Agricola, Martin

About 1500-1556

An important German musical writer of the Sixteenth Century, whose real name was Sohr or Soro. He was one of the principal authorities on the history of musical instruments of his time, and a factor in the reform of musical notation. He was born about 1500, at Sorau, Brandenburg, and died at Magdeburg. He was private teacher in Magdeburg, later teacher and cantor of the first Protestant School there. While engaged in the duties of schoolmaster he carried on the study of music by himself, and made such advance as to take rank as an authority. His most important work is his Musica instrumentalis deudsch. Mention should be made of his Musica figuralis deudsch; Rudimenta Musices; and Von den Proportionibus. Agricola also published the collections Ein kurtz deudsch Musica; Deudsch Musica und Gesangbtichlein; Ein Sangbuchlien aller Sonntags-Evangelem.