The Lutheran Baroque of Franz Tunder

Born in 1614 in Lübeck, Franz Tunder witnesses the early development of baroque in Germany following Praetorius born a couple generations earlier. Baroque had emerged in Italy shortly before Tunder's birth. Although Tunder was and is considered among the more important composers of his time no works of his survive beyond 17 pieces for voice, 14 for organ and a sinfonia.

Tunder became court organist to Duke Frederick III of Holstein-Gottorp in 1632 at age eighteen. He had studied had studied in the tradition of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck a few years earlier in Italy, perhaps with Frescobaldi. In 1641 he became head organist at St. Mary's Lutheran church in Lübeck. In 1647 his position was enlarged to administrator and treasurer as well. Tunder worked in that capacity for the next twenty years.

Tunder is principally known for vocal works with consort and keyboard works for organ. The consort for multiple instruments had arrived with baroque upon the latter's standardization of basso continuo (figured bass) alongside voice, performable by any variety of instruments. The consort was a small instrumental ensemble a shade smaller than the later chamber ensemble. Also arriving with baroque was the prelude. The only instrument that received scoring in music up through the Renaissance was the organ in sacred music. Secular music had gone several centuries without instrumental notation. Baroque brought an explosion of works for instruments, now receiving notation in their parts or as solos in their own right. As indicated by the term, the prelude is a little preliminary piece that warms up to a greater proper work. If no greater proper work follows you get a little study or practice piece (: the later etude).

It isn't known that Tunder published any of his music, but his work is highly likely to have been transcribed into manuscript by Martin Lincke who was head of the choir library at St. Mary's contemporaneously with Tunder [Snyder]. Dates of neither composition nor MS inclusion are known by me for the voice consorts or organ solos below. Nor have I found a source that places any more exactly than sometime circa 1642 to 1662. Since Tunder began giving his evening concerts at St. Mary's on organ, expanding to consort from there, the stack below begins with organ solos in alphabetical order. Stacking doesn't otherwise reflect chronology. What pieces for organ that might have followed works for consort, if any, I can't begin to say.

Solo Organ

'Christ Lag in Todesbanden'   Franz Tunder

Organ: Paul Fritts

'In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr'   Franz Tunder

'I have hoped in you, Lord' based on Psalm 31:1-6

Organ: Pieter Dirksen

'Jesus Christus, unser Heiland'   Franz Tunder

'Jesus Christ, our Savior'

 From hymn for Communion by Martin Luther pub 1524 in 'Erfurt Enchiridion'

Melody prob from older Latin chant

Organ: Marcus Hufnagl

'Praeludium in G minor'   'Prelude in G minor'   Franz Tunder

Organ: Finn Viderø   Jaegersborg Church, Denmark   c 1949   Gramophone GSC 42

Voice with Consort

'An Wasserflüßen Babylon'   Hymn setting by Franz Tunder

'By the rivers of Babylon'

Setting to the eponymous Lutheran hymn by Wolfgang Dachstein pub in Strasbourg in 1525

Paraphrase of Psalm 137

Scored for voice, four viols and figured bass (basso continuo)

Teares of the Muses

'Hosianna dem Sohne David'   Sacred cantata by Franz Tunder

'Hosianna to the son of David'

Setting to 'Hosianna dem Sohne Davids' pub 1601

Anonymous paraphrase of Mathew 21:9

Voice scored for 2 sopranos, alto, tenor & bass

Orchestra scored for 2 violins, 2 violas & viola basso or bassoon with continuo

Crescendo Chorus w the Crescendo Period Instrument Orchestra

'O Jesu dulcissime'   Sacred cantata by Franz Tunder

'O sweetest Jesus'

Scored for bass & 2 violins with continuo

Barokensemble Consort of Voices   Bass: Pieter van der Wilt

Tunder died on 5 November 1667. He was succeeded after two decades at Lübeck by Buxtehude who had married his daughter. Lutheran composer of high baroque, JS Bach, would be born eighteen years later in 1685.