Sigmund Theophil Staden (6 November 1607 – 30 July 1655) was an important early

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

. Staden was born in

Kulmbach Kulmbach () is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The town is famous for Plassenburg Castle, which houses the largest tin soldier museum in the world, and for its sausages, or ''Bratwürste''. Geography Location Ku ...

in the

Principality of Bayreuth The Principality of Bayreuth (german: Fürstentum Bayreuth) or Margraviate of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (''Markgraftum Brandenburg-Bayreuth'') was an immediate territory of the Holy Roman Empire, ruled by a Franconian branch of the Hohenzollern dyna ...

, son of Johann Staden, the founder of the so-called Nuremberg school. Based in

Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...

, he was the composer of ''

Seelewig ''Seelewig'' or ''Das geistliche Waldgedicht oder Freudenspiel genant Seelewig'' (''The Sacred Forest Poem or Play of Rejoicing called Seelewig'') is an opera in a prologue, three acts and an epilogue by the German composer Sigmund Theophil Staden ...

'' (1644), the first German ''

Singspiel A Singspiel (; plural: ; ) is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera. It is characterized by spoken dialogue, which is alternated with ensembles, songs, ballads, and arias which were often strophic, or folk-like ...

.'' The only other works of his that survive are three ''Friedens-Gesänge'' from 1651.

Recordings

* ''

'' (1644) CPO * ''Friedens-Seufftzer und Jubel-Geschrey'' - Musik für Den Westfälischen Frieden.

Manfred Cordes Manfred Cordes (born 1953) is a German conductor of early music, musicologist and teacher. He is professor at the Hochschule für Künste Bremen and was its rector from 2007 to 2012. Publications * ''Die lateinischen Motetten des Iacobus Regnar ...

. CPO 999 571-2 (1997)

References

1607 births 1655 deaths German Baroque composers German opera composers Male opera composers Pupils of Johann Staden 17th-century classical composers German male classical composers 17th-century male musicians {{Germany-composer-stub