Joachim von Burck, also Joachim a Burgk or Joachim Moller (

Burg The German word Burg means castle. Burg or Bürg may refer to: Places Placename element * ''-burg'', a combining form in Dutch, German and English placenames * Burg, a variant of burh, the fortified towns of Saxon England Settlements * Burg, Aar ...

, 1546- Mühlhausen, 24 May 1610) was a German composer, notable for an early German Passion setting. As

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...

's predecessor at the church of St Blasius, he pioneered the musical life in post-Reformation Mühlhausen, bringing it to early fruition. Influenced by the tradition of Flemish polyphony and the Italian madrigal, he developed his own style, focusing on clarity of expression. Considering himself a servant to the word of God, he discovered the German language as the foundation of his work, pragmatically addressing the congregation: "for I have aimed to set the words to the music in a manner that almost each syllable has its own note and that the four parts sing the words simultaneously in order that the listener can hear the words clearly."Radecke, Thomas: 450 - Meister Joachim, Festschrift, Burg und Mühlhausen 1996 Burck's compositions were widely disseminated and acclaimed for their suitability for common use.

References

German classical composers Renaissance composers 1546 births 1610 deaths German male classical composers {{Germany-composer-stub