Sebastian Knüpfer
Sebastian Knüpfer (6 September 1633 – 10 October 1676) was a German composer, conductor and educator. He was the Thomaskantor, cantor of the Thomanerchor in Leipzig and director of the towns's church music, from 1657 to 1676.[1]
Life
Most of the biographical information about Knüpfer comes from a published obituary. He was born in Asch (now Aš, Czech Republic), and was first taught music by his father, a Kantor and organist. He also studied regularly with an unidentified tutor living near Asch, from whom he gained a solid grounding in, and lasting love for, a number of scholastic disciplines. At the age of 13 he entered the Gymnasium Poeticum at Regensburg and remained there for eight years. During this unusually long period he became well versed in the city's musical traditions (such as the works of Andreas Raselius), studied the organ, perhaps with Augustin Gradenthaler, and mastered a number of humanistic subjects, especially the poetic arts and philology. His gifts as a student were supported by scholarships from the city of Regensburg, and he was commended by influential members of the staff of the Gymnasium and the city council, some of the latter providing him with favourable testimonials when he moved to Leipzig in 1654. It is not known why he went there, but in view of his lifelong desire to improve his mind, it was possibly because he planned to enter the university. He did not, however, do so.
During his first few years in Leipzig, Knüpfer gave music lessons and sang as a bass in church choirs, displaying enough talent to take solo parts. He applied for the post of
Works
Knüpfer’s output consisted almost entirely of sacred works to Latin or German texts. Many are lost, and of those that survive few have been published in modern editions. Most are in the traditional style and form of the 17th-century vocal concerto, incorporating many of the characteristics of similar works by
), which supports the choral parts as well as interjecting all manner of colourful concerted effects. The choral writing may be massively chordal or intricately polyphonic, and there are a number of much simpler concerted passages for soloists supported only by the continuo. Knüpfer frequently based his German works on the text and melody of a chorale, and he was a master at deriving contrapuntal ideas from motivic fragmentation of the chorale. In many of these works the chorale verses are treated much as they are in slightly later German cantatas in which each verse is set separately. An opening choral movement, usually of large proportions and often repeated at the end of the work, is succeeded by movements designed for soloists. These are often ariosos or include fugal writing in which the chorale melody is passed back and forth between the voices in a duet or trio texture – a technique akin to that found in Bach’s organ chorale preludes. Other movements display dramatic use of expressive recitative: there is a good example in Wer ist, der so von Edom kِommt (excerpt in Schering, 1926, p. 162).Knüpfer’s music is primarily serious and profoundly devout, though he did publish a collection of the secular madrigals and canzonettas (1663) that he wrote for the university student with whom he worked in the
Sacred works
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- Ach Herr, lass deine lieben Engelein, SSATB, 2 vn, 2 violettas, bn, 2 clarinos, tamburi, 2 fl, bc
- Ach Herr, strafe mich nicht (Ps 6), SSATB, 2 vn, 2 violettas, bn, 2 clarinos, 2 fl, tamburi, bc
- Ach mein herzliebes Jesulein, 5vv, ripieno 5vv, 2 vn, 2 va, 2 cornetts, 3 trombones, vle, bc
- Ach, wenn kommet doch die Stunde, aria, A/T, 3 va, vle, bc
- Alleluja, man singet mit Freuden, 5vv, 8 insts
- Asche, die des Schöpfers Händ, 5vv, lost, extant in parody version by Z. Haenisch,
- Der Gerechte wird grünen wie ein Palmbaum, SSATB, 2 violins, violetta, 2 va, 2 cornets, 3 trombones, viole, bc
- Der Herr ist König, SSAATTBB, 2 violins, 5 va, 7 trombones, bc
- Der Herr ist mein Hirt, B, violine, 3 violas, bc
- Der Herr schaffet deinen Gränzen Friede, ATB, 2 violins, trombone, bc
- Der Seegen des Herren machet reich, SAATB, 2 violins, 3 violas, bc
- Dies ist der Tag, den der Herr macht, SSATB, ripieno SSATB, 2 violins, 2 va, bn, 2 clarinos, 2 trombones, bc
- Dies ist der Tag des Herrn, a 16 – SSATB, 2 violins, 2 violas, 2 clarini, timpani, 3 trombones, bassoon, bc
- Die Turteltaube lässt sich hören – SSATB, 2 violins, 2 violas, 4 clarini, timpani, bassoon, bc
- Erforsche mich, Gott – SATB, SATB, bc, funeral motet, 14 May 1673
- Erheb dich, meine Seele, SATB, funeral motet, 1676
- Erhöre, Jesulein, mein sehnlichs, S, 4 strings
- Erstanden ist der heilge Christ, SSATB, 2 violins, 4 va, bn, bombard, 2 clarinos, 2 tpt, tamburi, bc
- Es haben mir die Hoffärtigen – SATB, 2 violins, 3 violas, bassoon, bc
- Es ist eine Stimme eines Predigers in der Wüsten, SATB, 2 violins, 3 violas, bassoon, bc
- Es spricht der Unweisen Mund wohl, SSAATTBB, 2 violins, 3 violas, 2 cornetts, 3 trombones, bassoon, bc, on Luther's hymn
- Gelobet sey Gott, SSATB, instruments, bc
- Gen Himmel zu dem Vater mein, SSATTB, 2 vn, 2 clarinos, timp, 2 trombones, bn, bc
- Gott sei mir gnädig nach deiner Güte, SSATB, (ripieno SSATB?), 4 va, bn, vle, bc
- Herr Christ, der eining Gottes Sohn – SSATB, 2 violins, 3 violas, 2 cornetts, 3 trombones, bassoon, bc
- Herr, hilf uns, wir verderben, SATB, 2 vn, 2 va, bn, bc
- Herr, ich habe lieb die Stätte deines Hauses, ATB, 2 vn, va, bc
- Herr Jesu Christ, wahr Mensch, SSATB, (ripieno SSATB?), 2 vn, violone/bassoon, bc, on Eber's hymn "Herr Jesu Christ, wahr Mensch und Gott"
- Herr, lehre mich thun nach deinem, SATTB, (ripieno SATTB?), 2 vn, 3 va, bn, bc
- Herr, lehre uns bedenken, SSATTB, 2 vn, 3 va, bn, bc
- Herr, strafe mich nicht in deinem Zorn – SATB, 3 violas, violone/bassoon, bc
- Herr, wer wird wohnen in deinen Hütten, SAB, 2 cornetts, 3 va, bc
- Ich freue mich in dir, SSATB, 2 vn, 2 va, 3 trombones, 2 fl, violone, bc
- Ich habe dich zum Licht der Heiden gemacht, SATTB, (ripieno SATTB?), 2 vn, 3 va, bn, 2 cornettinos, 3 trombones, bc
- Ich will singen von der Gnade, SATB, (ripieno SATB), 2 vn, 3 va, bn, bc
- Jauchzet dem Herrn alle Welt, SATB, SATB, 2 vn, 3 va, bn, 2 clarinos, 2 cornettinos, tpt, 2 trombones, bc
- Jesu, meine Freud und Wonne, 5vv, 5 insts
- Jesus Christus, unser Heiland – SSATB, 2 violins, 3 violas, bassoon, bc
- Justus ut palma florebit, SATB, bc
- Komm du schöne Freudenkrone, SSATB, 2 vn, 3 violettas, violetta/bn, 2 clarinos, tamburi, 3 trombones, bc
- Komm heilger Geist, SATB, (ripieno SATB), 4 va, 4 trombones, bc
- Kommet herzu, lasset uns den Herzen frohlocken, SSATB, 2 violins, violas, bc
- Lass dir gefallen, 2vv, 4 insts
- Lauda Jerusalem, SATB, 2 violins, violone, bn, bc
- Machet die Thore weit, SSATB, (ripieno SSATB), 2 vn, 4 va, 2 cornetts/bombards, 3 trombones, bc
- Mein Gott, betrübt ist meine Seele, SSATTB, bc, funeral motet, 20 Oct 1667
- Mein Herz hält dir für dein Wort, SAT, 2 vn, bn, bc
- Missa (brevis) super Freu dich selig, SSAATTB, 2 violins, 5 violas, bc
- Missa (brevis) super Herr Jesu Christ, wahr Mensch und Gott, SSATTB, 2 violins, 5 violas, bc
- Missa (brevis) super O welt ich muss dich lassen, SSAATTB, 2 violins, 5 violas, bc
- Nun dancket alle Gott, SSATTB, 2 vn, 3 va, bc
- Nun freut euch, lieben Christen gemein, SSTTB, 2 vn, 2 va, bn, bc
- O benignissime Jesu, ATB, 2 vn/cornettinos, va da gamba/bombard, bc
- Quaemadmodum desiderat cervus – B solo, SSATB, bc
- Quare fremuerunt gentes, SSATTB, 2 vn, 3 va, 2 cornetts, 4 trombones, bc
- Sende dein Licht, SATB, (ripieno SATB), 2 vn, 2 va, bn, bc
- Super flumina Babylonis – SATB, 2 violins, 3 violas, 2 cornettini, 3 trombones, bassoon, bc
- Surgite populi: De resurrectione et ascensione Domini, SATB, SATB, 2 vn, 3 va, bn, 2 cornettinos, cornett, 5 tpt, 3 trombones, timp, bc
- Veni Sancte Spiritus, SSATB, 2 vn, 2 va, bn, 4 clarinos, 2 cornettinos, 3 trombones, timp, bc
- Victoria, die Fürsten sind geschlagen, 5vv, 2 vn, 2 va, bn, 3 trombones, bc
- Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her:
- chorus angelorum: SSS, 3 violas; SSS, 3 violins ripieni
- choro dei pastori: ATB, 3 bombardi
- choro pieno: SATB, 2 clarini, timpani, harp, bc
- Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh allzeit – SSATTB, 2 violins, 3 violas, 2 cornets, 3 trombones, bassoon, bc
- Was sind wir Menschen doch, SATB, funeral ode, 22 May 1672
- Was werden wir essen, dialogue, SATB, 4 violas, bc
- Weichet von mir, ihr Boshaftigen, SSATTB, funeral motet, 16 June 1661
- Welt Vater du! O Adam deine Kinder, 2 S, 3 va, vle, bc
- Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist – SATB, 2 violins, 2 violas, violone, bc
- Wer ist, der so von Edom Kommt – SAB, 4 violas, bc
- Wer ist, der so von Edom Kommt – SSATB, 2 violins, 2 violas, 4 trombetti, timpani, bassoon, bc
- O Traurigkeit, o Hertzeleid, Grab-Lied über die Begräbnis … Jesu Christi (J. Rist), 4vv, in G. Vopelius, Gesangbuch (Leipzig, 1682)
Secular music
- Lustige Madrigalien, 2–4vv, und Canzonetten, 1–3vv, insts (Leipzig, 1663)
References
- ^ Grove Concise Dictionary of Music (© 1994 by Oxford University Press); Grove Music Online (Author: George J. Buelow, © Oxford University Press 2005)
External links
- Free scores by Sebastian Knüpfer in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)