Franz Tunder facts for kids
Franz Tunder (born 1614, died November 5, 1667) was a German composer and organist from the early to middle Baroque period. He was a very important musician who helped connect older German Baroque music (which was inspired by music from Venice, Italy) to the later Baroque style, which became famous with J.S. Bach. Tunder also played a big part in creating the chorale cantata, a type of musical piece.
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Life of Franz Tunder
Franz Tunder was born in Lübeck, Germany. Not much is known about his early life. However, he was very talented. When he was just 18 years old, he became the court organist for Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp in Gottorf.
Before this, Tunder traveled to Italy with Johann Heckelauer. It is thought that he studied music with Girolamo Frescobaldi in Florence.
Tunder's Career in Lübeck
From 1632 to 1641, Tunder worked as the "Hoforganist" (court organist) in Gottorf. In 1641, he got a big job in Lübeck. He became the main organist at the Marienkirche, which is Lübeck's main church. He took over from Peter Hasse.
In 1647, Tunder also became an administrator and treasurer at the Marienkirche. He kept these jobs for the rest of his life. After he passed away, another famous composer, Dieterich Buxtehude, took his place. Buxtehude later married Tunder's daughter, Anna Margarethe, in 1668.
Abendmusiken Concerts
Franz Tunder started a special tradition called "Abendmusiken" (Evening Music). These were free concerts held at the Marienkirche. The most detailed concerts happened before Christmas.
The first of these concerts was in 1646. They began as organ performances for businessmen. These businessmen would meet at the town's stock exchange each week. The Abendmusiken concerts continued for many years. They were special because they were free and paid for by the business community.
Franz Tunder's Music
Franz Tunder was a very important musician. He was part of the North German organ school. Other key members included Heinrich Scheidemann and Matthias Weckmann. Sadly, not many of Tunder's musical works have survived.
His remaining music shows he really liked the chorale fantasia style. This style uses a church hymn (chorale) as a base for a longer, more complex piece. He also wrote chorale versets.
One famous example is his setting of Jesus Christus unser Heiland. This piece is special because of its opening pedal flourish. This was probably the first time an organ piece started with a solo part played only with the feet on the pedals. This technique was later used even more by Dietrich Buxtehude.
See also
In Spanish: Franz Tunder para niños
