Musical anniversaries and commemorative dates in 2004

Vincent Lübeck (1654–1740)

Carl Heinrich Graun (1703/04?–1759)

Samuel Scheidt (1587–1654)

Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644–1704)

Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643? –1704)

Antonín Dvorák (1841–1904)

Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924)

Eduard Mörike (1804–1875)

The 400th birthday of Johann Bach will be observed in 2004. He was the oldest composer to emerge from the Bach family. Due to the uncertainties of the Thirty Years War only a few pieces of evidence have been preserved which can verify his musical sphere of activities, so that presently only three choral works can be ascribed to him: the simple and majestic motet Sei nun wieder zufrieden, the serious funeral motet Unser Leben ist ein Schatten and the choral aria Weint nicht um meinen Tod. These works are available from Carus.

The 350th birthday of Vincent Lübecks, one of the most famous organists and composers of his time, gives occasion to draw attention to his simple and lyrical Christmas cantata Willkommen, süßer Bräutigam, which Carus has published in a version for three-voiced mixed choir (SSB).

Carl Heinrich Graun's 300th birthday falls in 2004 (though his exact birthdate is unclear, it is between August 1703 and August 1704). He was the long-serving Kapellmeister at the Court of Frederick  II in Berlin. In addition to his operas, his most important sacred work, the sensitive (“empfindsam”) Passion cantata Der Tod Jesu (1755) deserves to be mentioned. It was long considered to be the masterpiece in this genre. Der Tod Jesu will be published by Carus in a critical new edition just in the time of Passion.

2004 is also the 350th anniversary of the death of Samuel Scheidt, Director musices at the court of Halle. Many of his sonorous choral settings have been published by Carus.

The church music of Heinrich Ignaz Biber, the anniversary of whose death will be marked for the 300th time in 2004, is just now becoming a focal point for musicological study. With the publication by Carus of the first edition of his Missa Alleluja à 26 in concerto a central work in the polychoral tradition of the 17th and 18th centuries has been presented. It offers new insights into the color and rich contrasts of the baroque era.

Marc-Antoine Charpentier, who also died 300 years ago, was the cantor at the famous Sainte Chapelle du Palais in Paris and is considered among the most productive composers of French motets in his time. Among the works published by Carus are his Magnificat and the motet In nativitatem Domini canticum for a small ensemble. In the latter work the birth of Christ is made vividly present and the joy of this liturgical time is expressivley proclaimed.

2004 also marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Antonín Dvorák, who is represented in the Carus catalog by no less than 50 works. Of special interest is his Messe in D, which is among his most outstanding sacred works. It has enjoyed a great deal of popularity due to its simiplicity and to the originality of its folkloristic melody. The version for organ, as well as the version for orchestra are available at Carus.

The 80th anniversary of Gabriel Fauré‘s death will occur in 2004. Fauré was cantor and organist at St. Madeleine in Paris and he left behind an extensive Œuvre of sacred work, which is being published by Carus in a series of three volumes. The first volume, published in 2002, continaes all of the sacred vocal pieces with keyboard accompaniment. Many of these compositions, which are also available in separate editions, are well suited for liturgical needs and offer a welcome alternative to comparable, more traditional repertoire pieces. The composer orchestrated serveral of these works for either orchestra or chamber ensemble. These versions will be published in volume II and the famous Requiem op. 48 will be published in volume III. Volumes II and III are presently in preparation.

A poet is also to be found of those whose birthday we are celebrating in 2004: Eduard Mörike was born in Ludwigsburg (near Stuttgart) in 1804. His profound, as well as humorous lyric poetry was set to music by many romantic composers, including Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger, Hugo Wolf, Robert Schumann. Helmut Bornefeld, a 20th century composer, has also set his poetry to music.

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