Elias Nikolaus Ammerbach

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Elias Nikolaus Ammerbach (* around 1530 in Naumburg ; † January 29, 1597 ) was a German organist and arranger of the Renaissance period . He published the first printed collection of organ music in Germany.

Life

Ammerbach attended the University of Leipzig (1548–1549) and was then, presumably until the end of his life, Thomas organist at the Thomaskirche . In 1564 he acquired civil rights. He was married three times and the father of eleven children. The preface to his publication from 1571, a book of organ tablature , shows that he made trips abroad (Italy) for study purposes, but there is no further information.

Services

Ammerbach's collection is the first example of the notation known today as "New German Organ Tablature", which was still used in the eighteenth century. It only uses letters for pitches and rhythmic symbols placed above them. Ammerbach's tablatures contain arrangements by various popular composers from the mid-16th century, including Ludwig Senfl , Heinrich Isaac , Josquin Desprez , Clemens non Papa and especially Orlande de Lassus . There are no known compositions by Ammerbach himself.

The secular music in Ammerbach's publications has German titles, the sacred works Latin. His last publication ( 1583 ) contains a large number of arrangements of Italian madrigals for keyboard instruments.

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Ammerbach, Elias Nikolaus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German organist
DATE OF BIRTH around 1530
PLACE OF BIRTH Naumburg
DATE OF DEATH January 29, 1597