Elias Ammerbach facts for kids

Elias Nikolaus Ammerbach (born around 1530 – died January 29, 1597) was a German musician from the Renaissance period. He was an organist, which means he played the organ, a large musical instrument. He is famous for publishing one of the very first printed books of organ music in Germany.

Who Was Elias Ammerbach?

Elias Nikolaus Ammerbach was born around 1530 in a town called Naumburg, Germany. He became a very important musician during the Renaissance, a time when art and music flourished. He was known for playing the organ and for arranging music for this instrument. He is also considered one of the "Colorists" in music, a group of composers who added many decorative notes to their music.

His Life and Career

Elias studied at the University of Leipzig from 1548 to 1549. After his studies, he worked as an organist at the Thomaskirche (St. Thomas Church) in Leipzig. He likely stayed in this job for the rest of his life. He was married three times, but his first two wives passed away. In a book he published in 1571, he mentioned traveling to other countries to learn more about music, but he didn't say where he went.

A New Way to Write Music

Ammerbach created a special way to write down music for keyboard instruments like the organ. This method is called tablature. His system became known as the "new German organ tablature". It used letters to show the musical notes and symbols above them to show the rhythm. This made it easier for people to read and play organ music.

Arranging Music for the Organ

We don't know if Ammerbach wrote his own music. If he did, he didn't sign his name to it. However, he published many books of music written in his tablature system. These books included arrangements of popular songs and pieces by other famous composers from the mid-1500s. Some of these composers included Ludwig Senfl, Heinrich Isaac, Josquin des Prez, Clemens non Papa, and Orlande de Lassus.

Lassus's music was especially common in Ammerbach's collections. This was because Lassus was very famous and lived in Germany for many years. Most of the non-religious music in Ammerbach's books had German titles. However, the religious music kept its Latin titles. In his last book, published in 1583, he included many Italian madrigals arranged for the keyboard. Madrigals were a type of vocal music, and Ammerbach made them playable on the organ.