German organ schools
Encyclopedia
The 17th century organ composers of Germany
can be divided into two primary schools: the north German school and the south German school (sometimes a third school, central German, is added). The stylistic differences were dictated not only by teacher-pupil traditions, but also by technical aspects such as the quality and the tradition of organ building, and by certain composers who would help spread national styles by travelling and learning from other countries' styles.
, a Dutch
composer (a student of his father Pieter Sywertszoon and of Gioseffo Zarlino
in Venice
). Sweelinck's fame as a teacher was very widespread (in Germany he was known as the "maker of organists"), as was his influence. However, the English keyboard school withered during the first half of the 17th century, and the Dutch composers after Sweelinck were either not on his level (Anthoni van Noordt
) or left too few compositions to make any significant mark on the history of European music (Pieter Cornet). Sweelinck's influence therefore was primarily important in Germany, Heinrich Scheidemann
and Gottfried Scheidt
being the first major composers to study under him.
Later northerners like Franz Tunder
, Georg Böhm
and Johann Adam Reincken
all cultivated a harmonically and rhythmically complex improvisatory style rooted in the chorale improvisation tradition. Forms such as the organ prelude
(a multi-sectional composition with numerous flourishes and embellishments such as scale runs, arpeggios and complex counterpoint) and the chorale fantasia (a musical setting of a whole verse of the chorale text, resulting in a multi-sectional composition with contrasting sections for different lines) were developed almost exclusively by north German composers. Dieterich Buxtehude
's work represents the pinnacle of this tradition; the praeludia form the core of his work. Nikolaus Bruhns was the most important of Buxtehude's pupils, but he died early and only a few works by him survive.
The quality of north German organs improved vastly during the 17th and early 18th century. The instruments would typically have two or more manuals, a pedalboard and a wide range of stops; this contributed to the style cultivated across the region as the majority of large-scale works require considerable pedal skills and benefit from larger, more versatile organs.
, who visited Italy and France and cultivated Italian idioms in his toccata
s (influenced by Girolamo Frescobaldi
and Giovanni de Macque
) and the French lutenists' style brisé
in his harpsichord suites – he was also the first to establish the standard model for the suite, which was later used by both south and north German composers. Froberger's influence was felt all over Europe and extended far into the future: Albrechtsberger, Beethoven's teacher, knew and respected Froberger's work, and a copy of a part of one of his composition exists in the hand of Mozart.
Froberger did not have any significant pupils, but the other important southerner, Johann Kaspar Kerll
, did achieve fame as a teacher and influenced numerous composers. Kerll initially studied under Giovanni Valentini
, an Italian composer who worked in Vienna
; he then travelled to Italy and visited many more regions of Europe. Kerll's influence was perhaps short-lived compared to Froberger's (the most important fact here being Händel
's frequent borrowing from Kerll's work), but he was a model (perhaps even taught) for the Nuremberg-born Johann Pachelbel
, whose work is the highest point of the south German tradition.
Typical south German organs differed from their northern counterparts and could have only a dozen or two of stops, sometimes a single manual and, occasionally, no pedal; much like many Italian instruments. The music of south German composers on the whole concentrates more on melody, harmonic clarity and sound; genre-wise, Italian models were adopted and resulted in German versions of the toccata
, a special brand of improvisatory preludes, and ostinato
variation forms
: chaconne
s and passacaglia
s. Perhaps the last significant southerner was Johann Heinrich Buttstett
, Pachelbel's pupil, who continued the trends set by his teacher but did not achieve any considerable fame; it appears that numerous works by him are now lost.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
can be divided into two primary schools: the north German school and the south German school (sometimes a third school, central German, is added). The stylistic differences were dictated not only by teacher-pupil traditions, but also by technical aspects such as the quality and the tradition of organ building, and by certain composers who would help spread national styles by travelling and learning from other countries' styles.
Overview
The composer who is now considered the founder of this school is Jan Pieterszoon SweelinckJan Pieterszoon Sweelinck
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck was a Dutch composer, organist, and pedagogue whose work straddled the end of the Renaissance and beginning of the Baroque eras. He was among the first major keyboard composers of Europe, and his work as a teacher helped establish the north German organ...
, a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
composer (a student of his father Pieter Sywertszoon and of Gioseffo Zarlino
Gioseffo Zarlino
Gioseffo Zarlino was an Italian music theorist and composer of the Renaissance. He was possibly the most famous music theorist between Aristoxenus and Rameau, and made a large contribution to the theory of counterpoint as well as to musical tuning.-Life:Zarlino was born in Chioggia, near Venice...
in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
). Sweelinck's fame as a teacher was very widespread (in Germany he was known as the "maker of organists"), as was his influence. However, the English keyboard school withered during the first half of the 17th century, and the Dutch composers after Sweelinck were either not on his level (Anthoni van Noordt
Anthoni van Noordt
Anthoni van Noordt was a Dutch composer and organist.Born in Amsterdam, where he lived throughout his life, he was the brother of Jacobus van Noordt...
) or left too few compositions to make any significant mark on the history of European music (Pieter Cornet). Sweelinck's influence therefore was primarily important in Germany, Heinrich Scheidemann
Heinrich Scheidemann
Heinrich Scheidemann was a German organist and composer. He was the best-known composer for the organ in north Germany in the early to mid-17th century, and was an important forerunner of Dieterich Buxtehude and J.S. Bach.-Life:...
and Gottfried Scheidt
Gottfried Scheidt
Gottfried Scheidt was a German composer and organist.Born in Halle, he moved to Amsterdam in 1611 to study with Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, returning home in 1615 to further study with his older brother Samuel Scheidt and others. He was appointed organist to the Altenburg court in 1617, and held...
being the first major composers to study under him.
Later northerners like Franz Tunder
Franz Tunder
Franz Tunder was a German composer and organist of the early to middle Baroque era. He was an important link between the early German Baroque style which was based on Venetian models, and the later Baroque style which culminated in the music of J.S...
, Georg Böhm
Georg Böhm
Georg Böhm was a German Baroque organist and composer. He is notable for his development of the chorale partita and for his influence on the young J. S. Bach.-Life:Böhm was born in 1661 in Hohenkirchen, near Ohrdruf...
and Johann Adam Reincken
Johann Adam Reincken
Johann Adam Reincken was a Dutch/German organist and composer...
all cultivated a harmonically and rhythmically complex improvisatory style rooted in the chorale improvisation tradition. Forms such as the organ prelude
Prelude (music)
A prelude is a short piece of music, the form of which may vary from piece to piece. The prelude can be thought of as a preface. It may stand on its own or introduce another work...
(a multi-sectional composition with numerous flourishes and embellishments such as scale runs, arpeggios and complex counterpoint) and the chorale fantasia (a musical setting of a whole verse of the chorale text, resulting in a multi-sectional composition with contrasting sections for different lines) were developed almost exclusively by north German composers. Dieterich Buxtehude
Dieterich Buxtehude
Dieterich Buxtehude was a German-Danish organist and composer of the Baroque period. His organ works represent a central part of the standard organ repertoire and are frequently performed at recitals and in church services...
's work represents the pinnacle of this tradition; the praeludia form the core of his work. Nikolaus Bruhns was the most important of Buxtehude's pupils, but he died early and only a few works by him survive.
The quality of north German organs improved vastly during the 17th and early 18th century. The instruments would typically have two or more manuals, a pedalboard and a wide range of stops; this contributed to the style cultivated across the region as the majority of large-scale works require considerable pedal skills and benefit from larger, more versatile organs.
List of composers
- Johann Friedrich AlbertiJohann Friedrich AlbertiJohann Friedrich Alberti was a German composer and organist.He received his musical training in Leipzig from Werner Fabricius and in Dresden from Vincenzo Albrici...
(studied under Werner Fabricius and Vincenzo AlbriciVincenzo AlbriciVincenzo Albrici was an Italian composer.Vincenzo was born as the son of singer who settled from Marche in Rome. In 1641 he became a student on Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum under Giacomo Carissimi. In 1647 he was paid as an organist in the Santa Maria in Vallicella...
) - Vincenzo Albrici
- Bach FamilyBach familyThe Bach family was of importance in the history of music for nearly two hundred years, with over 50 known musicians and several notable composers, the best-known of whom was Johann Sebastian Bach...
- Christoph BernhardChristoph BernhardChristoph Bernhard was born in Kolberg, Pomerania, and died in Dresden. He studied with former Sweelinck-pupil Paul Siefert in Danzig and in Warsaw By the age of 20 he was singing at the electoral court in Dresden under Heinrich Schütz...
(studied under Paul SiefertPaul SiefertPaul Siefert was a German composer and organist associated with the North German school.-Biography:...
and Agostino Fontana; worked with Heinrich SchützHeinrich SchützHeinrich Schütz was a German composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach and often considered to be one of the most important composers of the 17th century along with Claudio Monteverdi...
and Matthias WeckmannMatthias WeckmannMatthias Weckmann was a German musician and composer of the Baroque period. He was born in Niederdorla and died in Hamburg.- Life :...
) - Georg Böhm (studied under Reincken)
- Jakob Bölsche (studied under Georg Dietrich LeydingGeorg Dietrich LeydingGeorg Dietrich Leyding was a German composer and organist associated with the North German school.Born in Bücken, close to Nienburg, his father was a riding master in the French lifeguards...
) - Nikolaus Bruhns (studied under Buxtehude; nephew of Friedrich Nikolaus Bruhns)
- Arnold Matthias Burnckhorst
- Johann Heinrich ButtstettJohann Heinrich ButtstettJohann Heinrich Buttstett was a German Baroque organist and composer...
(studied under Johann PachelbelJohann PachelbelJohann Pachelbel was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher, who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most...
) - Dieterich Buxtehude (Associate of Reincken and Pachelbel (one of the two dedicatees of Pachelbel's Hexacordium Apollonis); son-in-law and successor to Tunder; teacher to Johann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
) - Andreas Düben I
- Andreas DübenAndreas DübenAndreas Düben was a Swedish Baroque composer and organist, and father of Gustaf Düben. He was born near Leipzig and was admitted to Leipzig University in 1609. He studied with the renowned Dutch pedagogue Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck from 1614 until 1620 when he secured a position as organist in the...
(studied under Sweelinck; son of Andreas Düben I, brother of Martin Düben, father of Gustaf DübenGustaf DübenGustaf Düben was a Swedish organist and composer.Düben was born and died in Stockholm. In 1663, he succeeded his father, the German-born Andreas Düben as both hovkapellmästare, director of the Royal Swedish Court Orchestra, and organist of the German St Gertrud Church in Stockholm.Father of...
) - Gustaf Düben (studied under his father Andreas Düben)
- Martin Düben (son of Andreas Düben I, brother of Andreas Düben; like his brother, studied under Sweelinck)
- David Ebel I (father of David Ebel II; successor to Barthold Hering as Organist at St. Mary's Church, LübeckSt. Mary's Church, LübeckThe Lutheran Marienkirche in Lübeck was constructed between 1250 and 1350. For many years it has been a symbol of the power and prosperity of the old Hanseatic city, and as Germany's third largest church it remains the tallest building of the old part of Lübeck. It is larger than Lübeck Cathedral...
] - David Ebel II
- Hermann Ebel (successor of Heinrich Marcus as Organist at St. Mary's Church, Lübeck; succeeded to post by Peter HassePeter HassePeter Hasse was a German organist and composer, and member of the prominent musical Hasse family. The first written record of Hasse dates from his appointment as organist at the Marienkirche in Lübeck, a post later held by Buxtehude...
) - Daniel Erich (studied under Buxtehude)
- Werner Fabricius (studied under Thomas SelleThomas SelleThomas Selle was a German baroque composer.- Life :Selle was born in Zörbig but received his first instruction in Leipzig where he was probably a pupil of the Thomaskantor Sethus Calvisius. He was cantor in Heide in 1624 and in 1625 in the nearby Wesselburen...
and Scheidemann) - Christian Flor (predecessor as Organist at St. John's Church, LüneburgSt. John's Church, LüneburgThe Church of John the Baptist is the oldest Lutheran church in Lüneburg and located in the city center.-History:...
to Böhm) - Johann Philipp FörtschJohann Philipp FörtschJohann Philipp Förtsch was a German baroque composer, statesman and doctor.-Life:Förtsch was born in Wertheim and possibly received his musical education from Johann Philipp Krieger. Moving to Hamburg in 1674 to write librettos he then became in the 1680s one of the main composers in the heyday of...
(studied under Johann Philipp Krieger; a principal composer for the Hamburg Opera) - Christian GeistChristian GeistChristian Geist was a German composer and organist, who lived and worked mainly in Scandinavia.-Biography:He was born in Güstrow, where his father, Joachim Geist, was cantor at the cathedral school. 1665–1666 and 1668–1669 he was a boy member of the court orchestra conducted by Daniel Danielis of...
- Johann Nikolaus HanffJohann Nikolaus HanffJohann Nikolaus Hanff was a North German organist and composer . Hanff was born in Wechmar in Thuringia and worked in Eutin, Hamburg and Schleswig....
(teacher to Johann MatthesonJohann MatthesonJohann Mattheson was a German composer, writer, lexicographer, diplomat and music theorist.Mattheson was born and died in Hamburg. He was a close friend of George Frideric Handel, although he nearly killed him in a sudden quarrel, during a performance of Mattheson's opera Cleopatra in 1704...
) - Nikolaus Hasse (son of Peter HassePeter HassePeter Hasse was a German organist and composer, and member of the prominent musical Hasse family. The first written record of Hasse dates from his appointment as organist at the Marienkirche in Lübeck, a post later held by Buxtehude...
) - Peter Hasse (studied under Sweelinck; Succeeded to post of Organist at St. Mary's Church, Lübeck by Franz TunderFranz TunderFranz Tunder was a German composer and organist of the early to middle Baroque era. He was an important link between the early German Baroque style which was based on Venetian models, and the later Baroque style which culminated in the music of J.S...
) - Peter Hasse II (studied under Sweelinck)
- Petrus Heydorn
- Ewaldt Hintz (studied under Johann Jakob FrobergerJohann Jakob FrobergerJohann Jakob Froberger was a German Baroque composer, keyboard virtuoso, and organist. He was among the most famous composers of the era and influenced practically every major composer in Europe by developing the genre of keyboard suite and contributing greatly to the exchange of musical...
) - Wilhelm KargesWilhelm KargesWilhelm Karges , was a German organist and composer in the North German organ tradition. Much of Karges' life was spent in and around Berlin, where he was born, worked, and died. Karges came into contact with Sweelinck student Andreas Düben through his travels in North Germany and the Low...
- Andreas KnellerAndreas KnellerAndreas Kneller was a German composer and organist of the North German school.-Biography:...
(studied either under Tunder or his uncle Matthias Weckmann; brother to Sir Godfrey Kneller) - Adam KriegerAdam KriegerAdam Krieger was a German composer. Born in Driesen, Neumark, he studied organ with Samuel Scheidt in Halle. He succeeded Johann Rosenmüller as organist at Leipzig's Nikolaikirche and founded the city's Collegium Musicum before settling for the rest of his career in Dresden.Krieger composed and...
(studied under Samuel ScheidtSamuel ScheidtSamuel Scheidt was a German composer, organist and teacher of the early Baroque era.-Biography:...
) - Jakob Kortkamp (studied under Jacob PraetoriusJacob PraetoriusJacob Praetorius or Schultz was a German Baroque composer and organist, and the son of Hieronymus Praetorius. His grandfather, the father of Hieronymus, Jacob Praetorius the elder was also a composer....
) - Georg Dietrich LeydingGeorg Dietrich LeydingGeorg Dietrich Leyding was a German composer and organist associated with the North German school.Born in Bücken, close to Nienburg, his father was a riding master in the French lifeguards...
(studied under Reincken, Buxtehude, and Johann TheileJohann TheileJohann Theile was a German composer of the Baroque era, famous for the opera Adam und Eva, Der erschaffene, gefallene und aufgerichtete Mensch, first performed in Hamburg on January 2, 1678.- Life :...
) - Johann Lorentz
- Vincent LübeckVincent LübeckVincent Lübeck was a German composer and organist. He was born in Padingbüttel and worked as organist and composer at Stade's St. Cosmae et Damiani and Hamburg's famous St. Nikolai , where he played one of the largest contemporary organs...
(possibly studied under Kneller and Buxtehude) - Heinrich Marcus
- Johann Valentin MederJohann Valentin MederJohann Valentin Meder was a German composer, organist, and singer. Meder was born in Wasungen, Thuringia to a musical family with his father and four brothers all being...
- Peter Mohrhardt
- Andreas Neunhaber (studied under Paul Siefert)
- Bartholomaeus PraetoriusBartholomaeus PraetoriusBartholomaeus Praetorius was a German composer. He was born around 1590 in Marienburg, now Malbork, Poland. He studied at the University of Konigsberg and subsequently was employed by Gustavus Adolphus II in Sweden. Some of his motets and five part instrumental music has survived. He died in...
- Hieronymus PraetoriusHieronymus PraetoriusHieronymus Praetorius was a north German composer and organist of the late Renaissance and very early Baroque eras. He was not related to the much more famous Michael Praetorius, though the Praetorius family had many distinguished musicians throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.-Life:He was born...
(son of Jacob Praetorius I) - Hieronymus (II) Praetorius
- Hieronymus (III) Praetorius (son of Jacob PraetoriusJacob PraetoriusJacob Praetorius or Schultz was a German Baroque composer and organist, and the son of Hieronymus Praetorius. His grandfather, the father of Hieronymus, Jacob Praetorius the elder was also a composer....
; studied under Sweelinck) - Jacob Praetorius I (father of Hieronymus Praetorius)
- Jacob Praetorius (son of Hieronymus Praetorius, brother of Michael (II) Praetorius and Johann Praetorius; studied under Sweelinck)
- Johann Praetorius (son of Hieronymus Praetorius, brother of Michael (II) Praetorius and Jacob Praetorius; studied under Sweelinck)
- Michael PraetoriusMichael PraetoriusMichael Praetorius 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, many of which reflect an effort to make better the relationship between...
(born Schultze) - Michael (II) Praetorius (son of Hieronymus Praetorius, brother of Jacob Praetorius and Johann Praetorius)
- Johann Martin Radeck
- Johann Adam Reinken (studied under Scheidemann)
- Christian Ritter (studied under Christoph Bernhard)
- Georg Wilhelm Saxer
- Heinrich ScheidemannHeinrich ScheidemannHeinrich Scheidemann was a German organist and composer. He was the best-known composer for the organ in north Germany in the early to mid-17th century, and was an important forerunner of Dieterich Buxtehude and J.S. Bach.-Life:...
(studied under Sweelinck) - Gottfried ScheidtGottfried ScheidtGottfried Scheidt was a German composer and organist.Born in Halle, he moved to Amsterdam in 1611 to study with Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, returning home in 1615 to further study with his older brother Samuel Scheidt and others. He was appointed organist to the Altenburg court in 1617, and held...
(studied under Sweelinck; brother to Samuel ScheidtSamuel ScheidtSamuel Scheidt was a German composer, organist and teacher of the early Baroque era.-Biography:...
) - Samuel ScheidtSamuel ScheidtSamuel Scheidt was a German composer, organist and teacher of the early Baroque era.-Biography:...
(studied under Sweelinck) - Johann Christian Schieferdecker (friend to Reinhard KeiserReinhard KeiserReinhard Keiser was a popular German opera composer based in Hamburg. He wrote over a hundred operas, and in 1745 Johann Adolph Scheibe considered him an equal to Johann Kuhnau, George Frideric Handel and Georg Philipp Telemann , but his work was largely forgotten for many...
(for whom he often composed operas for the Hamburg Opera); student, assistant, and successor to Buxtehude) - Melchior SchildtMelchior SchildtMelchior Schildt was a German composer and organist of the North German Organ School. He came from a long line of church musicians who had served the town of Hanover for over 125 years...
(studied under Sweelinck) - Paul SiefertPaul SiefertPaul Siefert was a German composer and organist associated with the North German school.-Biography:...
(studied under Sweelinck; teacher to Andreas Neunhaber and possibly Christoph Bernhard) - Johann Steffens
- Delphin StrungkDelphin StrungkDelphin Strungk was a German composer and organist associated with the North German school....
(studied under Sweelinck; father of Nicolaus Adam StrungkNicolaus Adam StrungkNicolaus Adam Strungk was a German composer and violinist.-Life:...
) - Nicolaus Adam Strungk (son of Delphin Strungk)
- Franz TunderFranz TunderFranz Tunder was a German composer and organist of the early to middle Baroque era. He was an important link between the early German Baroque style which was based on Venetian models, and the later Baroque style which culminated in the music of J.S...
(possibly studied under Frescobaldi; father-in-law and predecessor as Organist of St. Mary's Church, Lübeck to Buxtehude) - Andreas Nicolaus Vetter (studied under Pachelbel and Georg Caspar WeckerGeorg Caspar WeckerGeorg Caspar Wecker was a German Baroque organist and composer. A minor composer of the Nuremberg school, Wecker is now best remembered as one of Johann Pachelbel's first teachers....
) - Matthias WeckmannMatthias WeckmannMatthias Weckmann was a German musician and composer of the Baroque period. He was born in Niederdorla and died in Hamburg.- Life :...
(studied under Schütz, Jacob Praetorius and Scheidemann) - Andreas WerckmeisterAndreas WerckmeisterAndreas Werckmeister was an organist, music theorist, and composer of the Baroque era.-Life:Born in Benneckenstein, Germany, Werckmeister attended schools in Nordhausen and Quedlinburg. He received his musical training from his uncles Heinrich Christian Werckmeister and Heinrich Victor Werckmeister...
(possible teacher to Johann Gottfried WaltherJohann Gottfried WaltherJohann Gottfried Walther was a German music theorist, organist, composer, and lexicographer of the Baroque era.Walther was born at Erfurt...
) - Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow (teacher to George Frideric HandelGeorge Frideric HandelGeorge Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
)
Overview
The tradition of the south was shaped by composers who travelled to Italy or studied under Italian masters. The first important southerner was Johann Jakob FrobergerJohann Jakob Froberger
Johann Jakob Froberger was a German Baroque composer, keyboard virtuoso, and organist. He was among the most famous composers of the era and influenced practically every major composer in Europe by developing the genre of keyboard suite and contributing greatly to the exchange of musical...
, who visited Italy and France and cultivated Italian idioms in his toccata
Toccata
Toccata is a virtuoso piece of music typically for a keyboard or plucked string instrument featuring fast-moving, lightly fingered or otherwise virtuosic passages or sections, with or without imitative or fugal interludes, generally emphasizing the dexterity of the performer's fingers...
s (influenced by Girolamo Frescobaldi
Girolamo Frescobaldi
Girolamo Frescobaldi was a musician from Ferrara, one of the most important composers of keyboard music in the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. A child prodigy, Frescobaldi studied under Luzzasco Luzzaschi in Ferrara, but was influenced by a large number of composers, including Ascanio...
and Giovanni de Macque
Giovanni de Macque
Giovanni de Macque was a Franco-Flemish composer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque, who spent almost his entire life in Italy...
) and the French lutenists' style brisé
Style brisé
Style brisé is a term for broken, arpeggiated texture in instrumental music. It usually refers to French Baroque music for lute, keyboard instruments or the viol. French Baroque musicians referred to this type of texture as style luthé , since it originated in lute music...
in his harpsichord suites – he was also the first to establish the standard model for the suite, which was later used by both south and north German composers. Froberger's influence was felt all over Europe and extended far into the future: Albrechtsberger, Beethoven's teacher, knew and respected Froberger's work, and a copy of a part of one of his composition exists in the hand of Mozart.
Froberger did not have any significant pupils, but the other important southerner, Johann Kaspar Kerll
Johann Kaspar Kerll
Johann Kaspar Kerll was a German baroque composer and organist.Son of an organist, he showed outstanding musical abilities at an early age, and was taught by Giovanni Valentini, court Kapellmeister at Vienna. Kerll became one of the most acclaimed composers of his time, known both as a gifted...
, did achieve fame as a teacher and influenced numerous composers. Kerll initially studied under Giovanni Valentini
Giovanni Valentini
Giovanni Valentini was an Italian Baroque composer, poet and keyboard virtuoso. Overshadowed by his contemporaries, Claudio Monteverdi and Heinrich Schütz, Valentini is practically forgotten today, although he occupied one of the most prestigious musical posts of his time...
, an Italian composer who worked in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
; he then travelled to Italy and visited many more regions of Europe. Kerll's influence was perhaps short-lived compared to Froberger's (the most important fact here being Händel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
's frequent borrowing from Kerll's work), but he was a model (perhaps even taught) for the Nuremberg-born Johann Pachelbel
Johann Pachelbel
Johann Pachelbel was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher, who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most...
, whose work is the highest point of the south German tradition.
Typical south German organs differed from their northern counterparts and could have only a dozen or two of stops, sometimes a single manual and, occasionally, no pedal; much like many Italian instruments. The music of south German composers on the whole concentrates more on melody, harmonic clarity and sound; genre-wise, Italian models were adopted and resulted in German versions of the toccata
Toccata
Toccata is a virtuoso piece of music typically for a keyboard or plucked string instrument featuring fast-moving, lightly fingered or otherwise virtuosic passages or sections, with or without imitative or fugal interludes, generally emphasizing the dexterity of the performer's fingers...
, a special brand of improvisatory preludes, and ostinato
Ostinato
In music, an ostinato is a motif or phrase, which is persistently repeated in the same musical voice. An ostinato is always a succession of equal sounds, wherein each note always has the same weight or stress. The repeating idea may be a rhythmic pattern, part of a tune, or a complete melody in...
variation forms
Variation (music)
In music, variation is a formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form. The changes may involve harmony, melody, counterpoint, rhythm, timbre, orchestration or any combination of these.-Variation form:...
: chaconne
Chaconne
A chaconne ; is a type of musical composition popular in the baroque era when it was much used as a vehicle for variation on a repeated short harmonic progression, often involving a fairly short repetitive bass-line which offered a compositional outline for variation, decoration, figuration and...
s and passacaglia
Passacaglia
The passacaglia is a musical form that originated in early seventeenth-century Spain and is still used by contemporary composers. It is usually of a serious character and is often, but not always, based on a bass-ostinato and written in triple metre....
s. Perhaps the last significant southerner was Johann Heinrich Buttstett
Johann Heinrich Buttstett
Johann Heinrich Buttstett was a German Baroque organist and composer...
, Pachelbel's pupil, who continued the trends set by his teacher but did not achieve any considerable fame; it appears that numerous works by him are now lost.
List of composers
- Christian ErbachChristian ErbachChristian Erbach was a German organist and composer.Erbach was born in Gau-Algesheim, Mainz-Bingen, now in the Rhineland-Palatinate Bundesland, and began to study musical composition at a considerably young age...
- Johann Caspar Ferdinand FischerJohann Caspar Ferdinand FischerJohann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer was a German Baroque composer...
(studied in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) - Johann Jakob FrobergerJohann Jakob FrobergerJohann Jakob Froberger was a German Baroque composer, keyboard virtuoso, and organist. He was among the most famous composers of the era and influenced practically every major composer in Europe by developing the genre of keyboard suite and contributing greatly to the exchange of musical...
(studied under FrescobaldiGirolamo FrescobaldiGirolamo Frescobaldi was a musician from Ferrara, one of the most important composers of keyboard music in the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. A child prodigy, Frescobaldi studied under Luzzasco Luzzaschi in Ferrara, but was influenced by a large number of composers, including Ascanio...
in Italy) - Johann Kaspar KerllJohann Kaspar KerllJohann Kaspar Kerll was a German baroque composer and organist.Son of an organist, he showed outstanding musical abilities at an early age, and was taught by Giovanni Valentini, court Kapellmeister at Vienna. Kerll became one of the most acclaimed composers of his time, known both as a gifted...
(studied under ValentiniGiovanni ValentiniGiovanni Valentini was an Italian Baroque composer, poet and keyboard virtuoso. Overshadowed by his contemporaries, Claudio Monteverdi and Heinrich Schütz, Valentini is practically forgotten today, although he occupied one of the most prestigious musical posts of his time...
in ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, then under CarissimiGiacomo CarissimiGiacomo Carissimi was an Italian composer, one of the most celebrated masters of the early Baroque, or, more accurately, the Roman School of music.-Biography:...
and possibly Frescobaldi in Italy) - Johann Erasmus KindermannJohann Erasmus KindermannJohann Erasmus Kindermann was a German Baroque organist and composer. He was the most important composer of the Nuremberg school in the first half of the 17th century.-Life:...
(studied under Johann StadenJohann StadenJohann Staden was a German Baroque organist and composer. He is best known for establishing the so-called Nuremberg school.-Life:He was the son of Hans Staden and Elisabeth Löbelle...
) - Johann KriegerJohann KriegerJohann Philipp Krieger was a German Baroque composer and organist. He was the elder brother of Johann Krieger.-Early years:...
(studied under Heinrich SchwemmerHeinrich SchwemmerHeinrich Schwemmer was a German music teacher and composer.He was born in Gumpertshausen bei Hallburg, Lower Franconia, and moved with his mother to Weimar after his father’s death in 1627, to get away from the Thirty Years War. After his mother's death in 1638, he moved to Coburg, then in 1641 to...
and Georg Caspar WeckerGeorg Caspar WeckerGeorg Caspar Wecker was a German Baroque organist and composer. A minor composer of the Nuremberg school, Wecker is now best remembered as one of Johann Pachelbel's first teachers....
) - Johann Philipp Krieger (studied under (amongst others) Johann Drechsel, Gabriel Schütz, and Johann RosenmüllerJohann RosenmüllerJohann Rosenmüller , was a German Baroque composer, who played a part in transmitting Italian musical styles to the north....
) - Georg MuffatGeorg Muffat-Life:He was born in Megève, Savoy, , and of Scottish descent. He studied in Paris with Jean Baptiste Lully between 1663 and 1669, then became an organist in Molsheim and Sélestat. Later, he studied law in Ingolstadt, afterwards settling in Vienna...
(studied under LullyJean-Baptiste LullyJean-Baptiste de Lully was an Italian-born French composer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. He is considered the chief master of the French Baroque style. Lully disavowed any Italian influence in French music of the period. He became a French subject in...
in Paris, then with PasquiniBernardo Pasquiniright|thumb|Bernardo PasquiniBernardo Pasquini was an Italian composer of opera and church music.He was born at Massa in Val di Nievole . He was a pupil of Antonio Cesti and Loreto Vittori...
and CorelliArcangelo CorelliArcangelo Corelli was an Italian violinist and composer of Baroque music.-Biography:Corelli was born at Fusignano, in the current-day province of Ravenna, although at the time it was in the province of Ferrara. Little is known about his early life...
in Italy) - Franz Xaver MurschhauserFranz Xaver MurschhauserFranz Xaver Murschhauser was a German composer and theorist.He was born in Saverne, Alsace, but he is first mentioned as a singer and instrumentalist at St Peter’s School in Munich, in 1676. He studied music with the Kantor, Siegmund Auer and, from 1683 to his death in 1693, Johann Caspar Kerll...
(studied under Kerll) - Johann PachelbelJohann PachelbelJohann Pachelbel was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher, who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most...
(studied under Wecker and Schwemmer and possibly Kerll) - Wilhelm Hieronymus PachelbelWilhelm Hieronymus PachelbelWilhelm Hieronymus Pachelbel was a German composer and organist, elder son of Johann Pachelbel.Born in Erfurt near Eisenach , Pachelbel studied with his father. The first printed reference to either Pachelbel is in Johann Mattheson's Ehrenpforte...
(studied under his father Johann) - Paul PeuerlPaul PeuerlPaul Peuerl was a German organist, organ builder, renovator and repairer, and composer of instrumental music....
- Isaac PoschIsaac PoschIsaac Posch was an Austrian composer and organist. He is chiefly known for his contribution to dance music Musicalische Ehrenfreudt 1618, and Musicalische Tafelfreudt 1621.-References:...
- Ferdinand Tobias RichterFerdinand Tobias RichterFerdinand Tobias Richter was anAustrian Baroque composer and organist.From 1675 to 1679 Richter served as organist at Heiligenkreuz Abbey in southern Austria. In 1683 he moved to Vienna to become court and chamber organist at the imperial court. In 1690 he was named first organist in the court...
- Sebastian Anton SchererSebastian Anton SchererSebastian Anton Scherer was a German composer and organist of the Baroque era.Scherer was born in Ulm, where he resided until his death. On 17 June 1653 he was elected town musician, and it was also around that time that he became assistant to Tobias Eberlin, then organist of the famous Ulm...
- Heinrich SchwemmerHeinrich SchwemmerHeinrich Schwemmer was a German music teacher and composer.He was born in Gumpertshausen bei Hallburg, Lower Franconia, and moved with his mother to Weimar after his father’s death in 1627, to get away from the Thirty Years War. After his mother's death in 1638, he moved to Coburg, then in 1641 to...
(teacher to Nikolaus Deinl, Johann KriegerJohann KriegerJohann Philipp Krieger was a German Baroque composer and organist. He was the elder brother of Johann Krieger.-Early years:...
, Johann Löhner, Johann Pachelbel, J.B. Schütz, and Maximilian Zeidler) - Johann Speth
- Johann StadenJohann StadenJohann Staden was a German Baroque organist and composer. He is best known for establishing the so-called Nuremberg school.-Life:He was the son of Hans Staden and Elisabeth Löbelle...
(teacher to Kindermann) - Agostino SteffaniAgostino SteffaniAgostino Steffani was an Italian ecclesiastic, diplomat and composer.-Biography:Steffani was born at Castelfranco Veneto. At a very early age he was admitted as a chorister at San Marco, Venice...
(studied under Kerll) - Christoph Stoltzenberg (studied under Deinl)
- Christoph StraussChristoph StraussChristoph Strauss was an Austrian composer, cantor and organist. His church music includes polyphonic pieces and polychoral Masses, including a notable Requiem for high and low choirs. Although his textures were, by current standards, old-fashioned at the time, his word painting proves his...
- Georg Caspar WeckerGeorg Caspar WeckerGeorg Caspar Wecker was a German Baroque organist and composer. A minor composer of the Nuremberg school, Wecker is now best remembered as one of Johann Pachelbel's first teachers....
(studied under Kindermann; teacher to Johann Krieger and Pachelbel)