Rosenmüller, Johann

Rosenmüller, Johann , significant German composer; b. Ölsnitz, near Zwickau, c. 1619; d. Wolfenbüttel (buried), Sept. 12, 1684. He studied music at the Ölsnitz Lateinschule and theology at the Univ. of Leipzig (1640). He was made an assistant at the Leipzig Thomasschule to teach music in 1642, being made first assistant in 1650; was also named organist of the Nicolaikirche in 1651 and music director in absentia of the Altenburg court in 1654. However, he lost these posts when he and several of the schoolboys were arrested and incarcerated as homosexuals in 1655. Rosenmüller escaped and eventually made his way to Venice, where he became a trombonist at San Marco in 1658. He secured a position as a composer there by 1660, and later was composer at the Ospedale della Pietà (1678–82). He then returned to Germany to serve as Kapellmeister at the Wolfenbüttel court. He was a distinguished composer of both sacred vocal works and instrumental music. His compositions were well known in Germany and helped to advance the acceptance of the northern Italian styles.

Works

SACRED VOCAL : Kern-Sprüche mehrentheils aus heiliger Schrifft Altes und Neues Testaments for 1 to 5 Voices, Strings, and Basso Continuo (Leipzig, 1648; some ed. by D. Krüger, Hohenheim, near Stuttgart, 1960–68); Andere Kern–Sprüche for 1 to 5 Voices, Strings, and Basso Continuo (Leipzig, 1652–53; some ed. by A. Tunger, Hohenheim, near Stuttgart, 1960–63); 8 Funeral Songs for 5 Voices (Leipzig, 1649–54; ed. by F. Hamel in Acht Begräbnisgesange zu fünf Stimmen, Wolfenbüttel, 1930); Magnificat for 8 Voices, 5 Strings, Brass, and Basso Continuo; Dies irae for 4 Voices, 6 Strings, and Basso Continuo; Gloria in excelsis Deo for 8 Voices, 3 Strings, Brass, and Basso Continuo; Lamentationes Jeremiae for Voice and Basso Continuo (ed. by F. Hamel in Nagels Musikarchiv, XXVII-XXVIII); Missa; for 4 Voices and Basso Continuo; Missa brevis for 5 Voices, 5 Strings, Brass, and Basso Continuo; Nunc dimittis for Voice, 3 Strings, and Basso Continuo; Nunc dimittis for 4 Voices, 5 Strings, and Basso Continuo; numerous other works to Latin or German texts. INSTRUMENTAL: Paduanen, Alemanden, Couranten, Balletten, Sarabanden, a 3 and Basso Continuo (Organ) (Leipzig, 1645); Studenten-Music for 3 and 5 Strings and Basso Continuo (Leipzig, 1654; ed. by F. Hamel in Nagels Musikarchiv, LXI, 1929); 11 Sonate da camera for 5 Strings and Other Instruments (Venice, 1667; ed. by K. Nef in Denkmäler Deutscher Tonkunst, XVIII, 1904); 12 Sonate for 2 to 5 Strings and Other Instruments and Basso Continuo (Nuremberg, 1682; ed. by E. Pätzold, Berlin, 1954–56); various other sonatas, canons, dances, and other pieces in MS collections.

Bibliography

A. Horneffer, J. R. (c. 1619–1684) (Charlottenburg, 1898); F. Hamel, Die Psalmkompositionen J. R.s (Strasbourg, 1933); A. Lehmann, Die Instrumentalwerke von J. R. (diss., Univ. of Leipzig, 1965); K. Snyder, J. R.’s Music for Solo Voice (diss., Yale Univ., 1970).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire