Sweelinck (real name, Swybbertszoon), Jan Pieterszoon

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Sweelinck (real name, Swybbertszoon), Jan Pieterszoon

Sweelinck (real name, Swybbertszoon), Jan Pieterszoon great Dutch organist, pedagogue, and composer; b. De venter, May? 1562; d. Amsterdam, Oct. 16, 1621. He was born into a musical family; his father, paternal grandfather, and uncle were all organists. He went as a youth to Amsterdam, which was to be the center of his activities for the rest of his life. Jacob Buyck, pastor of the Oude Kerk, supervised his academic education. He most likely commenced his musical training under his father, then studied with Jan Willemszoon Lossy. He is believed to have begun his career as an organist in 1577, although first mention of him is in 1580, as organist of the Oude Kerk, a position his father held until his death in 1573. Sweelinck became a celebrated master of the keyboard, so excelling in the art of improvisation that he was called the “Orpheus of Amsterdam.” He was also greatly renowned as a teacher, numbering among his pupils most of the founders of the so-called north German organ school. His most famous pupils were Jacob Praetorius, Heinrich Scheidemann, Samuel and Gottfried Scheidt, and Paul Siefert. The output of Sweelinck as a composer is now seen as the culmination of the great Dutch school of his time. Among his extant works are about 250 vocal pieces (33 chansons, 19 madrigals, 39 motets, and 153 Psalms) and some 70 keyboard works. Sweelinck was the first to employ the pedal in a real fugai part, and originated the organ fugue built up on one theme with the gradual addition of counter-themes leading to a highly involved and ingenious finale—a form perfected by Bach. In rhythmic and melodic freedom, his vocal compositions show an advance over the earlier polyphonic style, though replete with intricate contrapuntal devices. His son and pupil, Dirck Janszoon Sweelinck (b. Amsterdam [baptized], May 26, 1591; d. there, Sept.16, 1652), was an organist, music editor, and composer; he was his father’s successor as organist at the Oude Kerk (from 1621), where he acquired a notable reputation as an improviser. M. Seiffert ed. a complete edition of his works (12 vols., The Hague and Leipzig, 1894-1901). A new edition of his works, ed. by R. Lagas et al, commenced publication in Amsterdam in 1957.

Works

vocal: Psalms and Canticles: 50 pseaumes de David, mis en musique for 4 to 7 Voices (Amsterdam, 1604; second ed., 1624, as Premier livre des pseaumes de David, mis en musique...seconde edition); Rimes françoises et italiennes... for 2 to 3 Voices, avec une chanson for 4 Voices (Leiden, 1612); Livre second des pseaumes de David, nouvellement mis en musique for 4 to 8 Voices (Amsterdam, 1613); Livre troisième des pseaumes de David, nouvellement mis en musique for 4 to 8 Voices (Amsterdam, 1614); Sechs-stimmige Psalmen, auss dem ersten und andern Theil seiner aussgangenen frantzösischen Psalmen for 6 Voices (Berlin, 1616); Vierstimmige Psalmen, auss dem ersten, andern und dritten Theil seiner aussgangenen frantzösischen Psalmen for 4 Voices (Berlin, 1618); Livre quatriesme et conclusionnal des pseaumes de David, nouvellement mis en musique for 4 to 8 Voices (Haarlem, 1621). Motets: Canticum in honorem nup-tiarum...Iohannis Stoboei. ..et. ..Reginae. ..Davidis Möllert ..relicta vidua for 8 Voices (Königsberg, 1617); Cantiones sacrae for 5 Voices and Basso Continuo (Antwerp, 1619); Melos fausto quondam thalamo...conjugum Paris dicatum...studio et cura lohannis Stobaei for 5 Voices (Danzig, 1638). Chansons: Chansons...de M. lean Pierre Svvelingh organiste, et Cornille Verdonq nouvellement composées...accomodées tant aux instruments, comme à la voix for 5 Voices (Antwerp, 1594); Rimes françoises et italiennes... for 2 to 3 Voices, avec une chanson for 4 Voices (Leiden, 1612).M a d r i g a l s: Rimes françoises et italiennes... for 2 to 3 Voices, avec une chanson for 4 Voices (Leiden, 1612). OTHER: Many other works, including his keyboard pieces, were preserved in copies made by his pupils and widely circulated.

Bibliography

B. van Sigtenhorst Meyer, J.P. S. en zijn instrumentale muziek (The Hague, 1934; second ed., enl., 1946); idem, J.P. S. (Amsterdam, 1941); idem, De vocale muziek van J.P. S. (The Hague, 1948); A. Voigt, Die Toccaten J.P. S.s: Ein Beitrag zur frühen Instrumentalmusik (diss., Univ. of Münster, 1955); G. Gerdes, Die Choralvariationen in J.P. S.s und seiner Schüler (diss., Univ. of Freiburg, 1956); R. Tusler, The Organ Music of J.P. S.(Bilthoven, 1958); A. Curtis, S/s Keyboard Works: A Study of English Elements in Dutch Secular Music of the “Gouden Eeuw” (diss., Univ. of 111., 1963); F. Noske, S. (Oxford, 1988).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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