Life

Funcke was born in Nossen

Nossen

Nossen is a town in the district of Meißen, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is part of the Dresden region, and located 80 km southeast of Leipzig. The town is dominated by a large Renaissance castle.- History :...

. After studies in Wittenberg

Wittenberg

Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....

 in 1660–61 he became Kantor at Perleberg. In 1664 he was appointed Kantor at St Johannis, Lüneburg

Lüneburg

Lüneburg is a town in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located about southeast of fellow Hanseatic city Hamburg. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, and one of Hamburg's inner suburbs...

 where he stayed till 1594. He moved to Römstedt

Römstedt

Römstedt is a municipality in the district of Uelzen, in Lower Saxony, Germany....

 where he spent his last years. He died at Lüneburg

Lüneburg

Lüneburg is a town in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located about southeast of fellow Hanseatic city Hamburg. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, and one of Hamburg's inner suburbs...

.

He is the composer of a St Matthew Passion that is quite important in the history of the oratorio. The passion has come down to us in two versions one without and one with Continuo (probably not written by Funcke).

Secular Works

• Glückwünschender Zuruff (Wohlauff, mein schwacher Geist), S, 2 vn, bc (1664)
• Trauer-Ode (Ach! was ist doch unser Leben), 6vv, bc (1664)
• Klag- und Trost-Zeilen (Ach! Hertzeleid! Ja diss Leben-lose Leben), 6vv, bc (1665)
• Seliger Abschied (Ach! Herr, ich warte auff dein Heil), 5vv, bc (1665)
• Seeliger Abschied (Mensch, was ist des Lebens Zier), 6vv (1665)
• Letzte Pflicht (Hier kurtze Zeit, ach leid), 6vv (1666)
• Danck- und Denck-Mahl, 8vv, insts a 5, bc (Hamburg, 1666)
• Hochzeit-Freude (Was des Himmels Raht erfunden), S, 2 inst, bc (1667)
• Trauer-Thoon (Was ist doch diese Welt), 5vv (1669)
• Der ewig-feste und unüberwindliche Gottes Schutz (Ist Gott für uns), 4vv, 5 insts, bc (Hamburg, 1682)
• New Year cant. (Herr, hebe an zu segnen) 4vv, chorus 4vv, str, bc, 1684, D-Lr

Sacred Works

• St Matthew Passion, c1668–74, D-Lr (anon., attrib. Funcke by Birke)
• St Luke Passion, 1683, music lost
• 43 melodies, 7 texts, in Lüneburgisches Gesangbuch (Lüneburg, 1686)
• Litania, 8vv (2 choirs), insts

Theoretical works

• Janua latino-germanica ad artem musicam, clavibus facilioribus in usum scholae … Lunaeburgensi (Hamburg, 1680), lost

Sources

• Martin Ruhnke's article in New Grove Dictionary of Music
• H. Walter: Musikgeschichte der Stadt Lüneburg vom Ende des 16. bis zum Anfang des 18. Jahrhunderts (Tutzing, 1967)
• J. Birke: ‘Eine unbekannte anonyme Matthäuspassion aus der zweiten Hälfte des 17. Jahrhunderts’
• H. Walter: Musikgeschichte der Stadt Lüneburg vom Ende des 16. bis zum Anfang des 18. Jahrhunderts (Tutzing, 1967)

External links