Johann Beer

Johann Beer, also Behr or Bear, ( born February 28, 1655 in St. Georgen im Attergau, Upper Austria, † August 6, 1700 in White Rock ) was a writer and composer.

Life and work

His father Wolfgang Beer (1621-1699) was an innkeeper and moved with his family later on religious grounds to Regensburg. The father and probably the mother, Susanna Stadelmeyr (1625-1694), were Protestant faith. Beer had 15 siblings. He worked as a musician, composer and music theorist; as a writer, he published a large number of novels under various pseudonyms. Beer married in 1679 Rosine Elizabeth Brehmer and had with her 11 children. He died on August 6, 1700 the result of a hunting accident.

Beer left an autobiographical writing, which is present as a holograph. In it he talks about his birth, childhood, youth, and his subsequent career. In the margin of the manuscript he drew himself illustrations. The initially liquid story soon changes into a diary-like, chronical list of life events. In addition, Beer describes in numerous accidents, accidents, disease, killings and other violent events. These records end with the self derived from Beer indication that he was wounded very difficult in a hunting accident. Beer died as a result of this accident. This autobiographical writing became the basis of a psycho- biographical study, which deals mainly with the effects of childhood trauma: the accidental death of his two younger brothers Abraham and Gottlieb Beer himself was about 5 years old.

Even as a child is likely Beer have come in manifold manner in touch with music since the 17th century singing and instrumental playing a more prominent position than had today. He attended the school of the Benedictine monastery of Lambach, to the Protestant family had to move to Regensburg in 1670, where John attended high school. Here he developed his talent as a storyteller by he entertained his classmates with impromptu stories. This talent made ​​him later for writers. He wrote under a number of pseudonyms knight novels and satirical writings, whose attribution is partially secured and partially also John Riemer is attributed, who had several times been critical to Beers anti-feminism.

Moreover Beer wrote a series of Pfcaro ( picaresque ) novels, such as In Abentheuerlichen January Rebhu Artlicher Pokazi ( 1679/80 ) and The Symplizianische World Kucker ( 1677/79 ). Despite the obvious allusions to the works Grimmelshausen these novels could not achieve its success. As the author of these writings, he was unmasked in 1932 by Richard Alewyn. Alewyn wrote a monograph on Beer, in which he tried to work out what is new in the literature. In contrast to Grimmelshausenmuseum to Beer have been largely solved by the symbol containing the world of the Baroque and deliver in his novels a realistic depiction of contemporary reality. " The Germans Winter Nights " and " The kurtzweilgen Summer Täge " are exemplary of Beers moralizing satires of contemporary society.

A critical edition of the Complete Works of Johann Beer, ed. by F. van Ingen and H.-G. Roloff appeared in Bern 1981 et seq addition to musical and literary talent possessed Beer Springer, Weissenfels 1698 is also about drawing skills, such as that illustrated with woodcuts own historians and historians of country - Graff Ludwig.

After only lasted a few months theological studies ( 1676 ) Berry appeared as alto ( countertenor? ) In the service of Duke Augustus of Saxe - Weissenfels, where he found sufficient in an art-oriented milieu opportunity to participate in all sorts of courtly festivities. Finally, he was promoted to the ducal concert master and librarian. He was snapped on August 6 of 1700 by a hunting accident abruptly from the life.

With the revival of older music and the work of Johann Beers experienced a renaissance in the form of a concerto for post horn, French horn and string orchestra. Here Beer shows well as a gifted composer with some melodic talent. However, the post horn is a musical instrument, but served the postilion as a signal, eg to raise awareness of dangers to hikers thoughts sunken emanating from an approaching carriage.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) on the piano and Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) with the help of the oboe later made the post horn, and the postilion to the subject of their program music. The concert application of such a horn looks a bit strange without any knowledge of a specific event, especially as the post horn sounds in all movements of the Concerto and Beer just does not understand, mono chorus disch use the horn as a pedal point or with respect to a hurdy-gurdy harmony.

Beers music was also played on Bavarian TV during a crossing of the Alps with the stagecoach as background music, while their effect did not fail despite some contrapuntal weaknesses.

Since 2009, the Johann Beer Literature Prize is awarded jointly by the Medical Council in Upper Austria and Deutsche Bank in Austria. The price is € 7.000, - doped.

Works (selection)

• The Simplicianische World Kucker. 4 vols Halle / Saale 1677-79.
• The adventurous wonderful and outrageous knight hop - sack of Bacon sides.. Hall 1678 ( emphasis: Shaker, Aachen 2003, ISBN 3-8322-1311-2 )
• The Political Feuermäuer - sweepers. Weidmann, Leipzig 1682, OCLC 22,567,484th
• Teutsche winter nights. John Hoffmann, Nuremberg 1682, OCLC 84,722,482th
• Musicalische Fuchsjagdt. Weißenfel 1697 title page
• Adolf blacksmith corner (ed.): Johann Beer. His life told by himself. Cambridge University Press, 1965 Göttingen, DNB 450,303,241th