Samuel Scheidt

Samuel Scheidt , baptized the November 3rd 1587 and died the March 24th 1654 with Market, is a musician, organist and German choirmaster.

Chronology of its life

1603/04 : Organist in Moritzkirche (church Holy Maurice) with Market.

1607/08 : he studies with Amsterdam near the Master Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, celebrates it “maker of organists”.

1609 : Organist of the Court of the legate of Magdeburg with Halle; he plays church (Holy Vault Madeleine with the castle of Moritzburg) and composes for the Court.

1614 : Meet with Michael Praetorius which becomes starting from 1615 choirmaster of the Court;

1618 : it goes to Magdeburg to organize the music with the cathedral; it appraises an organ with Bayreuth with Michael Praetorius and Heinrich Schütz

1619 : it is named choirmaster of the Court

1627 It Marie with Helena Magdalena Keller: they have 7 children, of which 4 die into 1636 of an epidemic of plague.

1628 : Director musices of the largest church of Market, Sainte-Marie.

1630 : Following devastations of the Thirty Year old War, and a brawl with the vice-chancellor of the college, it loses not only almost all its goods, but also its musical position of director of the city. Nevertheless, it continues to work for the church, and directs several concerts.

Its work

Samuel Scheidt is especially known like one of the first Masters of the organ in Germany: he exerted a great influence which was transmitted until Bach.

1620 Cantiones sacrae ( hymns )
1621 Cantiones sacrae 4 volumes
1621 Ludi musici ( musical plays )
1624 Tabula Nova/3 volumes
1631 Geistliche Konzerte (concerts of sacred music)
1644 70 sinfonies with the manner of concerts with 3 votes
1650 Partition of Görlitz

Scheidt was regarded as the agent of the method and the old rules of composition. It however assimilated the technical assets of the music of its time: instrumental reasons worked out by the English musicians and Sweelink; play concerting as in Italy and at Praetorius); union or contrast of the voices with obliged instrumental parts; certain forms of the song decorated and expression picturesque with the words. One always observes in his work a control of the very worked voice, sometimes manièrée. Its concerts prepare the future cantatas of Bach. It also widened the possibilities of the play and the expression. (according to the Dictionary of the music of Honneger, at Bordered)

See too

German Schools of organ

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