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The German composer and Kantor, Leonhard [Leonard, Leonhart] Schroeter [Schröter], became Kantor at Latin schools in Saalfeld in 1561. In about 1564 he became Kantor of the cathedral of Magdeburg, in succession to Gallus Dressler, also a composer of some importance.
One of the best German composers of his time, Leonhard Schroeter published motets, German sacred songs, and collections of Christmas music and of hymns. His chief work is Hymni sacri, Erfurt, 1587, and consists of 4- and 5-part settings of those Latin church hymns which had been received into the worship of the Lutheran Church. Winterleld says of these hymns that they belong to the best musical works of the time; the harmony is rich, clear and dignified, and shows an unmistakable advance on the path of the older masters. They are in the same style as the hymns of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and Victoria, only the choral melody is mostly given to ,the upper voice. Some of these hymns, as well as some of the German psalms of Gallus DressIer, Schroeter's predecessor, are republished in Schöberlein and Riegel's Schatz des liturgischen Chorgesangs, Göttingen, 1868-1672. Earlier publications of hymn-tunes by Schroeter were published in 1562, 1576, 1584, etc. Four Weihnachts-Liedlein by Schroeter are received into the repertory of the Berlin Dom-Chor, and are published in Schlesinger's Musica sacra, No. 11. A German Te Deum for double choir by Schroeter, originally published in 1576, has been printed by Otto Kade in the Notenbeilagen to Ambros's Gesch. der Musik, No. 28. His Te Deum of 1571 shows familiarity with the most modern Venetian styles. |
