Johann Valentin Rathgeber (3 April 1682 – 2 June 1750) was a German composer,

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational h ...

and

choirmaster A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

of the

Baroque Era The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including th ...

Life

Rathgeber was born in Oberelsbach. His father, an organist, gave him his first music lessons. At the beginning of the 18th century, he began studying at the

University of Würzburg The Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg (also referred to as the University of Würzburg, in German ''Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg'') is a public research university in Würzburg, Germany. The University of Würzburg is one of ...

, initially studying rhetoric, mathematics and law; later he changed direction and continued his studies in theology. His first position was as a teacher at the Julius Hospital in

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg ...

. In 1707 he took up the post of chamber musician and servant of the abbot of the Banz Abbey, Kilian Düring. A short time later he joined the Benedictine Order, and in 1711 entered the priesthood. Thereafter, he was organist, choirmaster and preacher at the abbey. Between 1729 and 1738 he went on a study trip. It is an open question whether he did that with permission from his abbot or not. Documented stops on this trip were Mainz, Bonn, Cologne, Trier, Stuttgart, Regensburg, Germany, Switzerland, Vienna and Styria. Compositions from this period were primarily dedicated to his respective hosts. In 1738 he returned to the abbey, where he then lived in seclusion for a while. A short time later, he was allowed to regain his former office. He lived in the

Banz Abbey Banz Abbey (german: Kloster Banz), now known as Banz Castle (german: Schloss Banz), is a former Benedictine monastery, since 1978 a part of the town of Bad Staffelstein north of Bamberg, Bavaria, southern Germany. History The abbey was founde ...

until his death there, at the age of 68, which was attributed to

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of a red, tender, hot and swollen joint, caused by deposition of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals. Pain typically comes on rapidly, reaching maximal intens ...

Work

Rathgeber was a very versatile and productive composer and was one of the most popular and respected composers in southern Germany. He composed both secular and sacred works, the majority of his output being sacred vocal works. He wrote several hundred works, mainly

mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...

es (43),

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 ''hy ...

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 accompa ...

litanies Litany, in Christian worship and some forms of Judaic worship, is a form of prayer used in services and processions, and consisting of a number of petitions. The word comes through Latin '' litania'' from Ancient Greek λιτανεία (''li ...

, requiems,

magnificat The Magnificat (Latin for " y soulmagnifies he Lord) is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary, the Canticle of Mary and, in the Byzantine tradition, the Ode of the Theotokos (). It is traditionally incorporated into the liturgical servic ...

s, offertories (164), Marian

antiphon An antiphon ( Greek ἀντίφωνον, ἀντί "opposite" and φωνή "voice") is a short chant in Christian ritual, sung as a refrain. The texts of antiphons are the Psalms. Their form was favored by St Ambrose and they feature prominentl ...

s (44) and also instrumental concertos (24) and songs. His ''Augsburger Tafel-Confect'', short for ''Ohren-vergnügendes und Gemüth-ergötzendes Tafel-Confect'' (''Augsburg Table Confectionery'', short for ''Table Confectionery, Pleasuring the Ears and Delightful to the Soul'') is a collection of songs meant to be performed for dessert, whereas a ''Tafelmusik'' was performed during a main course. He published three editions of his work in 1733, 1737 and 1739, Johann Caspar Seyfert adding a fourth in 1746.„Alleweil ein wenig lustig“ – Musikalische Leckerbissen aus dem Ohren-vergnügenden und Gemüth-ergötzenden Tafel-Confect
Valentin-Rathgeber-Gesellschaft (in German)

Worklist (selection)

* ''Augsburger Tafel-Confect'' * Opus I ''Octava musica clavium octo musicarum in Missis octo musicalibus'' (mass compositions) * Opus II (vespers) * Opus III (masses) * Opus IV (offertories with instrumental accompaniment) * Opus V (antiphons for the church year) * Opus VI (secular instrumental works) * Opus VII (masses for the church year) * Opus VIII (requiem and Libera) * Opus IX ''Psalmodia vespertina'' (vespers cycle) * Opus X (Latin and German arias) * Opus XI (hymns) * Opus XII (rural and town masses) * Opus XIII (Miserere and Tantum ergo) * Opus XIV (offertories cycle in 3 parts) * Opus XV (offertories) * Opus XVI (antiphons) * Opus XVII (vesper cycle) * Opus XVIII (litanies) * Opus XIX (masses) * Opus XX (offertories)

References

External links

Intern.-Valentin-Rathgeber-Society
musica-dei-donum.org * *

Recordings

* ''Messe von Muri, Concerti''. Capella Murensis, ensemble arcimboldo, Direction: Johannes Strobl / Thilo Hirsch. Audite, 2007.

Sources

* Max Hellmuth: ''Der Barockkomponist Valentin Rathgeber''. Phil. Diss., Erlangen 1943. * Otto Ursprung: ''Valentin Rathgeber''. In: ''Handbuch der Musikwissenschaft. Band 2 – Die Katholische Kirchenmusik.'' Laaber Verlag Wiesbaden 1979. Kapitel 4, S. 228ff. * Elizabeth Roche: ''Rathgeber, Johann Valentin''. In: ''The New Grove. Dictionary of Music and Musicians.'' Band 15. London 1980. . * Alfred Baumgartner: ''Valentin Rathgeber''. In: ''Der Große Musikführer. Band 2 – Barockmusik''. Kiesel-Verlag 1981. S. 560. * Hans Kleiner, Erhard Nowak: ''Nur wer die Musik liebt. Valentin Rathgeber, Heimat, Herkunft, Leben und Werk.'' Verlag Dietrich Pfaehler, Neustadt an der Saale 1981, . * Franz Krautwurst: ''Rathgeber, Johann Valentin''. In: ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.'' Band 7. Kassel 1989. S. 19–22. * *

Arnold Feil Arnold Feil (2 October 1925 – 30 March 2019) was a German musicologist and academic scholar. Life Feil was born in Mannheim, but grew up in Ludwigshafen am Rhein. He studied music (piano and conducting) at the Hochschule für Musik und Darste ...

: ''Valentin Rathgeber''. In: ''Metzler Musik Chronik.'' Stuttgart/Weimar 2005. S. 279f. * Wilfried Dotzauer: ''Aspekte zur fränkischen Kirchenmusik des 18. Jahrhunderts im Bamberger Raum''. In: Ludger Stühlmeyer (Hg.) ''Stationen der Kirchenmusik im Erzbistum Bamberg.'' Bamberg 2007. S. 41–52. * *

Ludger Stühlmeyer Ludger Stühlmeyer (born 3 October 1961 in Melle, West Germany) is a German cantor, composer, docent and musicologist. Biography Stühlmeyer was born to a family of cantors and made his first steps under the guidance of his father in the town c ...

: ''Johann Valentin Rathgeber.'' Ein Beitrag zur Wanderausstellung 2011. In: Heinrichsblatt, Katholische Wochenzeitung des Erzbistums Bamberg, No.32. Bamberg August 2011 und Katholische Sonntagszeitung für Deutschland. Köln August 2011. * Ludger Stühlmeyer: ''Das Ohr am Puls der Zeit – der Klosterkomponist Johann Valentin Rathgeber. Fleißiger Kantorensohn mit spiraligem Studienweg.'' In: '' Musica sacra'', 132. Jahrgang, Heft 2, Kassel 2012. S. 80–81. * Ludger Stühlmeyer: ''Johann Valentin Rathgeber. Kantor, Komponist und Benediktiner.'' In: ''Jahrbuch des Erzbistums Bamberg, 91. Jahrgang 2016''. Heinrichs-Verlag Bamberg, Juni 2015, . * Barbara und Ludger Stühlmeyer: ''Johann Valentin Rathgeber. Leben und Werk.'' Verlag Sankt Michaelsbund, München 2016, . {{DEFAULTSORT:Rathgeber, Valentin 1682 births 1750 deaths German classical organists German male organists German Baroque composers German Benedictines 18th-century keyboardists 18th-century classical composers German male classical composers People from Rhön-Grabfeld 18th-century German composers 18th-century German male musicians Male classical organists