Strungk, Nikolaus Adam

1640-1700

Also spelled Strunck. German violinist and composer. Born at Celle or Zell, where his father, Delphin Strungk, was Court organist, a post in which Nikolaus assisted him when only twelve years old. After he had studied the violin under Schnittelbach at Lübeck he was appointed first violin of the Brunswick Orchestra in 1660, but very shortly he changed for a similar position at Celle. In 1678 he became director of music for a Hamburg church, and composer for the Opera from 1678 to 1683. The Duke of Hanover appointed him chamber-organist, and canon of the Einbeck Cathedral, and took him to Italy, where he remained several years. In 1685 he became vice-conductor and in 1694 Court conductor of Dresden, but the last four years of his life were passed at Leipsic, where he was conductor of the Italian Opera. He also composed churchmusic, and pieces for the violin; besides over twenty operas, including Sejanus, Esther, Doris, Die drei Tochter des Kecrops, Thesus, Semiramis, Florette, Alceste, Pyrrhus, Ixion, and Erechtheus.