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{{Short description|Danish-German organist, violinist, and composer}}
'''Nicholas Bruhns''' (1665-1697) was one of the greatest ] and ] of his time, and an important influence on ].
{{Distinguish|Friedrich Nicolaus Bruhns}}
{{Infobox person
| image = <!-- Only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people – see ]. -->
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = <!-- Only use to add context to the image. Do not repeat just the person's name here. -->
| birth_name = <!-- Use only if different from name in title. -->
| birth_date = {{Birth year|1665}}
| birth_place = ]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1697|04|08|1665|||df=y}}
| occupation = {{ubl| Composer | Organist | Violinist }}
}}
]
'''Nicolaus Bruhns''' (also ''Nikolaus'', ''Nicholas''; late 1665 – {{OldStyleDate|8 April|1697|29 March}} in ]) was a ]-] organist, violinist, and composer. He was one of the most prominent organists and composers of his generation.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://runeberg.org/dbl/3/0140.html|title = Bruhn, Nicolaus, 1665-97, Musiker|website=Dansk biografisk Lexikon
|access-date=January 1, 2020}}</ref>


==Biography==
He initially learned music from his father ] (1640-89?), who was the organist at ]; he later studied composition and organ with ].
Bruhns was born in ] (Danish: ''Svavsted''), a small settlement near ]. He came from a family of musicians and composers. His grandfather, Paul Jakob Bruhns (died 1655), worked as ] in ]. His three sons all chose musical careers; Bruhns' father, also named Paul (1640–c. 1689), became organist at Schwabstedt, possibly after studying with ]. Nicolaus was apparently a child prodigy: according to ], he could play the organ and compose competent works for keyboard and voice already at an early age. He probably received his first music lessons from his father.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/pnd118674714.html
|title = Bruns, Nikolaus (Bruhns)|website= Deutsche Biographie |access-date=January 1, 2020}}</ref>
At age sixteen, Bruhns, together with his younger brother Georg (1666-1742), was sent to Lübeck to live with their uncle Peter, who would teach Bruhns the ] and the ]. The two brothers also studied the organ and composition; Georg under Bernhard Olffen, organist of St. Aegidien, and Nicolaus under ]. The latter, one of the best composers of his time, was so impressed with Bruhns' talents and progress that he considered him his best pupil and eventually recommended him for ]. There Bruhns worked as organist and violinist. On 29 March 1689 he competed for the position of organist of the Stadtkirche in Husum and was unanimously accepted. In a few months he was offered a position at ], but declined when the authorities at Husum increased his salary. Bruhns remained in Husum until his untimely death in 1697, at the age of 31. His only son, Johan Paul, chose a career in theology. Bruhns was succeeded in Husum by his brother Georg.<ref>
{{cite web|url= https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/pnd118665685.html |title = Buxtehude, Dietrich|website= Deutsche Biographie
|access-date=January 1, 2020}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Bruhns-Nicolaus.htm |title = Nicolaus Bruhns (Composer)|website= bach-cantatas.com
|access-date=January 1, 2020}}</ref>


==Works==
With Buxtehude's help he received a post as violinist and composer at the court in ], and in 1689 became the town organist in ], his last post before his tragic early death (sources disagree on whether he was 31 or 32 at the time).
Bruhns' surviving oeuvre is unfortunately small: only 12 vocal and 5 organ pieces are extant. The vocal works include four sacred concertos that established a new level of virtuosity in the genre, and three sacred madrigal cantatas that represent a direct link with the next century and the work of ]. Although the instrumental writing in most of these works suggests that Bruhns could only rely on musicians of average skill, there are movements, such as the opening sonatina of the solo cantata ''Mein Herz ist bereit'', that feature highly developed, virtuosic textures. Bruhns almost certainly wrote chamber music, which may have been of the same high quality, but none of these works survive.


The organ works comprise four praeludia and a ] on the hymn "]". The most significant of these pieces is the larger of the two E minor praeludia, which is usually cited as one of the greatest works of the ]. Although ]'s son ] claimed that his father admired and studied Bruhns' work, no direct influence has been traced by scholars.
Although primarily an organist, he had many musical talents; he was known for playing improvisations on the violin over a bass line played on pedal board of the organ, and was one of the best composers of sacred cantatas in his era. He also composed chamber music, which is now unfortunately lost.


==List of works==
Johann Sebastian Bach's son ] later wrote to his father's biographer ] that his father had admired Bruhns' work.


===Vocal===
]
* ''Muss nicht der Mensch auf dieser Erden in stetem Streite sein''
]
* ''O werter heil'ger Geist''
]
* ''Hemmt eure Traenenflut''
* ''Ich liege und schlafe''
* ''Jauchzet dem Herren''
* ''Wohl dem, der den Herren fürchtet''
* ''De profundis''
* ''Paratum cor meum''
* ''Die Zeit meines Abschieds ist vorhanden''
* ''Erstanden ist der heilige Christ''
* ''Der Herr hat seinen Stuhl im Himmel bereitet''
* ''Mein Herz ist bereit'' – ]


=== Instrumental ===
]
{{listen|image=none|help=no|header=Nikolaus Bruhns<br />Organ works|type=music
|filename= Брунс - "Маленька" Прелюдія мі мінор.ogg
|title="Kleines" Praeludium in e-Moll
|description=
|filename2 = Брунс - "Велика" Прелюдія мі мінор.ogg
|title2 = ''Großes Praeludium'' in E minor
|description2 =
|filename3 = Брунс - Адажіо ре мажор.ogg
|title3 = Adagio in D major
|description3 = performed by Yaroslav Kayuk, organ.
}}
;Organ works
* ''Großes Praeludium'' in E minor – ] (]),
* ''Kleines Praeludium'' in E minor – ]
* Chorale Fantasy on "]"
* ''Praeludium'' in G major
* Fragment of ''Praeludiums'' in D major
* ''Praeludium'' in G minor (also attributed to ])

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Other sources ==
* {{cite NewGrove2001|title=Bruhns, Nicolaus|last=McLean|first=Hugh J.|volume=iv|pages=492–493}}
: The most recent and concise summary of Bruhns' life and works available in English.
* Webber, Geoffrey. ''North German church music in the age of Buxtehude.'' Oxford: ], 1996. {{ISBN|0-19-816212-X}}.
: Covers a wide variety of topics related to church music, with considerable space given to Bruhns.
* Snyder, Kerala J. ''Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck.'' New York: Schirmer Books, 1987. {{ISBN|0-02-873080-1}}.
: This definitive biography of Buxtehude includes significant discussion of Bruhns' early life and context.
* Fosse, R.C. "Nicolaus Bruhns", pp.&nbsp;92–107 in ''The Musical Heritage of the Lutheran Church'', ed. T. Hoelty-Nickel. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959.
: The first substantial consideration of Bruhns in English.
* Geck, Martin. ''Nicolaus Bruhns: Leben und Werk.'' Köln: Musikverlag H. Gerig, 1968. {{in lang|de}}
: Somewhat dated, this remains the central study of Bruhns to date.
* Kölsch, Heinz. ''Nicolaus Bruhns.'' Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag, 1958. Issued in 1938 as thesis, Kiel. {{in lang|de}}
: The first landmark study of Bruhns' life and works.
* Fructus, Michel. ''L'oeuvre d'orgue de Nicolaus Bruhns (1665-1697), Essai sur la persuasion musicale dans l'Allemagne baroque du XVIIe siècle'', DEA de Musicologie, Lyon, 1999, 2 vol.
* Fructus, Michel. ''Les cantates de Nicolaus Bruhns (1665-1697)'', Thèse de Doctorat de Musicologie, Lyon, 2009, 3 vol.

== External links ==
* {{IMSLP|id=Bruhns, Nicholas|cname=Nicolaus Bruhns}}
* {{ChoralWiki}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruhns, Nicolaus}}
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Latest revision as of 21:28, 9 July 2024

Danish-German organist, violinist, and composer Not to be confused with Friedrich Nicolaus Bruhns.
Nicolaus Bruhns
Born1665 (1665)
Schwabstedt
Died8 April 1697(1697-04-08) (aged 31–32)
Occupations
  • Composer
  • Organist
  • Violinist
Nicolaus Bruhns House in Schwabstedt

Nicolaus Bruhns (also Nikolaus, Nicholas; late 1665 – 8 April [O.S. 29 March] 1697 in Husum) was a Danish-German organist, violinist, and composer. He was one of the most prominent organists and composers of his generation.

Biography

Bruhns was born in Schwabstedt (Danish: Svavsted), a small settlement near Husum. He came from a family of musicians and composers. His grandfather, Paul Jakob Bruhns (died 1655), worked as lutenist in Lübeck. His three sons all chose musical careers; Bruhns' father, also named Paul (1640–c. 1689), became organist at Schwabstedt, possibly after studying with Franz Tunder. Nicolaus was apparently a child prodigy: according to Ernst Ludwig Gerber, he could play the organ and compose competent works for keyboard and voice already at an early age. He probably received his first music lessons from his father.

At age sixteen, Bruhns, together with his younger brother Georg (1666-1742), was sent to Lübeck to live with their uncle Peter, who would teach Bruhns the violin and the viola da gamba. The two brothers also studied the organ and composition; Georg under Bernhard Olffen, organist of St. Aegidien, and Nicolaus under Dieterich Buxtehude. The latter, one of the best composers of his time, was so impressed with Bruhns' talents and progress that he considered him his best pupil and eventually recommended him for Copenhagen. There Bruhns worked as organist and violinist. On 29 March 1689 he competed for the position of organist of the Stadtkirche in Husum and was unanimously accepted. In a few months he was offered a position at Kiel, but declined when the authorities at Husum increased his salary. Bruhns remained in Husum until his untimely death in 1697, at the age of 31. His only son, Johan Paul, chose a career in theology. Bruhns was succeeded in Husum by his brother Georg.

Works

Bruhns' surviving oeuvre is unfortunately small: only 12 vocal and 5 organ pieces are extant. The vocal works include four sacred concertos that established a new level of virtuosity in the genre, and three sacred madrigal cantatas that represent a direct link with the next century and the work of Johann Sebastian Bach. Although the instrumental writing in most of these works suggests that Bruhns could only rely on musicians of average skill, there are movements, such as the opening sonatina of the solo cantata Mein Herz ist bereit, that feature highly developed, virtuosic textures. Bruhns almost certainly wrote chamber music, which may have been of the same high quality, but none of these works survive.

The organ works comprise four praeludia and a chorale fantasia on the hymn "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland". The most significant of these pieces is the larger of the two E minor praeludia, which is usually cited as one of the greatest works of the North German organ tradition. Although Johann Sebastian Bach's son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach claimed that his father admired and studied Bruhns' work, no direct influence has been traced by scholars.

List of works

Vocal

  • Muss nicht der Mensch auf dieser Erden in stetem Streite sein
  • O werter heil'ger Geist
  • Hemmt eure Traenenflut
  • Ich liege und schlafe
  • Jauchzet dem Herren
  • Wohl dem, der den Herren fürchtet
  • De profundis
  • Paratum cor meum
  • Die Zeit meines Abschieds ist vorhanden
  • Erstanden ist der heilige Christ
  • Der Herr hat seinen Stuhl im Himmel bereitet
  • Mein Herz ist bereit – Example and sheet music

Instrumental

Nikolaus Bruhns
Organ works "Kleines" Praeludium in e-Moll
Großes Praeludium in E minor
Adagio in D major performed by Yaroslav Kayuk, organ.
Organ works

References

  1. "Bruhn, Nicolaus, 1665-97, Musiker". Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  2. "Bruns, Nikolaus (Bruhns)". Deutsche Biographie. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  3. "Buxtehude, Dietrich". Deutsche Biographie. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  4. "Nicolaus Bruhns (Composer)". bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved January 1, 2020.

Other sources

The most recent and concise summary of Bruhns' life and works available in English.
Covers a wide variety of topics related to church music, with considerable space given to Bruhns.
  • Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987. ISBN 0-02-873080-1.
This definitive biography of Buxtehude includes significant discussion of Bruhns' early life and context.
  • Fosse, R.C. "Nicolaus Bruhns", pp. 92–107 in The Musical Heritage of the Lutheran Church, ed. T. Hoelty-Nickel. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959.
The first substantial consideration of Bruhns in English.
  • Geck, Martin. Nicolaus Bruhns: Leben und Werk. Köln: Musikverlag H. Gerig, 1968. (in German)
Somewhat dated, this remains the central study of Bruhns to date.
  • Kölsch, Heinz. Nicolaus Bruhns. Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag, 1958. Issued in 1938 as thesis, Kiel. (in German)
The first landmark study of Bruhns' life and works.
  • Fructus, Michel. L'oeuvre d'orgue de Nicolaus Bruhns (1665-1697), Essai sur la persuasion musicale dans l'Allemagne baroque du XVIIe siècle, DEA de Musicologie, Lyon, 1999, 2 vol.
  • Fructus, Michel. Les cantates de Nicolaus Bruhns (1665-1697), Thèse de Doctorat de Musicologie, Lyon, 2009, 3 vol.

External links

Categories: