Gottfried August Homilius

Gottfried August Homilius ( born February 2, 1714 Rosenthal, † June 2, 1785 in Dresden ) was a German composer, choirmaster and organist.

Life

After visiting the Anne School in Dresden Homilius studied law in Leipzig. Even there he was musically active and represented at times the organist of St. Nicholas Church, Johann Schneider. He presumably counted for immediate circle of students of Johann Sebastian Bach. From 1742 Homilius was organist at the Frauenkirche in Dresden and from 1755 in the wake of Theodor Christian Reinhold until his death cantor and music director at the three main churches of Dresden; Main site Homilius ' was the Frauenkirche in Dresden, after the Cross Church in 1760 destroyed by Prussian troops and their new building was not consecrated until 1792. Homilius died in 1785 in Dresden and was buried on the Johanniskirchhof. His grave is not obtained.

Work and significance

Homilius has predominantly church music composed with more than 10 Passions ( a 1775 printed by Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig, entitled " A lamb goes and is to blame " ), one oratorio for Christmas ( 1777) and at Easter, about 60 motets, 180 cantatas, 4 Magnificat, chorales, preludes and chorale preludes. Moreover, narrated by him several " Songs for Mason " and a basso - school. In 1776 Homilius has been called the "well now identified best church composer " means. After his death, Ernst Ludwig Gerber even came to the view that Homilius was " without question our greatest Kirchencomponist ".

The vocal compositions by Homilius enjoyed until the 19th century popular. A large number survived until now copies testifies to the dissemination of his works. In the course of Homilius renaissance in recent years many of the rediscovered works of the putative Bach 's pupil and Kreuzkantor were published in premiere recordings on CD.