Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

ca. 1590 in Marienburg, Germany

Death

:

ca. August, 1623 in Stockholm, Sweden

Period

:

Baroque

Genre

:

Orchestral

 

Bartolomaeus Praetorius was a German composer and organist who lived during the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. He was born in 1571 in Hamburg, Germany, into a family of musicians. His father, Jacob Praetorius, was a well-known organist and composer, and his grandfather, also named Jacob Praetorius, was a composer and music theorist. Bartolomaeus Praetorius began his musical education under the tutelage of his father, who was the organist at St. Jacobi Church in Hamburg. He later studied with the renowned composer and organist Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck in Amsterdam. Praetorius returned to Hamburg in 1595 and succeeded his father as the organist at St. Jacobi Church. Praetorius was a prolific composer, and his works include sacred vocal music, instrumental music, and keyboard music. He was known for his skillful use of counterpoint and his ability to blend traditional Renaissance polyphony with the emerging Baroque style. One of Praetorius's most famous works is his collection of chorale settings, "Musae Sioniae." This collection, which was published in 9 volumes between 1605 and 1610, contains over 1200 settings of Lutheran chorales. Praetorius's settings are notable for their intricate counterpoint and their use of chromaticism, which was a relatively new technique at the time. Another notable work by Praetorius is his "Magnificat quinti toni," which is a setting of the Magnificat text for five voices and continuo. This work, which was published in 1622, is notable for its use of polychoral techniques, which were popular in Venice at the time but were relatively uncommon in Germany. Praetorius's keyboard music is also noteworthy. His "Tabulatura Nova," which was published in 1620, contains 128 pieces for organ and harpsichord. These pieces include preludes, fugues, toccatas, and variations on popular tunes of the time. Praetorius's keyboard music is notable for its virtuosic passages and its use of chromaticism. In addition to his work as a composer, Praetorius was also a respected organist and music teacher. He taught several students, including his son Hieronymus Praetorius, who went on to become a successful composer and organist in his own right. Praetorius died in Hamburg in 1621, at the age of 50. His legacy as a composer and musician lives on, and his works continue to be performed and studied by musicians and scholars around the world.

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