Johann Abraham Peter Schulz
Encyclopedia
Johann Abraham Peter Schulz (March 31, 1747 in Lüneburg
– June 10, 1800 in Schwedt
) was a German
musician
and composer
. Today he is best known as the composer of the melody for Matthias Claudius
's poem "Der Mond ist aufgegangen" and the Christmas carol
"Ihr Kinderlein kommet
".
of composer Johann Kirnberger
, and then taught in Berlin himself. He served as the conductor of the French Theatre in Berlin from 1776 to 1780 and from 1780 to 1787 he was the Kapellmeister
of Prince Henry
in Rheinsberg
. Schulz then went on to serve as Court Kapellmeister in Copenhagen
from 1787 to 1795 before returning to Berlin.
Schulz wrote opera
s, stage music, oratorio
s, and cantata
s, as well as piano pieces and folk songs. Furthermore, he also wrote articles on music theory
for Johann Georg Sulzer
's (1720–1779) Allgemeinen Theorie der schönen Künste in four volumes.
Lüneburg
Lüneburg is a town in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located about southeast of fellow Hanseatic city Hamburg. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, and one of Hamburg's inner suburbs...
– June 10, 1800 in Schwedt
Schwedt
Schwedt is a city in Brandenburg, Germany. It is the largest city of the district Uckermark near the Oder river on the border with Poland.-Overview:...
) was a German
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...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. Today he is best known as the composer of the melody for Matthias Claudius
Matthias Claudius
Matthias Claudius was a German poet, otherwise known by the penname of “Asmus”.-Life:Claudius was born at Reinfeld, near Lübeck, and studied at Jena...
's poem "Der Mond ist aufgegangen" and the Christmas carol
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...
"Ihr Kinderlein kommet
Ihr Kinderlein kommet
"Ihr Kinderlein, kommet" is a German Christmas carol.The lyrics were written by Catholic priest and writer Christoph von Schmid in 1798. His poem, titled "Die Kinder bei der Krippe" , had originally eight verses and was first published in 1811...
".
Life
Schulz attended the Michaelis School from 1757 to 1759 and then the Johanneum in Lüneburg from 1759 to 1764. In 1765, he was the student in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
of composer Johann Kirnberger
Johann Kirnberger
Johann Philipp Kirnberger was a musician, composer , and music theorist. A pupil of Johann Sebastian Bach, he became a violinist at the court of Frederick II of Prussia in 1751. He was the music director to the Prussian Princess Anna Amalia from 1758 until his death. Kirnberger greatly admired J.S...
, and then taught in Berlin himself. He served as the conductor of the French Theatre in Berlin from 1776 to 1780 and from 1780 to 1787 he was the Kapellmeister
Kapellmeister
Kapellmeister is a German word designating a person in charge of music-making. The word is a compound, consisting of the roots Kapelle and Meister . The words Kapelle and Meister derive from the Latin: capella and magister...
of Prince Henry
Prince Henry of Prussia
Frederick Henry Louis , commonly known as Henry , was a Prince of Prussia. He also served as a general and statesman, and, in 1786, was suggested as a candidate for a monarch for the United States....
in Rheinsberg
Rheinsberg
Rheinsberg is a town and a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Rhin, approx. 20 km north-east of Neuruppin and 75 km north-west of Berlin.-History:...
. Schulz then went on to serve as Court Kapellmeister in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
from 1787 to 1795 before returning to Berlin.
Schulz wrote opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s, stage music, oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
s, and cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
s, as well as piano pieces and folk songs. Furthermore, he also wrote articles on music theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
for Johann Georg Sulzer
Johann Georg Sulzer
Johann Georg Sulzer was a Swiss professor of Mathematics, who later on moved on to the field of electricity. He was a Wolffian philosopher and director of the philosophical section of the Berlin Academy of Sciences....
's (1720–1779) Allgemeinen Theorie der schönen Künste in four volumes.
Lieder
- Gesänge im Volkston, 1779
- Lieder im Volkston, 1782, 1785, 1790.
- Chansons Italiennes, 1782
Operas
- Clarissa, operetta, BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
1775 - La fée Urgèle, comédie avec ariettesComédie mêlée d'ariettesComédie mêlée d'ariettes is a form of French opéra comique that developed in the mid 18th century following the Querelle des Bouffons dispute over the respective merits of the French and Italian styles, between serious drama and comedy in opera.The best-known ones are Christoph Willibald Gluck's...
, 1782 - Aline, reine de Golconde, Rheinsberg 1787
- Høstgildet, SyngespilSingspielA Singspiel is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera...
, CopenhagenCopenhagenCopenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
1790 - Indtoget, Syngespil, Copenhagen 1793
- Peters bryllup, Syngespil, Copenhagen 1793
Church music
- Maria und Johannes, 1788
- Kristi død, 1792
- Des Erlösers letzte Stunde, 1794
- 4 Hymns, 1791–1794
External links
- Cyber Hymnal: Johann Abraham Peter Schulz
- Biography at the Johanneum hosted on Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Schulz' church music