Matthias Greitter

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Matthias Greitter , also Matthäus Greiter , (* around 1495 in Aichach ; † December 20, 1550 in Strasbourg ) was a clergyman, cantor and composer.

Life

Greitter was a clergyman and precentor at the cathedral in Strasbourg . When the Reformation prevailed there in 1524, primarily through the influence of Wolfgang Capito , he was faced with the choice of joining the new movement or of leaving the city. He stayed, like his friend Wolfgang Dachstein , left the monastery and became assistant preacher to St. Stephan and St. Martin from 1528. In 1538 he took a position as a music teacher at the Collegium Argentinense , the forerunner of the Strasbourg University . Under the conditions of the Augsburg interim , he returned to the Catholic denomination in 1549 and founded a Catholic singing school, but died the following year, presumably of the plague .

Works

Greitter provided the melody of the Kyrie ( EG 178.2) and the great Gloria (EG 180.1) , which are still sung regularly in the liturgy of evangelical services . In addition, he created about 20 other chorale melodies, the most famous of which he provided with the text in 1525: Blessed are all who walk in correct faith . Sebald Heyden placed them under his O man, weep your sin great (EG 76), other texts are I greet you on the trunk of the cross by Valentin Ernst Löscher (EG 90), Jauchz, Erd, und Himmel, cheer brightly by Ambrosius Blarer (EG 127 ) and he rises, our God by Matthias Jorissen (EG 281). Johannes Calvin , who met the sage during his stay in Strasbourg 1538–1541, brought them to the French-speaking area; in the Geneva Psalter it is assigned to his own adaptation of the 36th Psalm , as well as that of the 68th Psalm by Théodore de Bèze . The latter became an important battle song of the Huguenots .

In addition, there are 14 secular songs with four voices penned by Matthias Greitter, a five-part Christian has been created and a four-part setting from Ovid's Tristia , 8, verses 15 ff. ( Passibus ambiguis Fortuna volubilis errat ). In 1544 he published a textbook on music: Elementale musicum juventuti accomodum .

literature

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personal data
SURNAME Greitter, Matthias
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Greiter, Matthew
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Cantor and composer
DATE OF BIRTH around 1495
PLACE OF BIRTH Aichach
DATE OF DEATH December 20, 1550
Place of death Strasbourg