Thomas Simpson (composer)

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Musician , painting by Reinold Timm from around 1620. The viola da gamba player can be Thomas Simpson.

Thomas Simpson (born April 1, 1582 in Milton-next-Sittingbourne ( Swale , Kent ); † before June 22, 1628 in Copenhagen ) was an English composer , gambist , violinist and music editor.

Live and act

In 1608 Thomas Simpson got a job in the court chapel of Count Palatine Friedrich IV in Heidelberg . From 1612 to 1622 he worked as a violinist and gambist in the Bückeburg court orchestra of Count Ernst III. from Holstein-Schaumburg . With compatriots like William Brade or the lutenist George Webster and his son Maurice Webster († 1636) Simpson was one of the musicians who performed as an independent ensemble (the english music) and had special privileges over the other court musicians. From 1622 to 1625 Simpson worked in Copenhagen at the court of the Danish King Christian IV , with a relatively high annual salary of 350 thalers. No clues have been found about the last years of his life.

Works (selection)

  • 19 four-part " songes " on the title page of the autograph as " first frutes of my unskillfull Labores "
  • 23 five-part dances in Opusculum Neuwer Paduanen (Frankfurt, 1610)
  • Opus Newer Paduanen, Galliards, Intraden, Canzonen, Ricercares a 5 (Nuremberg, 1616)
  • " Allegrezza musicale " (Frankfurt, 1620)
  • 7 pieces in " Taffel Consort " (Hamburg, 1621)
  • Motet: “ Sicut exctatus est à 10 voc. "(Lost)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Mette Müller og Ole Kongsted: "Christian IV og musikken", in: Christian IV og Europa ; 1988; ISBN 87-982843-1-2 .
  2. ^ MGG 2nd edition, Vol. 16, Col. 833 and 834.
personal data
SURNAME Simpson, Thomas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Simson, Thomas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English composer, gambist and violinist
DATE OF BIRTH April 1, 1582
PLACE OF BIRTH Milton-next-Sittinbourne ( Swale , Kent )
DATE OF DEATH before June 22, 1628
Place of death Copenhagen