verlag; the Homilius-Werkverzeichnis numbers (HoWV) follow the dissertation of Karl Feld and the new edition of Uwe Wolf (musicologist), Uwe Wolf.

Passions and oratorios

* HoWV 1.2 Passionskantate "Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld"/"Siehe das ist Gottes Lamm..."/Mit väterlicher Stimme" * HoWV 1.3 Matthäuspassion "Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld"/"Und es begab sich"/"Erfüllt mit göttlich ernsten Freuden" * HoWV 1.4 Johannespassion "Der Fromme stirbt" * HoWV 1.5 Lukaspassion "Du starker Keltertreter" * HoWV 1.10 Markuspassion * Weihnachtsoratorium. "Die Freude der Hirten"

Organ music

* Gottfried August Homilius: Choralvorspiele für Orgel / herausgegeben von Christoph Albrecht., Leipzig : Breitkopf & Härtel, 1988.

References

*Hans John, "Homilius, Gottfried August," Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 13 December 2006
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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Homilius, Gottfried August 1714 births 1785 deaths 18th-century classical composers 18th-century male musicians 18th-century keyboardists 18th-century German people Classical composers of church music German classical composers German male classical composers German classical organists German male organists German Lutherans Organists and composers in the North German tradition People from the Electorate of Saxony People from Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge Pupils of Johann Sebastian Bach Male classical organists