Born: c1585 (?) - Franconia
Died: June 16, 1640 (buried) - Lübeck, Germany

Peter [Petrus] Hasse (i) was a German Composer and organist, father of Nikolaus Hasse. He stands at the head of the Lübeck line of the family. He is first heard of on his appointment at Easter 1616 to the coveted post of organist of the Marienkirche, Lübeck. Since his three surviving organ works are found in a manuscript collection alongside compositions by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and his known pupils such as Andreas Düben, Jacob Praetorius (ii), Samuel Scheidt and Gottfried Scheidt, Paul Siefert and Melchior Schildt, it is believed that he too was a pupil of Sweelinck at Amsterdam, from about 1606-1609 onwards. In order to have obtained the post at Lübeck he may have been resident in the area beforehand. He held the post until his death. During this period he supervised a number of structural alterations to both of the organs at the Marienkirche and established himself as a teacher and performer; four of his sons were among his pupils. His variations on Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr reflect the early north German style of organ composition in their idiomatic use of the chorale melody as a readily perceived cantus firmus accompanied by a variety of contrapuntal devices, a piece often being divided into well-defined sections depending on the treatment of the subject. Hasse’s two extant vocal works show the influence of the prevailing Venetian polychoral style in the rhythmic declamation of the text in association with homophonic concertato textures.

Works

Mass movts, 7vv; motet, 8vv: A-Wgm
2 variations in set of 17 on Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, org, D-Bsb; ed. H.J. Moser and T. Fedtke (Kassel, 1953); ed. G. Gerdes, 46 Chorale für Orgel von J.P. Sweelinck und seinen deutschen Schülern (Mainz, 1955)
Praeambulum, Bsb; ed. in Organum, iv/21 (1925)

Source: Grove Music Online, © Oxford University Press 2006, acc. 3/5-06 (Author: David J. Nichols)
Contributed by Thomas Braatz (April 2006)

Use of Chorale Melodies in his works

Title

Chorale Melody

Year

Two 3 part Organ Variations on Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr

Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr

Links to other Sites

Bibliography