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Lutheran Chorale
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 along with three lower voices, is known as a ''chorale harmonization''. Lutheran hymns Starting in 1523, Martin Luther began translating worship texts into German from the Latin. He composed melodies for some hymns himself, such as "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott" (" A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"), and even a few harmonized settings. For other hymns he adapted Gregorian chant melodies used in Catholic worship to fit new German texts, sometimes using the same melody more than once. For example, he fitted the melody of the hymn "Veni redemptor gentium" to three different texts, " Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich", "Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort", and "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland". The first Lutheran hymns were published in 1524. These incl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Modern Era
The term modern period or modern era (sometimes also called modern history or modern times) is the period of history that succeeds the Middle Ages (which ended approximately 1500 AD). This terminology is a historical periodization that is applied primarily to European and Western history. The modern era can be further divided as follows: * The early modern period lasted from c. AD 1500 to 1800 and resulted in wide-ranging intellectual, political and economic change. It brought with it the Age of Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution and an Age of Revolutions, beginning with those in America and France and later spreading in other countries, partly as a result of upheavals of the Napoleonic Wars. * The late modern period began around 1800 with the end of the political revolutions in the late 18th century and involved the transition from a world dominated by imperial and colonial powers into one of nations and nationhood following the two great world wars, World War I and W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heinrich Schütz
Heinrich Schütz (; 6 November 1672) was a German early Baroque composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as one of the most important composers of the 17th century. He is credited with bringing the Italian style to Germany and continuing its evolution from the Renaissance into the Early Baroque. Most of his surviving music was written for the Lutheran church, primarily for the Electoral Chapel in Dresden. He wrote what is traditionally considered the first German opera, ''Dafne'', performed at Torgau in 1627, the music of which has since been lost, along with nearly all of his ceremonial and theatrical scores. Schütz was a prolific composer, with more than 500 surviving works. He is commemorated as a musician in the Calendar of Saints of some North American Lutheran churches on 28 July with Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel. Early life Schütz was born in Köstritz, the eldest son of C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Altenburg
Michael Altenburg (27 May 1584 – 12 February 1640) was a German theologian and composer. Altenburg was born at Alach, near Erfurt. He began attending school in Erfurt in 1590; he began studying theology at the University of Erfurt in 1598, and was awarded a bachelor's degree in 1599 and a master's in 1603. From 1600 he taught at the ''Reglerschule'' in Erfurt; he was Kantor at St. Andreas from 1601 and rector of the school at St. Andreas in Erfurt from 1607. In 1609 he quit teaching to become a pastor, moving to Tröchtelborn and preaching there until 1621. During this period Altenburg published music, and was compared to Orlando di Lasso. After 1621 he moved to Sömmerda, working at the ''Bonifaciuskirche''. While he continued to publish and was respected for his compositions, the Thirty Years War sapped his efforts. In 1636 a massive plague wiped out most of his congregation, and his wife and ten of his children died before himself. He returned to Erfurt in 1637, where ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melchior Teschner
Melchior Teschner (29 April 1584 – 1 December 1635) was a German cantor, composer and theologian. Born in Wschowa in Poland, Teschner attended the ''Gymnasium'' in Zittau, Saxony, and studied under Johann Klee. In 1602 he began studies in music theory, philosophy and theology with Bartholomäus Gesius at the University of Frankfurt an der Oder In 1605 to 1608, Teschner served as cantor and lector in Schmiegel, Posen, between sessions of study in the universities of Helmstedt and Wittenberg. From 1609 he spent five years as cantor at the Protestant church "Zum Kripplein Christi" in his home town of Fraustadt, before being ordained as pastor in Oberpritschen, Posen, where he died. Teschner wrote the melodies of several hymns: * "Anbetung dir, dem Lamme" (1613) * "Das Jahr geht still zu Ende" * "Der du zum Heil erschienen" (1613) * "Die Segenshände breite, Herr, über unser Haus" * "Dir, dem hocherhob'nen Herrn" * "Erbaut auf einem Grunde" (1613) * "Es gilt ein frei' Geständnis" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melchior Franck
Melchior Franck (c. 1579 – 1 June 1639) was a German composer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. He was a hugely prolific composer of Protestant church music, especially motets, and assisted in bringing the stylistic innovations of the Venetian School north across the Alps into Germany. Life Details of his early life are sparse, as is common for composers of the time. He was born in Zittau, and possibly studied with Christoph Demantius there, and also later with Adam Gumpelzhaimer in Augsburg. By 1601 Franck was in Nuremberg, as a music teacher; there he met Hans Leo Hassler, and learned from him both the Venetian polychoral style and the polyphonic style of the high Renaissance, both of which he incorporated into his own composition. In 1602 he took a position as ''Kapellmeister'' in Coburg to Prince Johann Casimir, and he remained in Coburg for the rest of his life. For the earlier portion of this time, the situation was ideal for him; he was supported by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Praetorius
Michael Praetorius (probably 28 September 1571 – 15 February 1621) was a German composer, organist, and music theorist. He was one of the most versatile composers of his age, being particularly significant in the development of musical forms based on Protestant hymns. Life Praetorius was born Michael Schultze, the youngest son of a Lutheran pastor, in Creuzburg, in present-day Thuringia. After attending school in Torgau and Zerbst, he studied divinity and philosophy at the University of Frankfurt (Oder). He was fluent in a number of languages. After receiving his musical education, from 1587 he served as organist at the Marienkirche in Frankfurt. From 1592/3 he served at the court in Wolfenbüttel, under the employ of Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. He served in the duke's State Orchestra, first as organist and later (from 1604) as ''Kapellmeister'' (court music director). [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bartholomäus Gesius
Bartholomäus Gesius (also: ''Göß'', ''Gese'', – 1613) was a German theologian, church musician, composer and hymn writer. He worked at Schloss Muskau and in Frankfurt (Oder) and is known for choral Passions in German and Latin and for the melody and first setting of the Easter hymn "Heut triumphieret Gottes Sohn", which was used in several compositions including a cantata by Dieterich Buxtehude and a chorale prelude by Johann Sebastian Bach (BWV 630), concluding the Easter section of his ''Orgelbüchlein''. Life Born in Müncheberg, Gesius studied theology between 1578 and 1585 at the Alma Mater Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder). He worked from 1582 as Kantor (church musician) in Müncheberg and from 1587 as teacher and musician at Schloss Muskau (now a World Heritage Site). In 1588, he began to compose a Passion after the Gospel of John in German, a ''St John Passion'' for five-part chorus. In spring of 1593, Gesius became Kantor at the Marienkirche, Frankfurt (Oder) and a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Philipp Nicolai
Philipp Nicolai (10 August 1556 – 26 October 1608) was a German Lutheran pastor, poet, and composer. He is most widely recognized as a hymnodist. Biography Philipp Nicolai was born at Mengeringhausen in Waldeck, Hesse, Germany where his father was a Lutheran pastor. His early education include studies at Kassel in Hesse, Hildesheim in Lower Saxony and Dortmund in Westphalia. He studied theology at the University of Erfurt where he was a pupil of Ludwig Helmbold. In 1583, he was ordained to the Lutheran ministry and was appointed minister at Herdecke. He was subsequently expelled during the Counter-Reformation. In 1588, he became pastor at Altwildungen in Hesse. He graduated with a Doctorate Degree in Theology from the University of Wittenberg in 1594. In 1596, he became the minister at Unna in Westphalia. In 1601, he was elected chief pastor of St. Katherine's Church (''Katharinenkirche'') in Hamburg. He was the author of two famous hymns: ''Wachet auf, ruft uns die ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joachim A Burck
Joachim von Burck, also Joachim a Burgk or Joachim Moller (Burg, 1546-Mühlhausen, 24 May 1610) was a German composer, notable for an early German Passion setting. As 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 ...'s predecessor at the church of St Blasius, he pioneered the musical life in post-Reformation Mühlhausen, bringing it to early fruition. Influenced by the tradition of Flemish polyphony and the Italian madrigal, he developed his own style, focusing on clarity of expression. Considering himself a servant to the word of God, he discovered the German language as the foundation of his work, pragmatically addressing the congregation: "for I have aimed to set the words to the music in a manner that almost each syllable has its own note and that the four p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cyriakus Schneegass
Cyriakus Schneegass (german: Schneegaß; la, Snegassius, 5 October 1546 – 23 October 1597) was a German Lutheran pastor, hymn writer, composer and music theorist. Life Schneegass was born in 1546 in the village of Bufleben, north of Gotha. He came from a peasant family and experienced a youth shaped by military turmoil during the Smalcaldic War, with the siege of Gotha by the Elector Augustus of Saxony. He attended Handelsschule (trade school) in Gotha and studied at the University of Jena from 1565, mainly with Cyriacus Lindemann. Evidence of his life can be found again in 1573, when he took his first ministry as the fifth Protestant pastor at St. Blasius Church in Friedrichroda. At the same time he held the post of superintendent of the Weimar adjuncts. He married Dorothea Lindemann, the only daughter of his teacher who had died in 1568. The couple had eight daughters, four of whom are mentioned by name in the preface to his Spiritual songs and hymns, and two sons who died ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nikolaus Selnecker
Nikolaus Selnecker (or Selneccer) (December 5, 1530 – May 24, 1592) was a German musician, theologian and Protestant reformer. He is now known mainly as a hymn writer. He is also known as one of the principal authors of the ''Formula of Concord'' along with Jakob Andreä and Martin Chemnitz. Biography Nikolaus Selnecker was born in Hersbruck in Bavaria, Germany. His father moved him and his family to Nuremberg while he was still a child. At a young age he was an organist at the chapel in the Kaiserburg. He studied under Melanchthon at the University of Wittenberg, graduating M. A. in 1554. Later he was a chaplain and musician at the court of Augustus, Elector of Saxony in Dresden. Additionally he served as a court tutor and supervised education in the court chapel. He was later appointed professor of theology at Leipzig University Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
