Schein, Johann Hermann

1586-1630

One of the most noted German organists and composers of the Sixteenth Century. Son of the pastor of the Lutheran Church at Meissen. Born in Grünhaim, Saxony. Died at Leipsic. In 1599 he became a chorister in the Electoral Chapel at Dresden and received a scientific education at the Schulpforte there and at Leipsic University, where he studied jurisprudence. He became Court conductor at Weimar in 1613, and in 1615 returned to Leipsic as cantor of the Thomasschule, a position which he filled till his death. His compositions were avowedly written in imitation of the Italian composers* and were among the first in Germany to show the influence of the new school of composition then arising in Italy. His most important work is Cantional oder Gesangbuch A.ugspurgischer Confession, which contains some three hundred choral melodies old and new to German and Italian words, harmonized for ordinary church use, nearly a hundred of them being original. He also published Venus-Kranzlein, secular songs; Die Geistlichen Concerte; Cymbalum Sionium; Banchetto Musicale; dance tunes; and among the earliest of German music for strings, Opella Nova, Musica Divina, Musica boscareccia, Waldliederlein (Hunting or Forest Songs), Fontana d'Israel, Israelis Brunnlein, written in old madrigal style; Balletto pastorale; Dilletti pastorali; Villanelle; Studenten-Schmauss; and a twentyfour part Te Deum.