Nikolaus Listenius

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Nikolaus Listenius (* around 1510 in Hamburg , according to other information: Salzwedel ; † unknown) was a German music theorist and composer. His Musica is one of the most important textbooks of the 16th century.

Life

Listenius studied from 1529 at the University of Wittenberg . In 1531 he completed his studies with a master's degree . Around 1536 he taught at the Latin school in Salzwedel , today's Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Gymnasium . In addition to his school service, he was entrusted with the direction of church music . Since he tried to reform this Lutheran without the consent of Joachim II , the Elector of Brandenburg , he was reprimanded by him.

plant

Listenius' music theory treatise Rudimenta musicae first appeared in 1533 with a foreword by the reformer Johannes Bugenhagen at Georg Rhau in Wittenberg . In the version Musica Nicolai Listenii , which was expanded in 1537 , the work reached over 50 editions. Alongside Heinrich Faber's simpler Compendium musicae ( Braunschweig 1548), Listenius' Musica was the most widespread music textbook of the 16th century in the Latin schools of Central Germany , Pomerania , Württemberg and Austria .

The musica is a general music teaching. Based on the models Rhaus ( Enchiridion musicae , Wittenberg 1518) and Martin Agricolas ( Musica Choralis Deudsch , Wittenberg 1532), she teaches about the musica choralis , d. H. unanimous music and, via musica mensuralis , polyphonic music. In contrast to the other works, she does not deal with counterpoint and composition theory . The writing was influenced by Philipp Melanchthon's educational reforms. Your preface was written by the reformer Johannes Bugenhagen . Her main focus was no longer on the instructions, as in the older school works, but on the practical examples. To this end, Listenius included a large number of canons as teaching material.

reception

The musicology of the 20th century attributed Listenius to having used the term musica poetica as the first in the meaning of composition - in a three-way division of the music term with the other components musica theorica for theory and musica practica for practice. This was based on a misunderstanding that nevertheless made Listenius well known in the history of musical ideas. By this term he understood musical production in general, which also extends to theoretical works. The literal sense of the opus consumatum et effectum , which outlives its creator, is also not limited to the musical work in the sense of a composition. His definition, which goes back to the ethical writings of Aristotle and Quintilian , was not aimed at a separation of production and reproduction, but rather at the distinction between creation and action, as Protestantism also took up; Listenius tried to make this differentiation musically fruitful.

Works

  • Rudimenta musicae in gratiam studiosa iuventutis diligenter comportata A. M. Nicolao Listenio . Georg Rhau, Wittenberg 1533 ( digitized version ).
  • Musica Nicolai Listenii ab auctore denuo recognita multis novis regulis et exemplis adaucta Georg Rhau, Wittenberg 1537 ( urn : nbn: de: bsz: 25-digilib-70826 )

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b He is probably identical with Nikolaus List, who received his master's degree in 1531 in Wittenberg. On the occasion of the doctorate, Salzwedel is named as the place of origin, and Hamburg for the immutriculation. Compare: Michael Scholz: "Urban People's Movement" or "Prince Reformation"? . In: Enno Bünz, Heinz-Dieter Heimann, Klaus Neitmann (eds.): Reformations on site: Christian faith and denominational culture in Brandenburg and Saxony in the 16th century (= studies on Brandenburg and comparative regional history. Volume 20). Lukas Verlag, Berlin 2017, ISBN 978-3-86732-265-2 , p. 159 ( limited preview in Google book search).
personal data
SURNAME Listenius, Nicholas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Listenius, Nicolaus; List, Nikolaus; Lysten, Nicholas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German music theorist and composer
DATE OF BIRTH around 1510
PLACE OF BIRTH unsure: Hamburg
DATE OF DEATH 16th Century