Martin Agricola
Encyclopedia
Martin Agricola was a German
composer
of Renaissance music
and a music theorist.
He was born in Schwiebus
in Lower Silesia
. His German name was Sohr or Sore.
From 1524 until his death he lived at Magdeburg
, where he occupied the post of teacher or cantor in the Protestant school. The senator and music-printer Rhau
, of Wittenberg
, was a close friend of Agricola, whose theoretical works, providing valuable material concerning the change from the old to the new system of notation, he published.
Among Agricola's other theoretical works is Musica instrumentalis deudsch (1529), a study of musical instrument
s, and one of the most important works in early organology
; and one of the earliest books on the Rudiments of music
.
Agricola was also the first to harmonize in four parts Martin Luther
's chorale
, Ein feste Burg.
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...
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...
of Renaissance music
Renaissance music
Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance. Defining the beginning of the musical era is difficult, given that its defining characteristics were adopted only gradually; musicologists have placed its beginnings from as early as 1300 to as late as the 1470s.Literally meaning...
and a music theorist.
He was born in Schwiebus
Swiebodzin
Świebodzin is a town in western Poland with 21,757 inhabitants . It is the capital of Świebodzin CountyIt was formerly part of the Zielona Góra Voivodeship , a reconfiguration of the old German state of Prussia, the eastern 40% of which was inherited by Poland in 1945, and led to the expulsion of...
in Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia ; is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast.Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of the medieval Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy from 1526...
. His German name was Sohr or Sore.
From 1524 until his death he lived at Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, where he occupied the post of teacher or cantor in the Protestant school. The senator and music-printer Rhau
RHAU
RHAU is a 114-kDa human RNA helicase of the DEAH-box family of helicases encoded by the DHX36 gene.- Structure :Structurally, RHAU is a 1008 amino acid-long modular protein...
, of Wittenberg
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
, was a close friend of Agricola, whose theoretical works, providing valuable material concerning the change from the old to the new system of notation, he published.
Among Agricola's other theoretical works is Musica instrumentalis deudsch (1529), a study of musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
s, and one of the most important works in early organology
Organology
Organology is the science of musical instruments and their classification. It embraces study of instruments' history, instruments used in different cultures, technical aspects of how instruments produce sound, and musical instrument classification...
; and one of the earliest books on the Rudiments of music
Rudiments of music
The Rudiments of music are the basic elements of music theory. They include musical notation, pitch, time, scales, key signatures, time signatures, and intervals, together with their typical uses in melody and harmony...
.
Agricola was also the first to harmonize in four parts Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
's chorale
Chorale
A chorale was originally a hymn sung by a Christian congregation. In certain modern usage, this term may also include classical settings of such hymns and works of a similar character....
, Ein feste Burg.