Balthasar Resinarius (born Balthasar Harzer; c. 1483 – 12 April 1544) was a German composer, and a

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

bishop, one of the first Lutherans in

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

Life and career

It is regarded as proven the Resinarius, listed by the music publisher Georg Rhau, is identical with the composer Balthasar Harzer, also listed by Rhau. Harzer was born in Tetschen,

. He received his musical education as a choir boy in the court chapel of King Maximilian I in Munich. He was also a pupil of Heinrich Isaac there. In 1515, he was enrolled as ''Baldassar Harczer'' to study at the

University of Leipzig Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...

. From 1523, he worked on the initiative of as a Catholic priest in his home town. He got into a fierce dispute with a

preacher, in the course of which he turned to the Bohemian king for help while the other party sought help from

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

himself. It is not known whether this early and intense confrontation with the new faith led him to convert to Lutheranism. From 1534, he was active, under his

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

name ''Resinarius'' as Lutheran pastor. He was bishop in Leipa from c. 1544 until his death. He died in Leipa. After Resinarius' death, the Renaissance humanist Georg Hansch, who lived in Leipa, published several commemorative publications ("Epitaphs") in memory of him; these present him as a kind and friendly, also helpful and with a beautiful voice talented person. In particular, Hansch repeatedly praises his striking, outstanding gift as a speaker and his theological scholarship and persuasiveness – with which he had won many followers for the Protestant teaching.

Importance

As a composer, Resinarius is regarded as one of the most important representatives of the first Protestant generation. His works are only known through the publications of Georg Rhau. He was directly inspired to write these works by the latter, who also introduced him, in the preface to his Responsories, as an aged and hitherto unknown master. In his publication ''Encomion Musicae'' (1551), the author Johannes Holtheuser counted the composer among the most famous masters of his time. Especially noteworthy from the series of publications by Georg Rhau is the individual print of 1543 with compositions by Resinarius; this is, apart from a publication of the works of , the only publication Rhaus with works by only one composer (individual print). These pieces by the master found a wide distribution due to the publication of Georg Rhau in relevant manuscripts of the 16th century. The works of Resinarius correspond in content and composition in an excellent way to the efforts to provide music for the services of the early Lutheran church. The composer's stylistic means are rather conservative: a clear and concise

declamation Declamation (from the Latin: ''declamatio'') is an artistic form of public speaking. It is a dramatic oration designed to express through articulation, emphasis and gesture the full sense of the text being conveyed. History In Ancient Rome, decl ...

oriented to the

cantus firmus In music, a ''cantus firmus'' ("fixed melody") is a pre-existing melody forming the basis of a polyphonic composition. The plural of this Latin term is , although the corrupt form ''canti firmi'' (resulting from the grammatically incorrect trea ...

, a rhythmic and melodic balance, a frequently encountered parallel course of the voices among themselves and the absence of any articial

counterpoint In music theory, counterpoint is the relationship of two or more simultaneous musical lines (also called voices) that are harmonically dependent on each other, yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. The term originates from the Latin ...

. These lead to an always clearly understandable text presentation with sometimes confessional forcefulness. Typical of his writing style are also numerous archaic elements ( Landini cadence, cadences with double

leading-tone In music theory, a leading tone (also called subsemitone or leading note in the UK) is a note or pitch which resolves or "leads" to a note one semitone higher or lower, being a lower and upper leading tone, respectively. Typically, leading to ...

, also empty sounds etc.). The Johannespassion by Resinarius is one of the few through-composed passions from the first half of the 16th century that is strictly based on the

liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...

Passion tone. It also betrays both lyrically and musically, as does the St. Mark Passion by Johannes Galliculus, the model for the through-composed Passions by

Jacob Obrecht Jacob Obrecht (also Hobrecht; 1457/8

and Antoine de Longueval. (around 1498 – 1525). If one compares them with the Passions of Longueval, for example, one notices the numerous ''internal cadenzas'', which partly override the structure of the text.

Work

The works of Resinarius are exclusively vocal music and are based, with one exception, on publications by Georg Rhau in

Wittenberg Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is the fourth-largest town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, in the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. It is situated on the River Elbe, north of Leipzig and south-west of the reunified German ...

: * 4

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...

s for four voices: "Caeduntur gladiis", "Deus tuorum militum", "Jesus corona virginum" and "Urbs beata Jerusalem", 1542, as Balthasar Hartzer * collection ''Responsoriorum numero octoginta de tempore et festis iuxta seriem totius anni, Libri duo. Primus de Christo, & regno eius, Doctrina, Vita, Passione, Resurrectione & Ascensione. Alter, de Sanctis, & illorum in Christum fide & Cruce'' for four voices, 1543, 2nd edition 1544 * 30

chorale A chorale is the name of several related musical forms originating in the music genre of the Lutheran chorale: * Hymn tune of a Lutheran hymn (e.g. the melody of " Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme"), or a tune in a similar format (e.g. one o ...

settings for four voices, 1544, including "Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein", "Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ" and "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" *

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'', which are spoken or sung at the ...

"Deus misericordiam" for four voices, 1545 * 3

motet In Western classical music, a motet is mainly a vocal musical composition, of highly diverse form and style, from high medieval music to the present. The motet was one of the preeminent polyphonic forms of Renaissance music. According to the Eng ...

s for four voices: ''Factum est autem'', ''In principio erat verbum'' and ''Liber generationis'', 1545 * 3 verses for two voices: ''Eya inquit Paulus'', ''Tradiderunt'' and ''Vigilia te ergo'', 1545 (not published by Georg Rhau) * Hymn ''Beatus author saeculi'' for four voices * 4 other hymns for four voices.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Resinarius, Balthasar German Renaissance composers 16th-century hymnwriters 16th-century German composers 16th-century Lutheran bishops 16th-century German Roman Catholic priests 1544 deaths People from Děčín

Life and career

Importance

Work

References

Further reading

External links