Kaspar Förster
Encyclopedia
Kaspar Förster (baptized February 28, 1616, Danzig - died February 2, 1673, Oliva
, near Danzig) was a German singer and composer.
Förster studied music under his father Kaspar (1574-1652) and then under Marco Scacchi
in Warsaw
. He sang bass and conducted choirs at the Polish
court in Warsaw from 1638 to about 1643, then served as kapellmeister
to Frederik III of Denmark in Copenhagen
between 1652-55. In 1655, a war broke out between Denmark
and Sweden
, and Förster returned to Danzig, working as cantor
at the Marienkirche there. He returned to the employ of Frederik from 1661-67. During this time he visited Venice
several times and played a role in bringing aspects of Italian musical style to northern Europe. He also studied under Giacomo Carissimi
in the 1660s. Late in his life he worked briefly in Hamburg
before returning to his birthplace.
Förster's surviving works are mostly sacred cantata
s for three voices, with two violins and continuo
. Some 35 survive, and they often contain very low and difficult bass parts. His other works include wrote two oratorio
s, six trio sonata
s, and four secular cantata
s.
Oliva
Oliva is a municipality in the comarca of Safor in the Valencian Community, Spain, in the Valencian language area. To its east lie 10 km of coastline and beaches fronting the Mediterranean Sea....
, near Danzig) was a German singer and composer.
Förster studied music under his father Kaspar (1574-1652) and then under Marco Scacchi
Marco Scacchi
Marco Scacchi was an Italian composer and writer on music.Scacchi was born in Gallese, Lazio. He studied under Giovanni Francesco Anerio in Rome. He was associated with the court at Warsaw from 1626, and was kapellmeister there from 1628 to 1649...
in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. He sang bass and conducted choirs at the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
court in Warsaw from 1638 to about 1643, then served as kapellmeister
Kapellmeister
Kapellmeister is a German word designating a person in charge of music-making. The word is a compound, consisting of the roots Kapelle and Meister . The words Kapelle and Meister derive from the Latin: capella and magister...
to Frederik III of Denmark in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
between 1652-55. In 1655, a war broke out between Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and Förster returned to Danzig, working as cantor
Cantor (church)
A cantor is the chief singer employed in a church with responsibilities for the ecclesiastical choir; also called the precentor....
at the Marienkirche there. He returned to the employ of Frederik from 1661-67. During this time he visited Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
several times and played a role in bringing aspects of Italian musical style to northern Europe. He also studied under Giacomo Carissimi
Giacomo Carissimi
Giacomo Carissimi was an Italian composer, one of the most celebrated masters of the early Baroque, or, more accurately, the Roman School of music.-Biography:...
in the 1660s. Late in his life he worked briefly in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
before returning to his birthplace.
Förster's surviving works are mostly sacred cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
s for three voices, with two violins and continuo
Figured bass
Figured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer musical notation used to indicate intervals, chords, and non-chord tones, in relation to a bass note...
. Some 35 survive, and they often contain very low and difficult bass parts. His other works include wrote two oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
s, six trio sonata
Trio sonata
The trio sonata is a musical form that was popular in the 17th and early 18th centuries.A trio sonata is written for two solo melodic instruments and basso continuo, making three parts in all, hence the name trio sonata...
s, and four secular cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
s.