Theile, Johann

1646-1724

"The father of contrapuntists;" born at Naumberg. After studying at the University of Halle and Leipsic he became a student of composition under Heinrich Schütz at Wessenfels. In 1673 he went tc Gottorp as chapelmaster tc the Duke of Holstein, and during the wars, in 1678, went to Hamburg, writing the operas, Orontes, and Adam and Eve. He became chapelmaster at Wolfenbüttel in 1685, and later entered the service of the Duke Christian II. of Merseberg, continuing there until the death of the Duke; then went back to Hamburg and passed the rest of his life there. He also wrote the oratorio, Die Geburt Christi; A German Passion; Noviter inventum opus musicalio composition containing twenty masses after the style of Palestrina; also the very important work entitled Novae Sonatae rarissimae Artis et suavitatio Musicae; Unterricht von einigen doppelton Contrapunkten und deren Gebrauch and Musikalisches Kunstbuch.