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Christoph Bernhard
German Baroque composer, singer and director (born January 1, 1628 in Kolberg, Pomerania – died November 14, 1692 in Dresden, Saxony)
The son of a sailor, Christoph Bernhard grew up in poverty, trying to make money by going door-to-door and singing. A well-to-do donor enabled him to attend the Danzig grammar school where he studied the organ with former Sweelinck pupil Paul Siefert in Danzig (now Gdańsk). In 1649, at the age of 20, he made his way to Dresden, where the Prince Elector was captivated by his fine alto voice (later tenor) and engaged him to sing at court under Heinrich Schütz. From there, he was sent to the Danish Court in Gottorf, Nyköping, and Copenhagen to study singing with the Italian alto and Danish Kapellmeister Agostino Fontana. Around 1651, Bernhard was also able to travel to Rome to continue his musical studies.
Between 1655 and 1663, Bernhard served as Vice-Kapellmeister in Dresden. In 1663, he accepted a position in Hamburg as Kantor at the Johanneum (a highly reputed Grammar School, est. 1529). For the next 10 years, he and his friend Matthias Weckmann worked, composed, and directed concerts during what became known as the Golden Age of music in Hamburg. In 1670, his mentor Schütz commissioned Bernhard to write his funeral mass, which was performed at the older man's funeral two years later. In 1674, the Prince Elector recalled Bernhard to Dresden to again serve as his Vice-Kapellmeister; from 1681 until his death in 1892, he was Kapellmeister.
Bernhard composed many sacred vocal works in German and Latin, a few secular compositions, and three important treatises on music, the most famous of which is the Tractatus compositionis augmentatus (ca. 1657). Among his compositions that are still performed are "Was betrübst du dich, meine Seele?", "Aus Der Tieffen Ruff Ich, Herr, Zu Dir," "Sie Haben Meinen Herrn Hinweggenommen," "Currite Pastores," and the Christmas cantata "Fürchtet Euch Nicht."
The son of a sailor, Christoph Bernhard grew up in poverty, trying to make money by going door-to-door and singing. A well-to-do donor enabled him to attend the Danzig grammar school where he studied the organ with former Sweelinck pupil Paul Siefert in Danzig (now Gdańsk). In 1649, at the age of 20, he made his way to Dresden, where the Prince Elector was captivated by his fine alto voice (later tenor) and engaged him to sing at court under Heinrich Schütz. From there, he was sent to the Danish Court in Gottorf, Nyköping, and Copenhagen to study singing with the Italian alto and Danish Kapellmeister Agostino Fontana. Around 1651, Bernhard was also able to travel to Rome to continue his musical studies.
Between 1655 and 1663, Bernhard served as Vice-Kapellmeister in Dresden. In 1663, he accepted a position in Hamburg as Kantor at the Johanneum (a highly reputed Grammar School, est. 1529). For the next 10 years, he and his friend Matthias Weckmann worked, composed, and directed concerts during what became known as the Golden Age of music in Hamburg. In 1670, his mentor Schütz commissioned Bernhard to write his funeral mass, which was performed at the older man's funeral two years later. In 1674, the Prince Elector recalled Bernhard to Dresden to again serve as his Vice-Kapellmeister; from 1681 until his death in 1892, he was Kapellmeister.
Bernhard composed many sacred vocal works in German and Latin, a few secular compositions, and three important treatises on music, the most famous of which is the Tractatus compositionis augmentatus (ca. 1657). Among his compositions that are still performed are "Was betrübst du dich, meine Seele?", "Aus Der Tieffen Ruff Ich, Herr, Zu Dir," "Sie Haben Meinen Herrn Hinweggenommen," "Currite Pastores," and the Christmas cantata "Fürchtet Euch Nicht."
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