Schelle, Johann
Schelle, Johann
Schelle, Johann, significant German composer; b. Geising, Thuringia (baptized), Sept. 6, 1648; d. Leipzig, March 10, 1701. He received his early musical training from his father, a schoolmaster, and in 1655 was sent to Dresden to sing in the choir of the electoral chapel, which was directed by Schütz. In 1657 he went to Wolfenbüttel, where he sang in the choir of the ducal court. In 1665 he became a student at the Thomasschule in Leipzig under Knüpfer; subsequently studied at the Univ. of Leipzig, becoming cantor in Eilenburg in 1670. In 1677 he succeeded Knüpf er as cantor of the Thomaskirche in Leipzig; also served as director chori musici for the city, and acted as director of music for the Nicolaikirche. He taught music at the Thomasschule, being succeeded by his cousin, Johann Kuhnau. Schelle’s importance as a composer rests upon his settings of the sacred Gospel cantata to German texts (in place of the traditional Latin texts) for Protestant liturgical use in Leipzig. He extended this practice to the chorale cantata as well. See A. Schering’s ed. in the Denkmäler Deutscher Tonkunst, LVIII-LLX (1918).
Bibliography
F. Graupner, Das Werk des Thomaskantors J. S. (Berlin, 1929); R. Murray, The German Church Music ofj. S. (diss., Univ. of Mich., 1971).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire