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Nicolaus Bruhns (Nikolaus, Nicholas) (1665 - March 19, 1697) was one of the greatest organists and composers of his time. He studied with Dieterich Buxtehude, and the latter regarded him as among the very best of his students.

Life

He initially learned music from his father Paul Bruhns (1640-89?), who was the organist at Schwabstedt; he later studied composition and organ with Dieterich Buxtehude.

With Buxtehude's help he received a post as violinist and composer at the court in Copenhagen, and in 1689 became the town organist in Husum, his last post before his tragic early death (sources disagree on whether he was 31 or 32 at the time).

Although primarily an organist, he had many musical talents; he was known for playing improvisations on the violin over a bass line played on the pedal board of the organ, and was one of the best composers of sacred cantatas of his era. He also composed chamber music, which is now unfortunately lost.

Johann Sebastian Bach's son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach later wrote to his father's biographer Johann Nikolaus Forkel that his father had admired Bruhns' work. J.S. Bach's obituary stated that he studied and followed Bruhns' compositions, but showing this musically is somewhat cloudy.

Works

Vocal

Instrumental

References

Further reading

• Sadie, Stanley; Tyrrell, John, eds. (2001). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

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: Clarendon Press, 1996. ISBN 019816212X.

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 0028730801.

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. Template:Languageicon

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. Template:Languageicon

The first landmark study of Bruhns' life and works.

External links

• Template:IckingArchive (Mein Herz ist bereit, concerto for bass, violin, and continuo)

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• 1665 births
• 1697 deaths
• Baroque composers
• German composers