Johannes Schenck (or Johan Schenk, 3 June 1660–after 1712) was a Dutch musician and composer. Schenck was born in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

and baptized in a Catholic hidden church. He became a renowned virtuoso

viola da gamba The viol (), viola da gamba (), or informally gamba, is any one of a family of bowed, fretted, and stringed instruments with hollow wooden bodies and pegboxes where the tension on the strings can be increased or decreased to adjust the pitc ...

player. His compositions included music for a Dutch Singspiel, '' Bacchus, Ceres en Venus'', which can claim to be the first opera in Dutch, and from which songs were published in 1687, as well as works for the

. Around 1696 he accepted an appointment to the court of

Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine Johann Wilhelm II, Elector Palatine (''"Jan Wellem"'' in Low German, English: ''"John William"''; 19 April 1658 – 8 June 1716) of the Wittelsbach dynasty was Elector Palatine (1690–1716), Duke of Palatinate-Neuburg, Neuburg (1690–1716), ...

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

. After Johann Wilhelm's death in 1716, the electoral court moved to

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's 2 ...

. There is some uncertainty about the date of Schenck's death as there is no mention found in the Düsseldorf Protestant church records or parish and cemetery records in Amsterdam. His last known published work appeared in 1712. He is no longer mentioned in the list of court musicians compiled in 1717.

Works

* op. 1 ''Eenige gezangen, uit de opera von Bacchus, Ceres en Venus'', Amsterdam, heirs of Paul Matthys, Author, 1687. (27 arias for voice and b.c.) * op. 2 ''Tyd en Konst-Oeffeningen'', Amsterdam, Pierre Pickaert, 1688. (15 sonatas for viola da gamba and b.c.) * op. 3 ''Il Giardino Armonico'', Amsterdam, Le Chevalier, 1691. (12 sonatas for 2 violins, viola da gamba and b.c.) * op. 4 ''C. van Eekes koninklyke harpliederen'', Amsterdam, Author, circa 1694. (150 psalms for 1 or 2 voices, 2 viols ad libitum and b.c.). Incomplete * op. 5 ''Zang-wyze op M: Gargons uitbreiding over 't Hooglied Salomons'', Amsterdam, 1696. (63 arias for 1 voice and bc) * op. 6 ''Scherzi musicali'', Amsterdam, Roger, n.d. irca 1698 (Suites for viola da gamba and b.c. ad libitum) * op. 7 ''Suonate a violino e violone o cimbalo'', Amsterdam, n.d. 699* op. 8 ''Le Nymphe di Rheno'', Amsterdam, Roger, n.d. irca 1702 (12 sonata-suites for 2 viola da gamba) * op. 9 ''L'Echo du Danube'', Amsterdam, Roger, n.d. irca 1704 (4 sonatas for viola da gamba and b.c., 2 sonatas for viola da gamba solo) * op. 10 ''Les fantaisies bisarres de la goutte'', Amsterdam, Roger, Le Cène, n.d. 711/2 (Suites for viola da gamba and b.c). Viola da gamba part lost * 2 sonatas for viola da gamba solo, manuscript, Austria, Vienna, National Library, ms. 16598. * 9 movements in tablature for 2 viole da gamba, manuscript, Norway, Trondheim University Library, XA HA Mus 1:1 e 1:2 These and further manuscripts (in GB-DRc, GB-Ob, D-Wd, S-Ska) contain also copies of the aforesaid printed editions.

Recordings

Le Nymphe di Rheno, Wieland Kuijken & François Joubert-Caillet (Ricercar RIC336)

Nymphs of the Rhine, Vol. 1 (Naxos CD 8.554414)

Nymphs of the Rhine, Vol. 2 (Naxos CD 8.554415)
* ''Bacchus, Ceres en Venus''

Camerata Trajectina Camerata Trajectina is a Dutch early music ensemble (in English, the word, " camerata," generally means a choir or small chamber orchestra). The ensemble was founded in Utrecht (hence Latin ''trajectina''; of Utrecht) in 1974 by Jos van Veldhoven ...

, Globe. * ''Tyd en Konst-Oeffeningen, Op.2'', Recondita Armonia Ensemble (Brilliant Classics 94635) * ''Il Giardino Armonico Opus III'' (world premiere recording), La Suave Melodia (Etcetera KTC 1356, May 2007)

Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Schenck, Johannes 1660 births Year of death uncertain Dutch male classical composers Dutch classical composers Dutch Baroque composers Dutch viol players Musicians from Amsterdam