German Baroque: Johann Rosenmüller

Kern-Sprüche by Johann Rosenmüller

Key-Sayings   2nd book by Rosenmüller   1648

Source: Wikipedia

Born in 1619 in Oelsnitz, Saxony, Johann Rosenmüller is a composer planted firmly in the first century of baroque which had already seen several decades of exploration by the time he began publishing compositions. Rosenmüller shoveled more coal into the stove that would eventually see Germany's engine steaming ahead of Italy's in baroque composition. The elements of baroque had emerged in Italy at the turn of the century, principally in a return to Greek monody with a continuo (instrumental bass or rhythm part performable by one of any variety of instruments). Such formed the crude of baroque witnessed in early opera. Prior to baroque emphasis in counterpoint in secular music had been focused on only polyphonic vocal parts. Enter the voice with baroque and the addition of continuo to scores where only vocal parts had appeared before, quickly developing into instrumentals for solo and multiple parts. With the exception of organ in sacred music the entire history of classical composition had been concerned with voice alone. Instrumental accompaniment in secular music was common far and wide from begin, but left to come what may and "do as you like" in their absence from scores. Baroque was a major reset in classical music in its approach to counterpoint and polyphony beginning with a conservative tight rein concentrating on the voice in measure with continuo keeping time.

(Basso) continuo or figured bass is an instrumental means of keeping a constant meter or recurring rhythm which, as elemental to baroque, received its own bar line in notation become standard to scores. In the interest of persistently repeating musical patterns or phrases (basso) continuo had been preceded by the ostinato. Ostinatos are identified as early as the 13th century in the English rota or round (perpetual canon). 'Sumer is icumen in' ('Summer Has Arrived' or 'The Cuckoo Song') in particular is an ostinato possibly written by W. de Wycombe as early as 1260. Rendition by the Hilliard Ensemble. Feeding into baroque to remain ever since, ostinatos have arrived to contemporary times as the riff or vamp. A good example of a modern ostinato is the driving bass and piano in Henry Mancini's 'Peter Gunn'. Not to exaggerate the importance of continuo in Rosenmüller, as he wrote parts for numerous instruments long since common by then. But were you born a century before Rosenmüller you'd probably be wondering, not that instrumental parts were performed, but how they now got added to scores emphasizing their presence in such as consorts (small ensembles).

Rosenmuller attended the Lateinschule at Oelsnitz as a youth where music was likely part of his curriculum. He enrolled into the University of Leipzig in 1640 to study theology and might have been composing by that time, as he also studied music under Tobias Michael and acquired employment upon graduating in 1642 as an assistant music teacher at the Thomasschule where he remained throughout the forties.

Rosenmuller published his first volume of compositions in 1645: 'Paduanen, Alemanden, Couranten, Balletten, Sarabanden'. 'Kern-Spruche' ('Key-Sayings' from the Old and New Testaments) followed in 1648, a collection of 20 sacred concertos published by Heredes Friedrich Lanckisch in Leipzig. Titles below are numbered according to multiple sources including a facsimile of the original. Something isn't jiving with IMSLP which numbers them differently. It lists No.1, for example, as No.20. I mention this since IMSLP is a reference any and all would consult, and I've not figured why the discrepancy. IMSLP sources RISM while others source a vague Rosenmüller Werkverzeichnis-Zählung (RWV) which directory I've not discovered online. Data beneath is from CPDL and Stretta Music. Find them and IMSLP in references further below.

'Hebet eure Augen auf gen Himmel'   Sacred concerto by Johann Rosenmüller

'Raise Your Eyes to Heaven'   Text: Isaiah 56:1

No.6 of 'Kern-Sprüche' pub in Leipzig 1648  

Composed for ST & 2 violins w continuo

Soprano: Olga Nazaykinskaya   Tenor: Ivliy Semenenok   Moscow State University 2012

'In te, Domine, speravi'   Sacred concerto by Johann Rosenmüller

'In You, Lord, I Put My Trust'   Text: Psalm 31:1-6

No.16 of 'Kern-Sprüche' pub in Leipzig 1648  

Composed for SSTT or mixed choir & 2 violins w continuo

Weser-Renaissance Bremen directed byManfred Cordes

It was 27 February 1649 when Johanna Magdalena Teller died at about age two. Her father, Abraham Teller, a theologian, wrote a song called 'Desire' in her memory to which Rosenmuller set music for the resulting 'Welt ade, ich bin dein müde'. The final chorale of that was published in a broadsheet announcing Magdalena's funeral service. Abraham and wife had extreme difficulty conceiving children who would grow into adults. Of ten, six died young, including Johanna Elisabeth Teller not two months old upon her passing on 19 February 1652. Text for this 'Welt ade, ich bin dein müde' was written by Johann Georg Albinus and published that year.

'Welt ade, ich bin dein müde'   Funeral service by Johann Rosenmüller

'World farewell, I am weary of you'   Text: poss Abraham Teller   Pub 1649

Ensemble 1684 directed by Gregor Meyer

Rosenmuller was yet a teaching assistant in 1650, but moved up in the world upon becoming an organist at St. Nicholas Church in 1651. He published 'Andere Kern-Sprüche' ('Other Key-Sayings') in Hamburg in 1652, a collection of sacred songs for voice, strings (violin, viol) and continuo.

'Siehe an die Werke Gottes'   Johann Rosenmüller

'Behold the Works of God'

No.20 of 'Andere Kern-Sprüche' pub 1652 or 1653

Composed for SSATB & 2 violins w continuo

Johann Rosenmuller Ensemble directed by Arno Paduch

Becoming musical director in absentia to the Altenburg court some 25 miles south of Leipzig in 1654, Rosenmuller published 'Studenten-Music', a collection of seven dances (Paduans) and 10 suites for unspecified instruments. "Paduan" probably refers to the pavane, a slow processional court dance originating in Italy in the early 16th century similar to the basse dance emerging in Burgundy, France, in the 14th century.

'Suite No.7' of 'Studenten Music'  Concerto by Johann Rosenmüller

Nos.40-44: Paduan - Alemanda - Courant - Ballo - Sarabanda

Ensemble 1684 directed by Gregor Meyer

Rosenmuller was imprisoned the next year in 1655 for homosexual activity. Escaping to Hamburg, come 1658 he was enviably employed as a trombonist at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice. He there began composing and teaching in 1660, about the time he might have authored the sacred concerto, 'O felicissimus paradysi aspectus' transcribed posthumously into the Mus MS. 18883 titled '35 Geistliche Gesänge' in 1700.

'O felicissimus paradysi aspectus'  Sacred concerto by Johann Rosenmüller

'O Most Happy Aspect of Paradise'

Composed for soprano, trumpet & strings c 1660

MS: '35 Geistliche Gesänge'   Sammlung Bokemeyer Handschrift Mus. ms. 18883   1700

Soprano: Sonila Kaceli    Tromba barocca: Michele Santi   Organ: Valeria Montanari

Between 1678 and 1682 Rosenmuller taught music at the Ospedale della Pietà, an esteemed music school and orphanage. His final volume of compositions, 'Sonate à 2, 3, 4 è 5 Stromenti', consisting of twelve sonatas arrived in 1682.

'Sonate à 2, 3, 4 è 5 Stromenti'   No.3 à 2 in A minor   Johann Rosenmüller   Pub 1682

Musica Fiata directed by Roland Wilson

'Sonate à 2, 3, 4 è 5 Stromenti'   No.6 à 3 in F major   Johann Rosenmüller   Pub 1682

Ensemble Polyharmonique

'Sonate à 2, 3, 4 è 5 Stromenti'   No.10 à 5 in F major   Johann Rosenmüller   Pub 1682

Musica Fiata directed by Roland Wilson

Rosenmuller next served the court of Anthony Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, as choirmaster until his death in Wolfenbüttel on 10 September 1684.