Johann Rosenmüller
from Oelsnitz
January 1, 1619 - September 12, 1684 (age 65)
Biography
Most of the compositionally productive life of this German composer and organist was spent in Italy where he wrote numerous instrumental and vocal pieces. He is known primarily for being one of the few German composers who wrote in Italy but was popular in Germany bringing north stylings from the peninsula. He composed a number of organ pieces while teaching and playing the organ in Leipzig. In 1658 Rosenmuller was a trombonist for St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice. It was not until approximately 1682 that he returned to Germany. Between 1645 and 1682 Rosenmuller was able to publish four instrumental sets of compositions which ranged from a number of easy Italian dance suites to the complexity of consort sonatas. The dance suites were nonenigmatic and convey nothing new to the structuring of suites though some arguments center around his use of the pavans in combinations. Twelve sonatas from 1682 include a great deal of fugal writing and other works, outside of the context of the instrumental collections, include approximately two hundred sacred works. These vocal compositions include Masses and Psalms which are set in the Latin. Rosenmuller demonstrated a capacity for understanding vocal sensibilities particularly regarding the conveyance of feeling and lucidity. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi
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