Alberich Mazak

For other uses, see Mazak (disambiguation).

Alberich Mazak, also Alberik Mazák (1609 – 9 May 1661) was an Czech-Austrian 17th century composer.

Background

He was born in Ratibor in Czech family. After studying Music and Philosophy, he entered Heiligenkreuz Abbey in 1631 and in 1633 he became a priest.

Music

He created more than 300 compositions. He wrote masses, litanies, offertories, antiphons, psalms and sacred cantatas.

The instruments he used most were the violin, the trumpet, the bassoon, the viola da gamba, the cornet and the sackbut.

Cultus harmonicus

His compositions, predominantly motets, collected under the titled Cultus harmonicus, were published by him in Vienna, Opus I in 1649, Opus Minus (II) in 1650 and Opus Maius (III) in 1653. Last one is missing today.

Trivia

A baroque lute built in 1631, which had been played at Mazak's ordination, was used in the recording of Wolf Erichson's Stift Heiligenkreuz Geistliche Musik (Sacred Music from Holy Cross Monastery), directed by Niederaltaicher Scholaren and Dr. Konrad Ruhland and published by Sony Music under the SEON label (1970–1980).