Thomas Stoltzer
Encyclopedia
Thomas Stoltzer, also Stolczer, Scholczer (ca. 1480, Schweidnitz, Silesia
– 1526, near Znaim, Moravia
) was a German composer of the Renaissance
.
; while no concrete evidence of this association exists, he was at the least intimately familiar with Finck's work since he quotes from Finck's music copiously.
He served as a priest
in Breslau from 1519, and was a supporter of the Reformation
, though he never made public his sentiments.Louis II
appointed him magister capellae in Ofen at the Hungarian
court on May 8, 1522. Ludwig's wife, Mary, asked him to set Martin Luther
's translations of psalms xii, xiii, xxxviii and lxxxvi, which he did between 1524 and 1526. One personal letter of Stoltzer's is still extant, dated February 23, 1526 and addressed to Duke Albrecht of Prussia in Königsberg
; in this letter Stoltzer relates the news of a recently completed psalm setting and intimates that he would like to join Albrecht's court. On this letter, there is additional writing, dated March 1526, which refers to him as "the late Thomas". It was previously thought that he had died at the Battle of Mohács
in August 1526, but this is erroneous.
, in the areas most directly affected by the Reformation; Georg Rhau
was one of his most dedicated printers, issuing at least 70 of Stoltzer's works in his publications. His works remained in general circulation in German
-speaking countries up until the end of the 16th century. While he composed in all of the standard sacred forms of his day, he concentrated on motet
s. His early motets often make use of numerological
signifiers of religious importance; later works show influence from the Netherlands school of composers, such as imitation
and the use of multiple choirs. Among his most popular motets was O admirabile commercium, which survives today in 11 sources.
He composed four mass
es, as well as fourteen introit
s spanning the church year from Christmas
to Easter
. His hymns were particularly beloved by Rhau, who printed 39 of them in 1542.
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
– 1526, near Znaim, Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
) was a German composer of the Renaissance
Renaissance music
Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance. Defining the beginning of the musical era is difficult, given that its defining characteristics were adopted only gradually; musicologists have placed its beginnings from as early as 1300 to as late as the 1470s.Literally meaning...
.
Life
Nothing is known of Stoltzer's early life, though he is thought to have come from the same family as Clemens Stoltzer, who was a town clerk in Schweidnitz. Stoltzer may have studied with Heinrich FinckHeinrich Finck
Heinrich Finck was a German composer.He was probably born at Bamberg, but nothing is certainly known either of the place or date of his birth. Between 1492 and 1506 he was a musician in, and later possibly conductor of the court orchestra of successive kings of Poland at Warsaw...
; while no concrete evidence of this association exists, he was at the least intimately familiar with Finck's work since he quotes from Finck's music copiously.
He served as a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in Breslau from 1519, and was a supporter of the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, though he never made public his sentiments.Louis II
Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia
Louis II was King of Hungary, Bohemia and Croatia from 1516 to 1526.- Early life :Louis was the son of Ladislaus II Jagiellon and his third wife, Anne de Foix....
appointed him magister capellae in Ofen at the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
court on May 8, 1522. Ludwig's wife, Mary, asked him to set Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
's translations of psalms xii, xiii, xxxviii and lxxxvi, which he did between 1524 and 1526. One personal letter of Stoltzer's is still extant, dated February 23, 1526 and addressed to Duke Albrecht of Prussia in Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
; in this letter Stoltzer relates the news of a recently completed psalm setting and intimates that he would like to join Albrecht's court. On this letter, there is additional writing, dated March 1526, which refers to him as "the late Thomas". It was previously thought that he had died at the Battle of Mohács
Battle of Mohács
The Battle of Mohács was fought on August 29, 1526 near Mohács, Hungary. In the battle, forces of the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by forces of the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent....
in August 1526, but this is erroneous.
Works
Stoltzer's extant works amount to some 150 pieces, gathered in 30 publications and 60 manuscripts. None of them date from Stoltzer's own lifetime. Stoltzer was most popular in SaxonySaxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
, in the areas most directly affected by the Reformation; Georg Rhau
Georg Rhau
Georg Rhau was a German publisher and composer. He was one of the most significant music printers in Germany in the first half of the 16th century, during the early period of the Protestant Reformation...
was one of his most dedicated printers, issuing at least 70 of Stoltzer's works in his publications. His works remained in general circulation in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
-speaking countries up until the end of the 16th century. While he composed in all of the standard sacred forms of his day, he concentrated on motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
s. His early motets often make use of numerological
Numerology
Numerology is any study of the purported mystical relationship between a count or measurement and life. It has many systems and traditions and beliefs...
signifiers of religious importance; later works show influence from the Netherlands school of composers, such as imitation
Imitation (music)
In music, imitation is when a melody in a polyphonic texture is repeated shortly after its first appearance in a different voice, usually at a different pitch. The melody may vary through transposition, inversion, or otherwise, but retain its original character...
and the use of multiple choirs. Among his most popular motets was O admirabile commercium, which survives today in 11 sources.
He composed four mass
Mass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
es, as well as fourteen introit
Introit
The Introit is part of the opening of the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist for many Christian denominations. In its most complete version, it consists of an antiphon, psalm verse and Gloria Patri that is spoken or sung at the beginning of the celebration...
s spanning the church year from Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
to Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
. His hymns were particularly beloved by Rhau, who printed 39 of them in 1542.
Editions
- Newe deudsche geistliche Gesenge (1544), ed. J. Wolf, Denkmäler deutscher Tonkunst, 1908
- Das deutsche Gesellschaftslied in Österreich von 1480–1550, ed. L. Nowak, Denkmaler der Tonkunst im Österreich, 1930
- Thomas Stoltzer: Sämtliche lateinische Hymnen und Psalmen, ed. H. Albrecht and O. Gombosi, Denkmäler deutscher Tonkunst, 1931
- Thomas Stoltzer: Ausgewählte Werke, vol. i ed. H. Albrecht, Das Erbe deutscher Musik, 1942; vols. ii-iii ed. L. Hoffmann-Erbrecht, 1969, 1983
- Georg Forster: Frische teutsche Liedlein (1539–1556) ed. K. Gudewill, Das Erbe deutscher Musik, 1942
- Georg Rhau: Sacrorum hymnorum liber primus, ed. R. Gerber, Das Erbe deutscher Musik, 1942–43
- Georg Rhau: Vesperarum precum officia, ed. H.J. Moser, Musikdrucke aus den Jahren 1538 bis 1545 in praktischer Neuausgabe, 1960