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) Frankfurt (Oder), also known as Frankfurt an der Oder (, ; Central Marchian: ''Frankfort an de Oder,'' ) is the fourth-largest city in the German state of Brandenburg after Potsdam, Cottbus and Brandenburg an der Havel. With around 58,000 inh ...

and is known for choral Passions in German and Latin and for the melody and first setting of the Easter

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 ''hymn'' d ...

"Heut triumphieret Gottes Sohn", which was used in several compositions including a cantata by

Dieterich Buxtehude Dieterich Buxtehude (; born Diderich Hansen Buxtehude, ; – 9 May 1707) was a Danish composer and organist of the Baroque music, Baroque period, whose works are typical of the North German organ school. As a composer who worked in various vocal ...

and a chorale prelude by

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

(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

. 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 World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

). In 1588, he began to compose a Passion after the

Gospel of John The Gospel of John () is the fourth of the New Testament's four canonical Gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "Book of Signs, signs" culminating in the raising of Lazarus (foreshadowing the ...

in German, a ''St John Passion'' for five-part chorus. In spring of 1593, Gesius became Kantor at the

Marienkirche, Frankfurt (Oder) The Marienkirche or St. Mary’s Church, Frankfurt (Oder) is a Protestantism, Protestant church in Frankfurt (Oder) in Germany in the Brick Gothic style. It was formerly the city's main parish church and was built over more than 250 years, ...

and at the same time teacher at the Ratsschule, today the Karl-Liebknecht-Gymnasium. In 1613, he composed a six-part ''St Matthew Passion'' in Latin. He died the same year in Frankfurt (Oder) from the plague.

Hymns

Gesius composed melody and setting of " Heut triumphieret Gottes Sohn". He wrote a melody for "Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt" in 1605, which was adapted for " Mir nach, spricht Christus, unser Held" by

Johann Hermann Schein Johann Hermann Schein (20 January 1586 – 19 November 1630) was a German composer of the early Baroque era. He was Thomaskantor in Leipzig from 1615 to 1630. He was one of the first to import the early Italian stylistic innovations into German ...

Selected works

*''Historia vom Leiden und Sterben unsers Herren und Heilandes Jesu Christi wie sie uns der Evangelista Johannes im 18 und 19 Cap. beschrieben mit 2. 3. 4. und 5. Stimmen'', Wittenberg: Welack, 1588 *''Hymni quinque vocum de praecipuis festis anniversariis'', Wittenberg: Hartmann, 1595 *''Novae melodiae harmonicis quinque vocum numeris concinnatae'', Frankfurt an der Oder: Hartmann, 1596 *''Hymni scholastici per duodecim modos musicos quatuor vocum contrapuncto ornati'', Frankfurt an der Oder: Eichorn, 1597 *''Vierstimmiges Handbüchlein'', Frankfurt an der Oder: Hartmann, 1597 *''Der Lobgesang Mariae (Meine Seel erhebt den Herren, Herr Gott dich loben wir) und andere geistliche Lieder'', Frankfurt an der Oder: Eichorn, 1598 *''Psalmodia choralis'', Frankfurt an der Oder: Hartmann, 1600 *''Geistliche Deutsche Lieder D. Mart. Lutheri: Und anderer frommen Christen: Welche durchs gantze Jahr in der Christlichen Kirchen zusingen gebreuchlich mit vier und fünff Stimmen …'', Frankfurt an der Oder: Hartmann, 1601 *''Enchiridium etlicher deutscher und lateinischer Gesänge'', Frankfurt an der Oder: Hartman, 1603 *''Christliche Hauß und Tisch Musica'', Wittenberg: Helwig, 1605 *''Ein ander new Opus Geistlicher Deutscher Lieder D. Mart.Lutheri: Nicolai Hermanni, und anderer frommen Christen abgetheilt in zwo Theile'', Frankfurt an der Oder: Hartman, 1605. *''Melodiae scholasticae sub horarum intervallis decantandae, cum cantionibus Gregorianis'', Frankfurt an der Oder: Hartmann, 1609 *''Hymni Patrum Cum Canticis Sacris, Latinis Et Germanicis, De Praecipuis Festis Anniversariis: Quibus Additi Suntet Hymni Scholastici Ad Duodecim Modos Musicos in utroq ecantu, Regulari scilicet ac Transposito, singulis horis per totam septimanam decantandi, cum cantionibus Gregorianis'', Frankfurt an der Oder: Hartman, 1609 *''Cantiones sacrae chorales'', Frankfurt an der Oder: Hartmann, 1610 *''Missae ad imitationem cantionum Orlandi, et aliorum probatissimorum musicorum'', Frankfurt an der Oder: Hartmann, 1611

Literature

* Paul Blumenthal: ''Der Kantor Bartholomäus Gesius zu Frankfurt-Oder'' Frankfurt/Oder: Vogel & Neuber 1926 (Frankfurt und die Ostmark; vol. 1) * Siegfried Gissel: ''Untersuchungen zur mehrstimmigen protestantischen Hymnenkomposition in Deutschland um 1600''. Kassel; Basel; London: Bärenreiter (University of Marburg dissertation) 1980 * * Friedrich Wilhelm Schönherr: ''Bartholomaeus Gesius (Munchbergensis ca. 1560–1613): Ein Beitrag zur Musikgeschichte der Stadt Frankfurt a/O. im 16. Jahrhundert''. Leipzig, Phil. Diss., 1920 *

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gesius, Bartholomaus 16th-century German composers 16th-century German theologians 17th-century German composers German Renaissance composers German Protestant hymnwriters 1560s births 1613 deaths Year of birth uncertain