Bartholomäus Gesius

A student at the University of Frankfurt an der Oder (1575), Gesius was present in Wittenberg by 1588 where he published his "St John Passion." He was offered a position as the Kantor at the Church of Mary (Marienkirche) in Frankfurt which he accepted until his death in 1613. He was a student of either Zacharias (organist) or Lange (Kantor) of the Marienkirche. Gesius certainly influenced Praetorius as Scandello influenced him. He advocated the alteration of textual settings in his "Geistliche deutsch Lieder" (Spiritual German Songs) which came to its apex in the music of Praetorius. The music of Gesius was informed by the humanist tradition of Lutheran theology (probably in the line of Melancthon). All of Gesius' compositions were for the church and he helped in the continuation of the Christmas tradition, that extended back to the Middle Ages, through his Magnificats. The "St Matthew Passion" was also one of Gesius' more important works (best illustrative of a motet passion). ~ Keith Johnson