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The German composer, Constantin Christian Dedekind, was the son of Stephan Dedekind (d 1636), who was pastor of Reinsdorf. Constantin was a pupil of Christoph Bernhard (vice-Kapellmeister in Dresden, appointed Kantor in Hamburg, 1664). From 1654 he was a member of the Dresden Hofcapelle; in a 1663 list of the 'Choralisten' his name appears among the basses. From 1666 to about 1676 he was Konzertmeister, which meant at first that he was to direct the 'kIeine deutdche Musik' in the Schloßkirche; but later on the capelle was divided, the Italian singers were placed under the Kapellmeister, the German singers, Kantor and organist under the Konzertmeister. He was a member of the Elbischen Schwanen-Orden, and took the pseudonym of Concord, usually written 'Con Cor D' or 'Con Cor Den,' as in the volume of poems 1681 Jahres ausgegaben von Con Cor Den. He held the position of Steuer-Einnehmer (collector of taxes) in Meissen and the Erzgebirge.
Judged by the number of his works, he was very popular both as poet and composer at the Dresden court. He was said to be particularly successful in arranging the words for sacred musical dramas, such as: Neue geistliche Schauspiele, bequemt zur Musik (Dresden, 1670 and 1676, 8vo); Freuden- und Trauerspiel über ae Geburt Jesu (Dresden, 1670, 8vo); Heilige Arbeit über Freud und Leid der alten und neuen Zeit, in Musik bequemten Schauspielen angewendet (Dresden, 1676, 8vo); Altes und neues in geistlichen Singspielen vorgestellt, Dresden, 1681, 8vo). The letters K.g.P. and K.S.C. after his name mean 'Kurfürstlicher gekrönter Poet' and 'Kurf Sächsischer Concertmeister'. |
