Born: 1646 - Ottern, near Weimar, Germany
Died: 1682 - Jena, Germany

Severus Gastorius (his real family name was Bauchspieß = a spit or skewer to run through the stomach; this is similar to Praetorius, the Latin substitution for the actual German name “Schul(t)z(e) – a shortened form of “Schultheiß” = “mayor.” ) attended school in Weimar where his father was a teacher. Beginning in 1667, Gastorius attended the University of Jena.

While in Jena, he became the substitute for the 61-year-old cantor, Andreas Zöll, in 1670 and married his daughter a year later. When Zöll died in 1677, Gastorius took over his position as cantor in Jena.

According to a report documented in the Nordhäuser Hymnal from 1687, it was Samuel Rodigast (1649-1708), in his position as ‘Adjunctus’ in Jena, who in 1675 wrote the text of the chorale 'Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan' specifically for his ill friend, Gastorius. Gastorius then fashioned the chorale melody 'Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan' basing it loosely upon a melody by Werner Fabricius (1633-1679).

Source: Cyber Hymnal Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (September 2005) & Thomas Braatz (September 2005)

Chorale Melodies used in Bach’s Vocal Works

Title

Year

EKG

Zahn

Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan

Use of Chorale Melodies in his works

Title

Chorale Melody

Year

Es ist genug, so nimm nun Herr meine Seele for 5 voices with bc

Es ist genug

1673

Links to other Sites

Severus Gastorius (Cyber-Hymnal)

Bibliography