Elias Ammerbach

Elias Nikolaus Ammerbach (* 1530 in Naumburg, † January 29, 1597 ) was a German organist and arranger of the Renaissance. He published the first printed collection of organ music in Germany.

Life

Ammerbach attended the University of Leipzig (1548-1549) and was then, probably until his death, organist at St. Thomas Church. He was three times married. The preface to his publication of 1571, a Orgeltabulaturbuch, lets see that he has made trips abroad for study purposes, but there are no details to.

Services

Ammer Bach's collection is the first example of what is now known as " New German organ tablature " notation that was used even in the eighteenth century. You used exclusively letters for pitch and rhythmic symbols placed over it. Ammer Bach tablature arrangements contain various popular composers of the mid-16th century, among them Ludwig Senfl, Heinrich Isaac, Josquin Desprez, Clemens non Papa and especially Orlande de Lassus. ( Compositions of Ammerbach itself, however, are not known. )

The secular music in Bach's Ammer publications has German titles, the sacred Latin works. In its most recent ( 1583 ) there is a greater number of arrangements of Italian Madrigals for keyboard instruments.