Johann Crüger

CRÜGER (Krüger), Johann. b. Gross Breesen near Guben, Niederlausitz, 9 April 1598; d. Berlin, 23 February 1662. German Cantor, composer and music theorist. Crüger stands as the most significant melodist since the Reformation. 80 melodies and 19 reworkings of melodies have been attributed to him (Fischer-Krückeberg, 1933). His melodies point stylistically to the transition from ‘Kirchenchoral zur Andachtsarie’ (‘church chorale to devotional song’, Moser, p. 84). Crüger was above all one of the earliest and most important composers of melodies for Johann Heermann*’s texts. In his Newes vollkömliches Gesangbuch/ Augspurgischer Confession… (1640; for 4 voices, with bass continuo), he alluded...