Valentin Rathgeber
Encyclopedia
Johann Valentin Rathgeber (3 April 1682, Oberelsbach
– 2 June 1750, Banz Abbey
) was a German
composer
, organist
and choirmaster of the Baroque Era
.
His father, an organist, gave him his first music lessons. At the beginning of the 18th century, he began studying at the University of Würzburg
, initially studying rhetorics, mathematics and law; later he changed direction and continued his studies in theology.
His first position was as a teacher at the Julius Hospital in Würzburg
. In 1707 he took up the post of chamber musician and servant of the abbot of the Banz Abbey, Kilian Düring. A short time later he joined the Benedictine Order, and in 1711 entered the priesthood. Thereafter, he was organist, choirmaster and preacher at the abbey.
He requested permission from the abbot to undertake a study trip, but was turned down. Despite this, he went anyway, and between 1729 and 1738 visited much of the familiar musical territory.
Documented stops on this trip were Mainz, Bonn, Cologne, Trier, Stuttgart, Regensburg, Germany, Switzerland, Vienna and Styria. Compositions from this period were primarily dedicated to his respective hosts. In 1738 he returned to the abbey, where as a result of his illegal departure he was temporarily imprisoned in his cell. A short time later, he was allowed to regain his former office. He lived in the Banz Abbey until his death, which was attributed to gout
.
Valentin Rathgeber was a very versatile and productive composer and was one of the most popular and respected composers in southern Germany. He composed both secular and sacred works, the majority of his output being sacred vocal works. He wrote several hundred works, mainly mass
es (43), hymn
s, aria
s, litanies
, requiem
s, magnificat
s, offertories
(164), Marian antiphones (44) and also instrumental concertos (24) and songs. His Augsburger Tafel-Confect, short for Ohren-vergnügendes und Gemüth-ergötzendes Tafel-Confect (Augsburg Table Confectionery, short for Table Confectionery, Pleasuring the Ears and Delightful to the Soul) is a collection of songs meant to be performed for dessert, whereas a Tafelmusik was performed during a main course. He published three editions of his work in 1733, 1737 and 1739, Johann Caspar Seyfert
adding a fourth in 1746.
Oberelsbach
Oberelsbach is a municipality in the district of Rhön-Grabfeld in Bavaria in Germany....
– 2 June 1750, Banz Abbey
Banz Abbey
Banz Abbey , now known as Banz Castle , is a former Benedictine monastery, since 1978 a part of the town of Bad Staffelstein north of Bamberg, Bavaria, southern Germany.-History:...
) was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
and choirmaster of the Baroque Era
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
.
His father, an organist, gave him his first music lessons. At the beginning of the 18th century, he began studying at the University of Würzburg
University of Würzburg
The University of Würzburg is a university in Würzburg, Germany, founded in 1402. The university is a member of the distinguished Coimbra Group.-Name:...
, initially studying rhetorics, mathematics and law; later he changed direction and continued his studies in theology.
His first position was as a teacher at the Julius Hospital in Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
. In 1707 he took up the post of chamber musician and servant of the abbot of the Banz Abbey, Kilian Düring. A short time later he joined the Benedictine Order, and in 1711 entered the priesthood. Thereafter, he was organist, choirmaster and preacher at the abbey.
He requested permission from the abbot to undertake a study trip, but was turned down. Despite this, he went anyway, and between 1729 and 1738 visited much of the familiar musical territory.
Documented stops on this trip were Mainz, Bonn, Cologne, Trier, Stuttgart, Regensburg, Germany, Switzerland, Vienna and Styria. Compositions from this period were primarily dedicated to his respective hosts. In 1738 he returned to the abbey, where as a result of his illegal departure he was temporarily imprisoned in his cell. A short time later, he was allowed to regain his former office. He lived in the Banz Abbey until his death, which was attributed to gout
Gout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
.
Valentin Rathgeber was a very versatile and productive composer and was one of the most popular and respected composers in southern Germany. He composed both secular and sacred works, the majority of his output being sacred vocal works. He wrote several hundred works, mainly mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
es (43), hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s, aria
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
s, litanies
Litany
A litany, in Christian worship and some forms of Jewish worship, is a form of prayer used in services and processions, and consisting of a number of petitions...
, requiem
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
s, magnificat
Magnificat
The Magnificat — also known as the Song of Mary or the Canticle of Mary — is a canticle frequently sung liturgically in Christian church services. It is one of the eight most ancient Christian hymns and perhaps the earliest Marian hymn...
s, offertories
Offertory
The Offertory is the portion of a Eucharistic service when bread and wine are brought to the altar. The offertory exists in many liturgical Christian denominations, though the Eucharistic theology varies among celebrations conducted by these denominations....
(164), Marian antiphones (44) and also instrumental concertos (24) and songs. His Augsburger Tafel-Confect, short for Ohren-vergnügendes und Gemüth-ergötzendes Tafel-Confect (Augsburg Table Confectionery, short for Table Confectionery, Pleasuring the Ears and Delightful to the Soul) is a collection of songs meant to be performed for dessert, whereas a Tafelmusik was performed during a main course. He published three editions of his work in 1733, 1737 and 1739, Johann Caspar Seyfert
Johann Caspar Seyfert
Johann Caspar Seyfert was a German composer, violinist and lute player.He was a music director in Augsburg. In 1746 he added a fourth volume to the Augsburger Tafel-Confect, which Valentin Rathgeber had published in 1733, 1737 and 1739...
adding a fourth in 1746.
Works (selection)
- Augsburger Tafel-Confect
- Opus I Octava musica clavium octo musicarum in Missis octo musicalibus (mass compositions)
- Opus II (vespers)
- Opus III (masses)
- Opus IV (offertories with instrumental accompaniment)
- Opus V (antiphons for the church year)
- Opus VI (secular instrumental works)
- Opus VII (masses for the church year)
- Opus VIII (requiem and Libera)
- Opus IX Psalmodia vespertina (vespers cycle)
- Opus X (Latin and German arias)
- Opus XI (hymns)
- Opus XII (rural and town masses)
- Opus XIII (Miserere and Tantum ergo)
- Opus XIV (offertories cycle in 3 parts)
- Opus XV (offertories)
- Opus XVI (antiphons)
- Opus XVII (vesper cycle)
- Opus XVIII (litanies)
- Opus XIX (masses)
- Opus XX (offertories)
External links
- Valentin Rathgeber (1682 - 1750): "Augsburgisches Tafel-Confect" musica-dei-donum.org