Thomaskantor
The Thomaskantor is the musical director of the Thomanerchor in Leipzig, founded in 1212. He is appointed by Leipzig's city council and his duties are to lead the weekly services called Motette, Sunday services and other services in the Thomaskirche, also to conduct recordings and tours.
Johann Sebastian Bach was the most famous Thomaskantor, from 1723 to 1750. He was responsible for music at the four major churches in Leipzig. The post's duties extended beyond music; he and his predecessors had for instance also to teach Latin.
| Name | Term | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Georg Rhau born circa 1488 in Eisfeld died 6 August 1548 in Wittenberg |
1518–1520 | |
| Johannes Galliculus born circa 1490 in Dresden died circa 1550 in Leipzig |
1520–1525 | ||
| Valerian Hüffeler |
1526–1530 | ||
| Johannes Hermann born 1515 in Zittau died 22 April 1593 in Freiberg |
1531–1536 | ||
| Wolfgang Jünger born circa 1517 in Sayda died 4 March 1564 in Großschirma |
1536–1539 | ||
| Johannes Bruckner |
1539–1540 | ||
| Ulrich Lange died 1549 in Leipzig |
1540–1549 | ||
| Wolfgang Figulus born circa 1525 in Naumburg (Saale) died 1589 in Meißen |
1549–1551 | ||
| Melchior Heger born in Brüx (today Most) |
1553–1564 | ||
| Valentin Otto born 1529 in Markkleeberg died April 1594 |
1564–1594 | ||
|
Sethus Calvisius born 21. Februar 1556 in Gorsleben died 24 November 1615 in Leipzig |
1594–1615 | |
|
Johann Hermann Schein born 20 January 1586 in Grünhain died 19 November 1630 in Leipzig |
1615–1630 | |
| Tobias Michael born 13 June 1592 in Dresden died 26 June 1657 in Leipzig |
1631–1657 | ||
| Sebastian Knüpfer born 6 September 1633 in Asch died 10 October 1676 in Leipzig |
1657–1676 | ||
| Johann Schelle born 6 September 1648 in Geising died 10 March 1701 in Leipzig |
1677–1701 | ||
|
Johann Kuhnau born 6 April 1660 in Geising died 5 June 1722 in Leipzig |
1701–1722 | |
|
Johann Sebastian Bach born 21 March 1685 in Eisenach died 28 July 1750 in Leipzig |
1723–1750 | |
| Johann Gottlob Harrer born 1703 in Görlitz; died 9 July 1755 in Karlsbad |
1750–1755 | ||
|
Johann Friedrich Doles born 23 April 1715 in Steinbach-Hallenberg died 8 February 1797 in Leipzig |
1756–1789 | |
|
Johann Adam Hiller born 25 December 1728 in Wendisch-Ossig (today Osiek Łużycki) bei Görlitz died 16 June 1804 in Leipzig |
1789–1801 | From 1781 to 1785 Gewandhauskapellmeister in Leipzig. |
|
August Eberhard Müller born 13 December 1767 in Northeim died 3 December 1817 in Weimar |
1801–1810 | From 1810 to 1817 Großherzoglich-Sächsischer Hofkapellmeister in Weimar. |
|
Johann Gottfried Schicht born 29 September 1753 in Reichenau (Saxony) died 16 February 1823 in Leipzig |
1810–1823 | |
| Christian Theodor Weinlig born 25 July 1780 in Dresden died 7 March 1842 in Leipzig |
1823–1842 | From 1814 to 1817 Kreuzkantor in Dresden. | |
| Moritz Hauptmann born 13 October 1792 in Dresden died 3 January 1868 in Leipzig |
1842–1868 | ||
|
Ernst Friedrich Richter born 24 October 1808 in Großschönau (Lausitz) died 9 April 1879 in Leipzig |
1868–1879 | |
| Wilhelm Rust born 15 August 1822 in Dessau died 2 May 1892 in Leipzig |
1880–1892 | ||
| Gustav Schreck born 8 September 1849 in Zeulenroda died 22 January 1918 in Leipzig |
1893–1918 | ||
|
Karl Straube born 6 January 1873 in Berlin died 27 April 1950 in Leipzig |
1918–1939 | |
|
Günther Ramin born 15 October 1898 in Karlsruhe died 27 February 1956 in Leipzig |
1939–1956 | |
| Kurt Thomas born 25 May 1904 in Tönning died 31 March 1973 in Bad Oeynhausen |
1957–1960 | ||
| Erhard Mauersberger born 29 December 1903 in Mauersberg bei Marienberg died 11 December 1982 in Leipzig |
1961–1972 | ||
| Hans-Joachim Rotzsch born 25 April 1929 in Leipzig |
1972–1991 | ||
| Georg Christoph Biller born 20 September 1955 in Nebra (Unstrut) |
seit 1992 |
Bibliography
- Stefan Altner: Das Thomaskantorat im 19. Jahrhundert. Bewerber und Kandidaten für das Leipziger Thomaskantorat in den Jahren 1842 bis 1918. Quellenstudien zur Entwicklung des Thomaskantorats und des Thomanerchors vom Wegfall der öffentlichen Singumgänge 1837 bis zur ersten Auslandsreise 1920. Passage-Verlag, Leipzig 2006, ISBN 3-938543-15-9.
- Johann Gottfried Stallbaum: Über den innern Zusammenhang musikalischer Bildung der Jugend mit dem Gesammtzwecke des Gymnasiums. Eine Inauguralrede, nebst biographischen Nachrichten über die Cantoren an der Thomasschule zu Leipzig. Fritzsche, Leipzig 1842.
External links
- Information on the Thomaskantor on BAM-Portal