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Composers at Basilisk Edition

From when to when did Michael Praetorius live?

How many children did Johann Sebastian Bach have?

What are the most famous works by Johann Hermann Schein?

And what was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's favorite dish?

 

Manfred Harras looked for and found answers to all of these questions... well, almost to all of them: the question of Mozart's favorite dish could not be answered completely - it certainly wouldn't have been the Mozart-Kugel! But Manfred Harras has compiled the answers to all other questions and lots of other information for you on this page.

Amrouche, Louisa
Louisa Amrouche

Born: 1992

Louisa Amrouche was born in 1992 and lives in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Music is an essential part of her life: the multi-instrumentalist, who has been blind since birth, plays the recorder, clarinet, piano and accordion. She often dreams of music and at the age of 28 she began to work out the melodies that were floating around in her head, recording them and writing them down with the help of her teachers.

Louisa Amrouche at the Basilisk Edition:

Bach, Johann Sebastian
Johann Sebastian Bach portrait

Born: 1685 in Eisenach

Died: October 1750, XNUMX in Leipzig

The most important events from JS Bach's biography are still being compiled by us. Unfortunately, we have to ask you for a little patience.

If you are one of those curious people who opened Bach's biography in the expectation of finding out the number of children the Thomaskantor had, then of course we don't want to disappoint you: there were 20 children... and someone should say that one to perform Bach without vibrato!

Johann Sebastian Bach at the Basilisk Edition:

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Bodenschatz, Erhard

Born: around 1576 in Lichtenberg

Died: September 7, 1636 in Gross-Osterhausen

Very little is known about the life of Erhard Bodenschatz.

Between 1600 and 1603 he worked as a cantor in Schulpforta.

From 1608 he worked as a pastor in Gross-Osterhausen/Querfurt.

He composed numerous motets. The collection "Florilegium Portense" he published is still known today. It appeared in two parts (Leipzig 1618 and 1621) and contained 365 motets by 58 composers. These editions were also known to Johann Sebastian Bach. In his function as Thomaskantor he has demonstrably ordered several copies of the work for the Thomanerchor.

Erhard Bodenschatz at the Basilisk Edition:

Christmas music magazine cover
Byrd, William

Born: about 1540 in Lincolnshire

Died: 4th or 6th July 1623 in Stondon Massey/Essex

In a 1598 document, William Byrd stated he was about 58 years old. Accordingly, he must have been born around 1540. However, the exact date of birth is not known.

He was probably a choirboy in the Royal Chapel in London and was a pupil of Thomas Tallis (c.1505-1585).

From 1563 to 1572 Byrd held the post of choirmaster and organist at Lincoln Cathedral.

In 1569, a year after his marriage to Juliana Birley, he was made Gentleman of the Chapel Royal. Thus he belonged together with Thomas Tallis as organist of the Royal Chapel in London. Also with Tallis he shared the privilege and monopoly for printing music, which he received from Queen Elizabeth I in 1575.

Byrd composed around 500 works for choir and is thus considered a master of vocal polyphony. In addition to his vocal work (which includes canons, madrigals, motets and masses), William Byrd devoted himself to instrumental consort music. Music for keyboard instruments has a special place in his compositional work. His compositions for virginal and harpsichord are included in numerous collections, including the My Ladye Nevells Booke, published in 1591.

Byrd was also active as a teacher, among his most famous students are Thomas Morley (ca. 1557 – 1602) and Thomas Tomkins (1572 – 1656).

William Byrd at Basilisk Edition:

Cross, Thomas

Born: probably mid-17th century

Died: After 1732

Thomas Cross was not a composer but an engraver and printer. He practiced this profession, which he possibly learned from his father of the same name, between 1683 and 1732 in London. The enterprising Englishman produced - probably as the first printer ever - single sheet editions in the copper engraving process.

In 1693 he presented his collection «Synopsis Musicae». In the collection for solo recorder are 52 New Lessons for the Flute or Recorder and 6 Songs for the Flute contain. The only composer mentioned by name is James Hart (1647-1718), nothing is known about the other authorship of the anthology.

Thomas Cross on the Basilisk Edition:

Crüger, Johann
Johann Crueger portrait

Born: 1598 in Gross Breesen near Guben

Died: June 1662, XNUMX in Berlin

Crüger spent his childhood and youth in Gross Breesen in Lower Lusatia, a bilingual region of Sorbian and German. Father Georg was an innkeeper, mother Ulrike was the daughter of a pastor.

Until 1613 he attended the "Latin School" in Guben.

Subsequent wanderings led Crüger via Sorau and Breslau to Regensburg, where he received his first musical training from Paulus Homberger (1560 -1634).

From 1615 he lived in Berlin, where he prepared himself for his theological studies at the “Berlinisches Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster”, completed his theological studies at the University of Wittenberg and continued his musical education in private lessons.

From 1622 until his death he worked as a teacher at the Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster and was also cantor at the St. Nicolai Church in Berlin.

Johann Crüger composed numerous works of church music and several writings on music education.

In 1643 he met the famous hymn writer Paul Gerhardt, by whom he set numerous song texts to music.

In 1640 his "Newes perfect hymnal" was published.

In 1649 he published his edition of Geistliche Kirchen-Melodien. This work comprises 161 chorales (mostly in four-part cantal movements). In the current «Protestant Hymn Book» you will find (depending on the regional edition) 18 of his chorale movements or chorale melodies. These include:

"How shall I receive you"

«Praise the Lord all who honor him»

"My heart shall leap happily"

"Adorn yourself, o dear soul"

Johann Crüger at the Basilisk Edition:

Christmas music magazine cover
Eccard, Johannes
Johannes Eccard portrait

Born: 1553 in Mühlhausen / Thuringia

Died: June 1611, XNUMX in Berlin

Johannes Eccard was initially a member of the court orchestra in Weimar as a boys' choir. His teachers were Ludwig Helmbold and Joachim a Burck. He then stayed in Munich for a short time, where he worked as a singer under the direction of Orlando di Lasso in the local court orchestra. A study trip took him to Venice, where he was able to establish contacts with Andrea Gabrieli, Claudio Merulo and Gioseffo Zarlino.

In 1573/74 he stayed in his native town for a short time and was then appointed organist by Jacob Fugger in Augsburg.

In 1579 he moved to Königsberg, where he began his service in the court chapel of Margrave Georg Friedrich von Ansbach. Initially assistant to Teodore Riccio, he was appointed Vice Kapellmeister in 1580. After six years, Eccard became Riccio's successor. However, he was not officially appointed Kapellmeister until 1604.

In 1608 he became electoral Kapellmeister and cathedral cantor in Berlin.

Eccard composed around 250 sacred and secular polyphonic songs. His collection "Prussian Festival Songs" was published in 1642 and 1644 by Stobäus in Elbing. Other works and several masses have been preserved in manuscript form. His most famous songs include:

"Maria goes over the mountains"

"Mary goes to the sanctuary"

"Christ is risen"

"I lay in the deep night of death"

Johannes Eccard at the Basilisk Edition:

Christmas music magazine cover
O Freude über Freud
Elgar, Edward

Born: June 2, 1857 at Broadheath

Died: February 23, 1934 in Worcester

Sir Edward William Elgar grew up in a musical family with 6 siblings. His father was an organist, piano tuner and music dealer. And so the son came into contact with various instruments at an early age. Edward Elgar played bassoon, violin, cello, organ and piano.

He was actually supposed to become a notary, but he didn't like the work and so he joined his father's music business and decided to pursue musical training at the age of 16. He was accepted into the musical society “Worcester Glee Club” and led rehearsals of the “Worcester Amateur Instrumental Society”.

In 1885 he took over the church Saint George his father's organ position before he married his piano student Caroline Alice Roberts in 1889. A year later their daughter Carice was born. From then on, Elgar worked as a freelance composer, but his big breakthrough would not come until 10 years later: on June 19, 1899, his orchestral work “Enigma Variations” (op. 36) was performed in the St. James Hall in London and made the composer is internationally known. A year later his oratorio “The Dream of Gerontius” (op. 38) was performed at the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival. This work – along with the “Pomp and Circumstance Marches” (op. 39) – is still one of the best-known and most important works by the British composer today.

In 1904 Elgar was elected Knight Bachelor defeated and he received a professorship at the University of Birmingham. In the years that followed, numerous chamber music works, symphonies and concerts were created, including his Violin Concerto (op. 1910), completed in 61, which, with a performance duration of 50 minutes, is one of the longest instrumental concerts in music history.

In 1920 his wife Caroline Alice died and Elgar fell into a creative crisis that he was unable to overcome until his death. The compositions he created in his later years no longer received the same attention as his earlier works. His style was now considered old-fashioned.

On February 23, 1934, Elgar died of colon cancer in Worcester, aged 76. Remarkably, Elgar never received composition lessons throughout his life; he taught himself to compose largely self-taught.

Sir Edward Elgar at Basilisk Edition:

Erig, Richard
Richard Eric

Born: September 27, 1946

Richard Erig grew up in Hamburg, where he studied recorder and oboe at the Musikhochschule from 1965 to 1968. At the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis he continued his studies with Hans-Martin Linde. After graduating, he taught historical improvisation and figured bass at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis between 1972 and 2009, and recorder at the General Music School from 1973 to 2013.

He founded several ensembles, including I whistle, four seasons, Motet Ensemble Basel, Elizabeth Choir (today «lunes») and Eggplant, for which he also arranged and composed.

Richard Erig at Basilisk Edition:

Fiala, Joseph

Born: March 2, 1748 in Lochowitz (Lochovice)

Died: July 31, 1816 in Donaueschingen

The spelling of his first and family name varies: Joseph, Josef, Josephus and Giuseppe; Fiala, fyala, fiale, fiola, viala, viola

 

The biography of Joseph Fiala is handed down in detail in the appendix to Schilling's "Encyclopedia of the entire musical sciences, or Universal-Lexikon der Tonkunst" (Stuttgart 1842), written by his son Franz.

By birth, Joseph Fiala was in the serfdom of Countess Netoliczky von Netolicz, who called him to Prague in his early youth, where she trained him as an oboist. He also received lessons in the cello. Since the domineering countess did not offer the young, highly talented musician enough opportunities for development, he tried to escape her influence. Through imperial intervention, he was freed and legally freed from the influence of his mistress.

 

In 1774 he became oboist in the court chapel of Kraft Ernst Fürst zu Oettingen-Wallerstein and in 1777 he moved to the Electoral Chapel in Munich. It was here in September of the same year that he met Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for the first time.

In November 1778, through the mediation of Leopold Mozart, Fiala was appointed first oboist in the Prince Archbishop's Chapel in Salzburg, in which Leopold, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Michael Haydn also worked. Mozart's father offered Fiala and his family an apartment at number 9 Getreidegasse in Salzburg, which very quickly led to a close friendship between the two families.

In 1785 Fiala had to give up his position as first oboist in the prince-archbishop's chapel for health reasons. In the future he appeared primarily as a cellist and viol player. His gamba was a gift from a Salzburg canon. He was enthusiastic about this instrument, which was new to him at the time, and was quickly recognized as one of the greatest viol virtuosos. The instrument played an important role in his compositional work.

From Salzburg he moved to St. Petersburg for a short time. But already in 1787 he left this city at the request of his wife.

In the summer of 1790 he gave concerts in Breslau and Berlin. There he also made music for the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm II and was then described in J. Fr. Reichardt's "Musikalischer Monatsschrift" as "the best living viol player".

In 1792 he was employed as a cellist with the rank of chamber musician in the Fürstlich Fürstenbergische Hofkapelle in Donaueschingen, where he died on July 31.7.1816, XNUMX.

Joseph Fiala at Basilisk Edition:

Fiala Concerto
Franck, César
César Franck

Born: December 10, 1822 in Liège

Died: November 8, 1890 in Paris

César Franck is the son of a German mother and a Belgian father and is considered the founder of the "New French School". He spent his childhood in Liège, Belgium, and in 1837 the whole family moved to Paris, where César and his younger brother Joseph were admitted to the Paris Conservatory. César Franck impressed with his piano playing during his studies (1837 – 1847), but he was not recognized as a composer. This was not to change until the 1850s: at the Ste-Clotilde Church in the 7th arrondissement in Paris he was organist from 1857 until his death and composed polyphonic but nevertheless simple pieces for the instrument. With his compositions - published in the two collections "L'Organiste" - the "simple organists" should also be able to accompany the Sunday services.

In 1872 Franck was appointed professor of organ at the Paris Conservatory. A year before his death his symphony in D minor (his only symphony, apart from youthful attempts) was premiered at the conservatory. The composition was rejected, however, and it was only after Franck's death that the work achieved international fame.

In 1890, César Franck was hit by a horse-drawn bus. Although he survived the accident, a few months later he suffered from pleurisy, which he succumbed to. He was buried in Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris.

 

César Franck's work includes 4 operas, numerous sacred works (including the "Messe à trois voix" from 1860, in which he later added the well-known aria "Panis Angelicus"), songs and pieces for piano as well as numerous organ, chamber music and orchestral works.

Cesar Franck on the Basilisk Edition:

Panis Angelicus - Cesar Franck
Franck, Melchior
Melchior Franck portrait

Born: around 1579 in Zittau

Died: 1639 in Coburg

Little is known about the living conditions of Melchior Franck.

After attending high school in Augsburg, he became a student of Hans Leo Hassler. When the latter moved to Nuremberg, he followed him there and was documented as a school assistant at St. Egidien for a year from 1602. It is believed that he later continued his musical education with Christoph Demantius.

In 1603 he took up the position of court conductor at Duke Johann Casimir in Coburg, which he held until the end of his life.

His work includes sacred music in German and Latin. A large number of motets and psalm settings have survived. The melodies of the hymns can be found in the evangelical hymn book:

"Ascended to Heaven"

"Jerusalem, you high-built city"

«Canon Da Pacem, Domine»

He also left behind secular vocal works and instrumental compositions.

With his compositional work, Franck stands at the stylistic transition from the late Renaissance to the early Baroque and testifies to a thorough knowledge of the so-called «Dutch style» the lasso school.

Melchior Franck at the Basilisk Edition:

Christmas music magazine cover
Freundt, Cornelius

Born: around 1535 in Plauen (other sources also give 1539 and 1540 as the year of birth)

Died: August 26, 1591 in Zwickau

Hardly anything is known about the life of Cornelius Freundt.

With the death of David Köhler in July 1565, the post of cantor at the Church of St. Marien in Zwickau became vacant. On August 27 of the same year, the City Council of Zwickau appointed Cornelius Freundt as his successor. Cornelius Freundt, who had been cantor in Borna up to this point, took up his new position on December 1st, a position he held until his death.

It has been handed down that in 1572 he was “welcomed and accepted as a citizen” in the town of Zwickau.

The tunes and lyrics of his songs were highly appreciated. They can be found in Zwickau hymnals up to the end of the 18th century. Several of his songs were also included in the Dresden and Braunschweig hymnals. Numerous manuscripts of his works are kept in the “Ratsschulbibliothek” in Zwickau.

Well-known chorale settings by Cornelius Freundt are:

"A little child in Bethlehem"

"Rejoice, Sion"

"Rejoice, Sion, and celebrate"

"Born to us is the Holy Spirit"

"Heavens, glorify and praise God"

"From the throne of heaven comes the Son of God"

"How beautifully the angels sing to us"

Cornelius Freundt at the Basilisk Edition:

Christmas music magazine cover
Gardano, Antonio

Born: 1509 (probably in southern France in the Gardanne region)

Died: October 28, 1569 in Venice

Antonio Gardano was a composer, printer and publisher all in one. In 1532 he moved to Venice, where he introduced the simple printing process of the French typographer Pierre Haultin (1510-1587) and between 1538 and 1569 ran a printing shop, his publishing house and a bookshop. His company was on Calle de la Scimia. At first he mainly published works by Willaert, Cambio, de Rore and Zarlino. From the mid-1550s he published compositions by Ruffo, di Lasso, Wert, Striggio, Porta, de Kerle and Palestrina. More than 450 issues came from his printing shop.

Until 1535 he called himself "Gardane" after the French spelling. He then switched to the Italian spelling "Gardano". His wife came from the famous Venetian printing dynasty of the Bidoni. The two sons Alessandro and Angelo continued to run the company after the death of their father.

 

In addition to his work as a printer and publisher, Antonio Gardano was also an important composer. Early chanson arrangements by him were published by the publisher Moderne in Lyon in 1532, followed by two masses in 1546. His motets were printed by Moderne, Montanus & Neuber and du Chemin. His 69 chansons were published by his own publishing house, as well as by Moderne, Attaignant and Le Roy & Ballard.

Although he spent half his life in Italy, it is noteworthy that he himself never set Italian texts to music.

 

Gardano's "Il primo libro de canzoni francese" (to two voices) was printed several times: 1539, 1544, 1552, 1586 and 1635. He thus made a valuable contribution to the compositional form of the bicinium.

Antonio Gardano at the Basilisk Edition:

Il primo libro de canzoni francese book cover (volume 1)
Il primo libro de canzoni francese book cover (volume 2)
Grillo, Giovanni Battista

Born: around 1570 in Venice

Died: in Venice in November 1622

Nothing is known about Grillo's youth and his education. However, he was almost certainly a student of Claudio Monteverdi.

In 1612 he became organist in the ecclesiastical Venetian brotherhood of the «Scuola Grande di San Rocco».

From 1615 he was organist at the church «S. Madonna dell'Orto.

In December 1619 he was appointed first organist of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice.

As a composer, Grillo followed the polyphonic technique of Giovanni Gabrieli. He left an extensive body of work, including:

Sacre concentratedus oc symphoniae (1618)

The first book of the canzonette with 3 vocals (1600)

The second book of the canzonette with 3 vocals (1600)

Un capriccio e due canzoni per 4 stromenti nella raccolta canzoni per sonar con ogni sorte di stromenti a 4,5 e 8 (1608)

Giovanni Battista Grillo at the Basilisk Edition:

Guami, Giuseppe (also Gioseffo)

Born: January 27.1.1542, XNUMX in Lucca (Italy)

Died: around 1611 in Lucca

Almost nothing is known about Guami's youth and training period. It is believed that he stayed in Venice between 1550 and 1560 for study purposes, where he was apparently a student of Adrian Willaert and Annibale Padovano.

In 1568 he was appointed court organist in Munich, where at the same time Orlandi di Lasso was Kapellmeister at the ducal court.

In 1679 he left Munich and between 1588 and 1591 he was organist at "San Marco" in Venice. He then returned to his hometown of Lucca, where he worked as organist at the local cathedral until his death.

In addition to madrigals, masses and motets, he created numerous works for organ. He is one of the first composers of his generation in Italy to also compose purely instrumental music.

Giuseppe Guami at the Basilisk Edition:

Harras, Manfred

Born:   August 19, 1950 in Kassel

Karla Weidmann taught him the first «Dü» on the recorder at the youth music school in Kassel. On his 12th birthday, he got a laugh from the assembled relatives when he announced that he wanted to study the recorder ("You can't study something like that"). Ursula Blume-Grund (Kassel Music Academy and Conservatory) took on the brave recorder aspirant and prepared him for the entrance exam during the final years of school. The relatives stopped laughing when - after passing the Abitur - in 1969 he began his music studies with the main subject recorder at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (Musikhochschule Basel) in the class of Hans-Martin Linde and graduated in 1974 with the teaching and soloist diploma. Further studies with Jeannette van Wingerden (Basel/Amsterdam) followed.

This was followed by an active teaching activity at music schools in the canton of Baselland. At the teachers' seminar in Wettingen, he was the first lecturer to teach the recorder as the "main instrument". From there he moved to the HPL in Zofingen, which later mutated into the "Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz". There he taught recorder, music theory and didactics at the PH for more than 30 years. Further stations were the music academy in Heidelberg-Mannheim and the conservatory in Biel/Bienne. He was a lecturer in recorder, methodology and ensemble direction at both institutes.

In addition to teaching, he has traveled to many countries in Western Europe and Israel as a soloist and chamber musician. His artistic work is documented on numerous LPs and CDs (Acanthus Int. Records, Musicaphon, Cantate, Harmonia Mundi France, Hänssler, Ex Libris).

He published more than 100 editions of important works of early music for the publishers Bärenreiter, Pan, Heinrichshofens, Hug, Rondo Publishing, Edition tre Fontane and Basilisk Edition. He wrote three articles for the new MGG (music in history and present, Bärenreiter/Metzler). He also writes for the magazines "Windkanal" and "Viola da Gamba".

For decades he has been leading specialist courses in Germany (International Working Group for Music), in Switzerland, England, Italy and Israel.

As an enthusiastic amateur gambist, he founded the "Viola da Gamba Society" (Switzerland, Germany and Austria) with like-minded people in 1992 and was its president and co-editor of the magazine "Viola da Gamba" for over 25 years.

Manfred Harras works today as a freelance musician and managing director/publisher at Basilisk-Edition.

Manfred Harras at the Basilisk Edition:

O Freude über Freud
A child is born to us
The heavens tell the glory of god
RM28-Beckersche Psalter
Voyenne-Six Suittes
Il primo libro de canzoni francese book cover (volume 2)
Il primo libro de canzoni francese book cover (volume 1)
Banchetto Musicale magazine cover
Christmas music magazine cover
Hard, James

Born: 1647 at York

Died: May 8, 1718 in London

James Hart was born in York in 1647. Nothing is known about his childhood. At the YorkMinster he was verifiably active as a singer with a bass voice until 1670. He was then appointed «Gentleman of the Chapel Royal» and lay vicar of Westminster Abbey and moved to London. On 18 November 1683 he married the widow Elizabeth Hopwood at the abbey. This was probably not Hart's first marriage either, because his son George (one of at least 3 sons), who also became known as a composer, died in 1700. At the coronation of James II on April 23, 1685, Hart appeared again as a singer.

James Hart died at the age of 71 on May 8, 1718 and was buried 7 days later in the west cloister of Westminster Abbey in an unnamed grave.

He composed more than 60 songs, which are included in John Playford's collection Choice Ayres, Songs and Dialogues and in the anthology Synopsis Musicae by the printer Thomas Cross.

James Hart at the Basilisk Edition:

Heurteur, Guillaume le

Born: unknown

Died: unknown

Nothing is known about the life of Guillaume Le Heurteur (also Hurteur). It is only documented that many of his works were published in Paris between 1530 and 1549 and printed by Pierre Attaignant.

Guillaume le Heurteur at the Basilisk Edition:

Il primo libro de canzoni francese book cover (volume 1)
Lappi, Pietro

Born: around 1575 in Florence

Died: around 1630 in Brescia

Pietro Lappi was a member of the religious order "Congregatione Fiesolana".

From 1593 he was Kapellmeister at the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Brescia.

In 1621 he dedicated it to the Prince Bishop of Salzburg Paris by Lodron his composition «Laudate Pueri» (Psalm 112) for four four-part choirs. The Salzburg Cathedral with its four galleries was ideally suited for this occupation. Pietro Lappi composed primarily sacred music. An exception is his Opus 4 (Venice, 9), which includes 1616 canzones of 22 to 4 voices.

Pietro Lappi at the Basilisk Edition:

Lechner, Leonhard
Leonard Lechner

Born: around 1553 in the Adige Valley

Died: on September 9, 1606 in Stuttgart

Leonhard Lechner was a choirboy in Munich under Orlando di Lasso, who conducted the court orchestra there. Lechner then held the same position in Landshut, where Ivo de Vento was Kapellmeister.

From 1575 he held the position of a school musician in Nuremberg and from 1577 he was recognized and highly valued by the city council as a "powerful composer".

In 1584 he became Kapellmeister at the court of the Count of Hohenzollern in Hechingen. After he had given up this position in the strife, he came to Stuttgart via Tübingen as a tenor player, where he was then appointed court conductor from 1595. He held this position until his death in 1606.

 

Lechner left an extensive body of work of sacred and secular music. His most important compositions include:

St. John Passion (1593)

The "Song of Solomon" (1606)

German sayings of life and death (1606)

 

The "New German Songs for Three Voices According to the Art of the Welsche Villanelles" have a particularly important place in his great lieder oeuvre.

Leonhard Lechner at the Basilisk Edition:

Linde, Hans Martin
Hans Martin Linde

Born: May 24, 1930 in Iserlohn (D)

Hans-Martin Linde began playing the flute at the age of eleven. He played his first flute solos in concerts in Essen while he was still at school.

In 1947, Linde began his studies at the Musikhochschule in Freiburg with Gustav Scheck (flute) and Konrad Lechner (choral conducting). In 1951 he completed his training and initially went back to Iserlohn, where he gave private lessons.

From 1954 he worked regularly as a soloist and chamber musician with flute, recorder and transverse flute on recordings for the WDR (West German Radio) in Cologne. He soon became principal flutist in the station's baroque orchestra, the "Capella Coloniensis".

In 1957 he was appointed to the "Schola Cantorum Basiliensis" (teaching and research institute for early music at the Musikhochschule in Basel), where he taught recorder, transverse flute and chamber music. An important part of his teaching activity also extended to the field of vocal music. For many years he led, among other things, the "vocal ensemble of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis", the choir of the Basel Music Academy and taught choral conducting. From 1976 to 1979 he headed the Music College of the Music Academy of the City of Basel. As a soloist, he has given concerts worldwide on the recorder, transverse flute and transverse flute and is now undisputedly considered one of the most important flute virtuosos of our time. As a conductor he has worked with various renowned choirs and orchestras. From 1984 to 2000 he was chief conductor of the «Capella Coloniensis». His own ensemble, the "Linde Consort", was one of the leading early music groups. He was a sought-after teacher and taught students from all over the world in his class at the SCB. His numerous teaching and teaching works belong to the standard repertoire. As a music researcher, he presented a large number of writings and practical editions (among others at Schott and Heinrichshofen's). Countless records and CDs document his artistic work (among others with EMI, archive production of Deutsche Grammophon-Gesellschaft, Christophorus, Harmonia Mundi, Bärenreiter-Musicaphon).

His compositional output includes works for organ and harpsichord, mixed choir a capella, songs for voice with piano and guitar accompaniment, a string quartet and a partita for violin solo. Compositions for and with the recorder run like a red thread through his catalog of works.

 

Compositions by Hans-Martin Linde with recorder (selection):

«Inventions» for treble recorder solo (Schott, 1959)

"Fantasies and Scherzi" for treble recorder solo (Schott, 1963)

«Music for a bird» for treble recorder solo (Schott, 1968)

«Modern Exercise Pieces» for treble recorder (Schott, 1985)

«Quartet exercise for recorders» (Schott, 1961)

 

Writings by Hans-Martin Linde (selection):

"Small instructions for decorating early music" (Schott, 1958)

"Handbook of Recorder Playing" (Schott, 1962)

 

The work of Hans-Martin Linde is honored in detail in the commemorative publication on his 85th birthday:

"Tone color and color tone", edited by Dagmar Wilgo, Verlag Dohr, Cologne 2015

Hans-Martin Linde at the Basilisk Edition:

Drei Quartette für Blockflöten
Luzzaschi, Luzzasco

Born: 1545 in Ferrara

Died: 11.9.1607 in Ferrara

As a teenager, Luzzasco Luzzaschi was a student of the Flemish composer Cipriano de Rore.

In 1561 he entered the court of Duke Alfonso II d'Este.

In 1564 he was appointed court organist, and from 1572 he also held the position of organist at Ferrara Cathedral.

In 1574 he succeeded Alfonso della Viola as director of instrumental music at the duke's court.

Luzzaschi also worked as a teacher. Girolamo Frescobaldi is one of his most famous students.

 

He is best known as a composer for his mostly five-part madrigals, which he published between 1571 and 1604. He also left sacred music. In the field of instrumental music, various works have survived: a toccata is in G. Diruta's «Il Transilvao» (1593) handed down. Luzzaschi's Canzones and Ricercare for 4 parts are also known.

Luzzasco Luzzaschi at the Basilisk Edition:

Maschera, Florentio (also Mascaro Fiorenzo)

Born: around 1540 in Brescia

Died: around 1584 in Brescia

Florentio Maschera probably received his musical training from his father, who worked as a Latin teacher and musician at Brescia Cathedral.

He got his first job as an organist in the monastery "Santo Spirito" in Isola in Venice.

From August 22, 1557 he was employed as organist of the Cathedral in Brescia.

On April 6, 1573 he received a minor ecclesiastical consecration from the bishop of Cremona.

Maschera is also often mentioned in connection with the violin maker Gasparo da Salo as an outstanding viol player.

 

His most important opus is the "Libro primo de canzoni: da sonare a quattro voci", which appeared in 1582 and contains 21 canzonas.

Florentio Maschera at the Basilisk Edition:

Merulo, Claudio (also Merula)

Born: April 8.4.1533, XNUMX in Corregio

Died: May 5.5.1604, XNUMX in Parma

Almost nothing is known about his education. His musical teachers were probably Tuttovale Menon and Girolamo Donato.

First he worked in Brescia as an organist (1556) and in 1557 he was appointed second organist at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice.

Between 1566 and 1571 he also appeared as a publisher.

He left Venice in 1584 and took up a position at the court of the Farnese in Parma. In 1587 he was also appointed cathedral organist there. In 1591 he was given a third position at the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Steccata.

 

Merulo's rich oeuvre includes numerous works for keyboard instruments (organ, harpsichord). He became famous for his madrigal compositions. A large amount of sacred choral music has also survived.

Claudio Merulo at the Basilisk Edition:

Meyer, Raphael Benjamin

Born: October 11, 1987 in Basel

Raphael Benjamin Meyer studied recorder at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and School Music II at the Hochschule für Musik Basel.

As a freelance composer he works in his own recording studio in Basel. In addition to commissioned works for orchestras, choirs and ensembles, he writes music for computer games as well as for cinema and television films.

His music is performed internationally and also played by foreign orchestras (eg Budapest Art Orchestra).

He is the conductor of several Swiss recorder orchestras, a lecturer at the IAM (Internationaler Arbeitskreis für Musik) and a guest lecturer at the ZHdK and the Hochschule für Musik Basel.

Home Page: www.film-music.ch

Raphael B. Meyer at the Basilisk Edition:

Irish trios
Scottish trios
El Vito
Tapas
Lunae Canticum magazine cover
anthem cover
12 canons magazine cover

Raphael B. Meyer as editor:

Panis Angelicus - Cesar Franck
Roger: Opus 2
VI Sonatas: Opus 1
Praetorius, Michael
Michael Praetorius portrait

Born: February 15.2.1571, XNUMX in Kreuzburg (Thuringia)

Died: February 15.2.1621, XNUMX in Wolfenbuttel

Michael Praetorius (actually Schultheiss) was the youngest son of the Lutheran pastor Michael Schultheiss. He was a student at the Latin school in Torgau for ten years, where he was brought up in the musical tradition of Johann Walt(h)er. From Torgau he went to the Latin school in Zerbst. There he probably had organ lessons with Th. or L. von Ende.

In 1585 he began - still very young - to study theology and philosophy at the University of Viadrina in Frankfurt an der Oder. There he temporarily earned his living as an organist at the University Church of St. Marien.

In 1589/90 he left the city without a degree for unknown reasons. Where he stayed between 1589 and 1594 is unknown. He may have continued his studies in Helmstedt as one of his sisters lived nearby.

From around 1594 he was employed as chamber organist by Duke Julius (*1564, regent 1589 – 1613) in the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. It is believed that the duke persuaded the talented young organist to give up his studies of theology in favor of a career as a musician.

In December 1604 the duke appointed Praetorius as court music director. In this office he succeeded Thomas Mancinus. At the court of Wolfenbüttel he was responsible for the music for worship in the palace chapel, for the table music at festive or private meals, and for the dance music at court festivals. It was also one of his duties to give instrumental lessons to the daughters and sons of the duke. From Wolfenbüttel he undertook several journeys - partly on the duke's diplomatic mission - which took him to Kassel, Bückeburg, Regensburg and Prague.

After the duke's death (1613), Praetorius was on leave because of the year of mourning and worked at the court in Dresden.

After that he lived and worked again in Wolfenbüttel and occasionally traveled to Dresden and Halle/Saale. There is also evidence of professional trips to Leipzig and Nuremberg.

He died on February 15.2.1621, XNUMX in Wolfenbüttel and was buried under the organ gallery of the main church Beatae Mariae Virginis.

 

Michael Praetorius probably acquired the composition autodidactically. There is no precise information regarding this training. During his lifetime he published his compositions in 20 volumes. He left numerous masses, motets, hymns and hymns. His best-known collections include the "Motectae et Psalmi Latini" published in 1605/07 and the famous collection of "Musae Sioniae" printed in 1605.

His only surviving secular opus is the dance collection «Terpsichore», published in 1612.

His musicological work "Syntagma Musicum" (Vol. 1, Wittenberg/Wolfenbüttel, 1615; Vol. 2 and 3, Wolfenbüttel, 1619. New edition by Bärenreiter, Kassel) is considered the most important source for the performance practice of German music of the early Baroque.

The following hymns can be found in today's evangelical hymnal:

Sentence to "Who the shepherds praised greatly"

Sentence to "A rose has sprung"

Sentence to «The morning star has penetrated»

"We thank you, Lord Jesus Christ"

Michael Praetorius at the Basilisk Edition:

Christmas music magazine cover
Raselius, Andreas

Born: between 1561 and 1563 in Hahnbach

Died: January 6.1.1602, XNUMX in Heidelberg

Raselius was the son of a Protestant pastor. After the death of his father, he moved to Amberg with his mother, where he may have been a student of Mathias Gastritz.

After completing his schooling in Sulzbach, he began his studies in Heidelberg.

From 1584 he was cantor at the "Neupfarrkirche" in Regensburg and at the same time worked as a teacher at the "Gymnasium poeticum".

From 1600 he was court music director in Heidelberg

Andreas Raselius composed numerous sacred songs and motets. He also wrote music-theoretical and theological writings.

Andreas Raselius at the Basilisk Edition:

Resinarius, Balthasar

Born: around 1483 in Tetschen / Bohemia

Died: April 12, 1544 in Bohemian Lipa

Balthasar Resinarius received his musical training as a choirboy at the court chapel of King Maximilian I and was a singing student of Heinrich Isaac.

In 1515 he enrolled to study at the University of Leipzig.

From 1523 he worked as a Catholic priest in his hometown, where there were violent arguments with a Lutheran preacher who had moved there. Seeking help, he turned to the Bohemian king. His opponent turned to Martin Luther directly for help.

It is not known whether this controversy triggered a confessional change in Resinarius' attitude, which ultimately led to his conversion to Protestantism. From 1534 he worked with the Latinized name 'Resinarius' as a Protestant pastor and bishop in Bohemian Leipa until his death.

 

Balthasar Resinarius is counted among the outstanding representatives of the first Protestant generation of composers. Georg Rau exerted a great musical influence on him and published almost all of his works. As a composer, he maintained a rather conservative style and was strongly oriented towards the form of the cantus-firmus movement.

His St. John Passion is regarded as one of the few through-composed passions of his time.

Only vocal compositions by him have survived.

Among the thirty chorales he set for four voices are important movements such as:

"Oh God from heaven look into it"

"Blessed are You, Jesus Christ"

"Now come the savior of the heathen"

Balthasar Resinarius at the Basilisk Edition:

Christmas music magazine cover
Roget, Clair-Nicolas

Born: 18th century (?)

Died: 18. century

Clair-Nicolas Roget was an 18th-century viol player and composer. Not much more is known about the French. His two collections of sonatas, Opus 1 and Opus 3, composed for transverse flutes, pardessus de viole or other instruments, are the only surviving works in which Bibliothèque nationale de France one copy of the original print is kept. There is no trace of Opus 2 or other, unknown compositions.

The duo sonatas, printed in 1736 and 1739, appear almost early classical with their sometimes strongly pronounced chromaticism. As if the composer was ahead of his time. Perhaps this is also a reason why Roget must have been overshadowed by other musical personalities during his lifetime and why so little is known about him today.

Clair-Nicolas Roget at the Basilisk Edition:

VI Sonatas: Opus 1
Roger: Opus 2
Schein, Johann Herman
Portrait of Johann Hermann Schein

Born: 1586 in Gruenhain

Died: October 1630, XNUMX in Leipzig

Johann Hermann Schein is one of the three big "S" (Schütz, Schein and Scheidt), which were formative for the music of their time in Germany. He spent his childhood in Grünhain in the Ore Mountains. After the death of his father Hieronymus, who had been a Protestant pastor there, he moved to Dresden with his mother. There he became an alumnus in the boys' choir of the Dresden court orchestra and sang there until 1603 as discantist.

After his voice broke, he was sent to Pforta in 1603 for further training in the "Saxon Prince School". At this school he received, among other things, a thorough musical education. His school days ended in 1607 and he returned to Leipzig.

From 1608 he studied law and liberal arts at the University of Leipzig. He successfully completed his law studies in 1612. But his main interest had always been music. As early as 1605 he had presented his first musical work "Das Venus Kräntzlein".

In 1613 he received a post as a music teacher in Weissenstein. And in the autumn of 1616 he was appointed Thomaskantor of the Thomasschule and municipal music director in Leipzig. His predecessor in this office had been Seth Calvisius.

He died in Leipzig at the age of 45 and was buried in his native town. Heinrich Schütz, with whom he was a friend, wrote the funeral hymn "Das ist je certainly certainly true" on the occasion of Johann Herman Schein's funeral.

 

Even during his lifetime, Schein was considered a highly respected composer in Germany. He left an extensive compositional work. Here is a selection from his oeuvre:

"Venus Krantzlein", Wittenberg 1609

"Cymbalum Sionium", Leipzig 1615

Banchetto Musicale, Leipzig 1617

«Opellanova. First part of Geistlicher Concerten», Leipzig 1618 (a second part appeared in 1626)

"Musica boscareccia" (little forest songs), Leipzig 1621

"Israelis Brünnlein" (a collection of 26 sacred madrigals), Leipzig 1623

Johann Hermann Schein at the Basilisk Edition:

Banchetto Musicale magazine cover
Schröter, Leonhart

Born: vprobably 1532 in Torgau

Died: probably 1600 in Magdeburg

Leonhart Schröter was a Lutheran cantor and composer. In the years 1545 to 1547 he is verifiable at the prince school in Meissen.

Between 1561 and 1576 he worked as city cantor in Saalfeld. In addition, he was probably also the first librarian under Duke Julius von Braunschweig-Lüneburg at the library in Wolfenbüttel from December 1571 to 1572.

In 1576 he became cantor at the Old Town Latin School in Magdeburg. He remained in this office until his retirement in 1595.

As a composer he was an important representative of Protestant church music. Among other things he published:

"New Christmas carols with four and eight voices", Helmstedt 1578

"55 sacred songs", Wittenberg 1582

A "Te Deum" (1576)

2 parts "Cantiones suavissimae quator voici", Erfurt 1576/1580

Leonhart Schröter at the Basilisk Edition:

Christmas music magazine cover
Schütz, Heinrich
Heinrich Schuetz

Born: October 8.10.1585, XNUMX in Köstritz near Gera (today Bad Köstritz)

Died: November 6.11.1672, XNUMX in Dresden

Heinrich Schütz was the second born of eight children. His father was Christoph Schütz, his mother was Euphrosyne, née Bieger.

The father was the owner of the inn «Zum goldenen Kranich». In 1590 he moved with his family to Weissenfels, where he took over the "Zum güldenen Ring" inn he had inherited. He became a member of the city council and was also its mayor several times.

 

As a member of a relatively well-to-do family, young Heinrich Schütz received a good, solid education, which also included learning foreign languages. His great musical talent was evident early on.

Landgrave Moritz (the scholar) of Hesse-Kassel (1592-1627) also recognized the boy's special musical talent during a stay at Schütz's father's inn and brought him to his court as a choirboy in August 1599. There he entered the Collegium Mauritianum. This training center was founded by the landgrave for the training and education of young nobles. Here Heinrich Schütz received an artistic and scientific education at the highest level. He was obviously very gifted in languages ​​and excelled in Latin, Greek and French.

After completing his education at the Landgravial School, he went to Marburg in 1607 to begin studying law there.

But as early as 1609 the landgrave offered him the opportunity to study music in Italy. In Venice, Schütz was able to study with Giovanni Gabrieli for two years at the expense of his sovereign and patron. At the end of his second year of study, the highly talented young composer was able to publish his first work, the Italian Madrigals (SWV 1-19), which he dedicated to the landgrave. The planned two-year study period was extended by another two years. In 1613 Schütz returned to Kassel and was appointed second organist of the court orchestra.

In 1614 the Electoral Saxon court in Dresden began to take an interest in the young musician. Elector Johann Georg I repeatedly "borrowed" it for special occasions at his court. On December 13, 1616, the Elector Landgrave Moritz asked him to leave Heinrich Schütz for good. Moritz gave in to this request with a heavy heart and let Schütz move to Dresden.

From 1619, Schütz officially held the title of court music director in Dresden.

The devastating Thirty Years' War began in 1618, the effects of which had a negative impact on the situation at the Dresden court as early as 30. A lack of money led to more and more neglect of the court orchestra. And in 1619 the salaries of the musicians stopped. Therefore Schütz intervened in 1623 with the elector. However, this did not lead to any significant improvement in the situation of the court orchestra.

In April 1628, Elector Schütz approved a second trip to Italy. The main destination of the trip was Venice again. It is not known whether he also met Claudio Monteverdi during his stay in Italy.

In 1629 he returned to Dresden. Shortly before his departure, the second part of his "Symphoniae Sacrae" was published by the Gardano publishing house.

In the course of his long life, the famous and highly respected Schütz was repeatedly invited to Dresden as a "guest conductor" for shorter or longer periods outside of his field of activity. He stayed several times at the Danish royal court in Copenhagen, in Braunschweig and in Wolfenbüttel.

In 1645, Schütz asked to be released from service at the court in Dresden for reasons of age.

In 1656 Johann Georg I died. His son, Johann Georg II, dispensed him from his service. From then on he only appeared occasionally in Dresden as a «Capellae Magister Senior». From then on he lived in his house in Weissenfels in order to devote himself entirely to composing.

In 1672 he moved back to Dresden, where he died on November 6th. He was buried in the «Alte Frauenkirche». Today, a memorial plaque in the "new" Frauenkirche commemorates one of the greatest German composers, who is now undisputedly regarded as one of the most important musical innovators at the beginning of the Baroque era.

 

Important compositions by Heinrich Schütz (selection):

 

The first book of Madrigals (1611) SWV 1-19

Psalms of David (1619) SWV 22-47

Cantionae Sacrae (1625) SWV 53-93

Becker Psalter, first version (1628) SWV 97-256

Musical Exequien (1636) SWV 279-281

Little Sacred Concerts Part 1 (1636) SWV 282-305

Little Sacred Concerts Part 2 (1639) SWV 306-337

Sacred Choral Music (1648) SWV 369-397

Christmas History (1664) SWV 435

Heinrich Schütz at the Basilisk Edition:

RM28-Beckersche Psalter
The heavens tell the glory of god
A child is born to us
de Sermisy, Claudin (also Sermizy, Sermysy)

Born: to 1490

Died: October 13, 1562 in Paris

The cleric, composer and singer is first documented in 1508 in the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.

According to papal documents, he was first a clergyman in the diocese of Noyon and a singer in the private chapel of Queen Anne of Brittany. After her death (in January 1514) and that of her royal husband, Louis XII, he became a member of Francis I's chapel. When the king met Pope Leo X in Bologna in December 1515, Sermisy was in his entourage. It is very likely that the court musician was also present when the king met the English monarch Henry VIII at the "Camp du Drap d'or" (June 1520) and in Boulogne (1532). There, on the occasion of this meeting, Sermisy's motet «Da pacem» was performed.

In the register of the royal Kapellsänger from the years 1517/18, Sermisy's name appears in second place, just behind J. Mouton.

It is believed that he succeeded de Logueval as choir master in 1525/26.

From 1533 he was referred to as «soubs-maitre de la Chapelle» (quoted from Cazaux 2002, page 375). He held this office until around 1553. In the same year he received a canonship at Sainte-Chapelle, where he was also buried in 1562.

 

Claude de Sermisy left a great compositional work. Among other things, he composed masses, mass parts and motets. Despite his extensive work in church music, he is best known today for his 160 chansons. Together with his colleague Claude Janequin, he is regarded as the founder of the new genre of four-part chanson, which is now generally referred to as "Parisian chanson".

Claudin de Sermisy on the Basilisk Edition:

Il primo libro de canzoni francese book cover (volume 1)
Telemann, Georg Philipp

Born: March 14.3.1681, XNUMX in Magdeburg

Died: June 25.6.1767, XNUMX in Hamburg

Along with Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Philipp Telemann is considered one of the leading German composers of his time. He was known throughout Europe and enjoyed a high reputation. With completely new impulses, both in terms of his compositions and his view of music, he significantly shaped the world of music in the first half of the 18th century.

Initially devalued by musicology at the end of the 19th/beginning of the 20th century as a superficial prolific writer, his outstanding importance as a composer has long since been recognized.

 

Telemann spent his youth in Hildesheim from 1697, where he spent his years on Andreanum High School was decisively shaped and promoted in his musical development. He received lessons on several instruments and composed the "Singing and Sounding Geography" during his training in Hildesheim. This early opus was so successful that he subsequently received further commissions to compose it. He was largely self-taught in his further musical education.

While studying law in Leipzig, where he founded an amateur orchestra, he continued to have great success as a composer. He also directed opera performances and became music director at the university church.

For a short time he worked at the courts in Sorau and Eisenach before moving to Frankfurt/M. in 1712. went, where he was appointed municipal music director and also held the office of Kapellmeister at two churches.

In Frankfurt he also began to self-publish his own works.

From 1721 he lived in Hamburg until his death and was "Cantor Johannei" and "Director Musices". Shortly after his arrival, he also took over the management of the Hamburg Opera at Gänsemarkt. From the Hanseatic city, too, he maintained constant contact with foreign courts and also regularly organized public concerts for the city's upper class.

 

Telemann's musical estate is enormously extensive and includes practically all musical genres of his time. The Telemann catalog of works has over 3600 works. He composed secular and sacred music. About 1000 compositions are known in the field of instrumental music (orchestral suites, symphonies, concertos, violin solos, flute solos, solos for viola da gamba, duets, trio sonatas, quartets as well as piano and organ music).

The number of spiritual works he left behind is just as extensive (cantatas, masses, approx. 40 passions, 6 oratorios as well as motets and other sacred works).

 

Selection of important compositions by Georg Philipp Telemann:

 

instrumental music:

The Faithful Music Master (1728)

Essercizii Musici .

table music  (1733)

Hamburger ebb and flow (1722)

Paris quartets (1737)

 

Religious music:

Brocke's passion (1716)

The death of Jesus (1755)

thunder ode (1756)

The Day of Judgment (1762)

The Harmonious Worship (1725 / 26, 1731 / 32)

Georg Philipp Telemann at the Basilisk Edition:

Voyenne, Claudio (?)

Born:   circa late 17th century

Died:   approx. mid 18th century

About the life of «Mr. Voyenne», as the composer called himself, we know nothing. The title of his «SIX SUITTES» mentions that he Ordinaire de la Musique du Roy d'Espagne has been. Apart from these six suites, no other compositions by him have survived. The duets may have been composed in the mid-18th century and are comparable to those of his colleagues Michel Corrette, Raphael Courtiville or Philibert Delavigne.

Mr. Voyenne at the Basilisk Edition:

Voyenne-Six Suittes
Walther, Johann

Born:   1496 in Kahla

Died:   April 10.4.1570, XNUMX in Torgau

Johann Walther was a composer and cantor. He published the first Protestant choral hymn book in Germany (Spiritual Hymn Book.

He played a key role in the reform of the German trade fair initiated by Martin Luther. Numerous German song texts written by Martin Luther were set to music by Johann Walther.

By publishing the first German hymn book and building up the choir system, he played a leading role in the development of Protestant church music in Germany. He is therefore still referred to today as the "Urkantor" of the Protestant Church. Some of his songs are still used today in the evangelical hymnal

 

Melodies and lyrics by Martin Luther:

The unwise mouth speaks well

in the middle of life

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

 

More melodies:

All morning is fresh and new

The Lord is my faithful shepherd

 

texts:

Sincerely pleases me

I want to build my foundation and faith solely on God's Word

 

lyrics and melody:

Wake up you German country

Johann Walther at the Basilisk Edition:

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