Franz Tunder (1614 - 1667) was a North German composer active at the court in Gottorf and then at the Marienkirche (St. Mary's Church) in Lubeck as organist, and later also as its administrator and treasurer. (1)(2)
He successfully added instrumental accompaniments to the church music which in time led, following the example of Dutch organists, led to the organization of the church's free Evening Concerts (Abendmusiken). These were financed by and entertained businessmen who weekly came to Lubeck at the opening of the stock exchange. (3)
Tunder is one of the most important members of the North German organ school. He forms a link between Germany's early baroque music which was influenced by Venice and, via his son-in-law Buxtehude, the late baroque and J.S. Bach. (3)Asteroid (7871) is named after him.
No works were printed during the composer's lifetime. What survives was in large part discovered at the Royal Library at Uppsala in Sweden in a vast collection copied by Gustav Düben the elder (1628-90), a former royal Kapellmeister.
About 18 cantatas, 16 organ works, and a sinfonia have come down to us. There is undoubtedly an Italian influence, but some rather place him in the second generation of Sweelinck's heirs. (4)
G.B. Sharp points to the following characteristics of Tunder's organ style: (1) Lack of pedal solos, (2) flourishes as introduction or between sections, (3) ornamented chorale phrase in the upper voice, often preceded by an imitative entry, and ending with an improvisation between the last two notes, (4) Sweelinck-like echo-effects, (5) all works end with a plagal cadence with an extended tonic pedal. (1)
The five Organ Preludes, four in g and one in F, have the form of Toccata-Fugues: Two short toccatas with a four-voice fugue, based on a short canzona-like theme, in between, and a final based on a diminution of part of the fugue subject. (1) Let's listen to three of them:
The Canzona in G on a theme of della Porta(5)'The Canzona is an animated little piece showing a lighter, more playful side to Tunder’s character.'(6)
Among the ten chorale fantasias, two may have been written by Heinrich Scheidemann, (7) another important member of the North German organ school, and two are partita-like sets of chorale variations. According to G.B. Sharp, organ virtuoso that Tunder was, the clarity of the form sometimes gets lost in pure volume of sound and ornamentation. (1)
Let's first listen to those G.B. Sharp calls 'most approachable,'Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott with the fourth phrase in canon, and In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr with each phrase first stated with ornamentation in the top voice followed in the pedal in the plain version. (1)
Herr Gott, dich loben wir, Christ lag in Todesbanden, and Jesus Christus, wahr Gottes Sohn.
A mighty fortress (excerpt) and Allein zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ are the works that may have been composed by Heinrich Scheidemann.
The chorale variations on Jesus Christus, unser Heiland were probably written for actual use during the church service--the others were either performed in the Abendmusiken or as a send-off at the end of the service. (1)
Auf meinen lieben Gott, another partita, consists of 'three linked variations, the last of which is an involved fantasia more than three times as long as the first two together.'(1)
Finally, Magnificat octavi toni/chorale fantasia, listed as Tunder's work on CD 2 of "Dietrich BUXTEHUDE (1637-1707) Organ Works."(7)
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(1) His official title was Werkmeister (Foreman), in which capacity he was also responsible for fabric and for overseeing two farms. (G.B. Sharp, "Franz Tunder: 1614 - 1667." The Musical Times, Vol. 108, No. 1497 (Nov., 1967), pp. 997-999 (Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.) (http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/951991?uid=3739808&uid=2134&uid=2473869753&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3&uid=2473869743&uid=3739256&uid=60&sid=21104034056167 (05/17/2014)))
(2) There is a deal of confusion in the sources surrounding Tunder's place of birth and influence from Frescobaldi: Older sources mention Bannesdorf or Burg on Fehmarn Island as his place of birth; more recent research points to Lubeck. Tunder studied with Johann Heckelauer who as organ builder visited Florence; that much is certain. Whether Heckelauer met Frescobaldi is probable. Whether Tunder accompanied his teacher and then even studied with the Italian master, is doubtful. He did study in Burg and possibly with the Dutch-Danish composer Melchior Borchgrevinck in Copenhagen. (See here.)
(3) Aryeh Oron, "Franz Tunder (Composer)." Biography, Bach Cantatas website, January 2006. (http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Tunder-Franz.htm (05/17/2014))
(4)"Franz Tunder, Complete Organ Works." CD notes, Outhere Music website. (http://www.outhere-music.com/en/albums/complete-organ-works-ric-239 (05/17/2014))
(5) The link is for Giambattista della Porta (1535? - 1615), sholar, polymath, and playwright who despite being tone-deaf was interested in music theory.
(6) Dominy Clements, "Franz TUNDER (1614-1667)." CD review, MusicWeb International website, rec. July 31 - August 3, 2006. (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2009/June09/Tunder_7773702.htm (05/18/2014))
(7) In addition to the biographical errors surrounding Franz Tunder there are also questions of attribution of some of Tunder's and Scheidemann's chorale fantasias. A mighty fortress and Allein zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ, long attributed to Tunder, may have been composed by Heinrich Scheidemann. In addition, according to Kei Koito, the performer on the CD, the Magnificat octavi toni of Scheidemann's collection was, because of its ambitious scope, probably composed for Lubeck's Abendmusiken, and is as such more attributable to Tunder than to Scheidemann.
He successfully added instrumental accompaniments to the church music which in time led, following the example of Dutch organists, led to the organization of the church's free Evening Concerts (Abendmusiken). These were financed by and entertained businessmen who weekly came to Lubeck at the opening of the stock exchange. (3)
Tunder is one of the most important members of the North German organ school. He forms a link between Germany's early baroque music which was influenced by Venice and, via his son-in-law Buxtehude, the late baroque and J.S. Bach. (3)Asteroid (7871) is named after him.
No works were printed during the composer's lifetime. What survives was in large part discovered at the Royal Library at Uppsala in Sweden in a vast collection copied by Gustav Düben the elder (1628-90), a former royal Kapellmeister.
About 18 cantatas, 16 organ works, and a sinfonia have come down to us. There is undoubtedly an Italian influence, but some rather place him in the second generation of Sweelinck's heirs. (4)
G.B. Sharp points to the following characteristics of Tunder's organ style: (1) Lack of pedal solos, (2) flourishes as introduction or between sections, (3) ornamented chorale phrase in the upper voice, often preceded by an imitative entry, and ending with an improvisation between the last two notes, (4) Sweelinck-like echo-effects, (5) all works end with a plagal cadence with an extended tonic pedal. (1)
The five Organ Preludes, four in g and one in F, have the form of Toccata-Fugues: Two short toccatas with a four-voice fugue, based on a short canzona-like theme, in between, and a final based on a diminution of part of the fugue subject. (1) Let's listen to three of them:
The Canzona in G on a theme of della Porta(5)'The Canzona is an animated little piece showing a lighter, more playful side to Tunder’s character.'(6)
Among the ten chorale fantasias, two may have been written by Heinrich Scheidemann, (7) another important member of the North German organ school, and two are partita-like sets of chorale variations. According to G.B. Sharp, organ virtuoso that Tunder was, the clarity of the form sometimes gets lost in pure volume of sound and ornamentation. (1)
Let's first listen to those G.B. Sharp calls 'most approachable,'Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott with the fourth phrase in canon, and In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr with each phrase first stated with ornamentation in the top voice followed in the pedal in the plain version. (1)
Herr Gott, dich loben wir, Christ lag in Todesbanden, and Jesus Christus, wahr Gottes Sohn.
A mighty fortress (excerpt) and Allein zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ are the works that may have been composed by Heinrich Scheidemann.
The chorale variations on Jesus Christus, unser Heiland were probably written for actual use during the church service--the others were either performed in the Abendmusiken or as a send-off at the end of the service. (1)
Auf meinen lieben Gott, another partita, consists of 'three linked variations, the last of which is an involved fantasia more than three times as long as the first two together.'(1)
Finally, Magnificat octavi toni/chorale fantasia, listed as Tunder's work on CD 2 of "Dietrich BUXTEHUDE (1637-1707) Organ Works."(7)
_____________________________________________________________________________
(1) His official title was Werkmeister (Foreman), in which capacity he was also responsible for fabric and for overseeing two farms. (G.B. Sharp, "Franz Tunder: 1614 - 1667." The Musical Times, Vol. 108, No. 1497 (Nov., 1967), pp. 997-999 (Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.) (http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/951991?uid=3739808&uid=2134&uid=2473869753&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3&uid=2473869743&uid=3739256&uid=60&sid=21104034056167 (05/17/2014)))
(2) There is a deal of confusion in the sources surrounding Tunder's place of birth and influence from Frescobaldi: Older sources mention Bannesdorf or Burg on Fehmarn Island as his place of birth; more recent research points to Lubeck. Tunder studied with Johann Heckelauer who as organ builder visited Florence; that much is certain. Whether Heckelauer met Frescobaldi is probable. Whether Tunder accompanied his teacher and then even studied with the Italian master, is doubtful. He did study in Burg and possibly with the Dutch-Danish composer Melchior Borchgrevinck in Copenhagen. (See here.)
(3) Aryeh Oron, "Franz Tunder (Composer)." Biography, Bach Cantatas website, January 2006. (http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Tunder-Franz.htm (05/17/2014))
(4)"Franz Tunder, Complete Organ Works." CD notes, Outhere Music website. (http://www.outhere-music.com/en/albums/complete-organ-works-ric-239 (05/17/2014))
(5) The link is for Giambattista della Porta (1535? - 1615), sholar, polymath, and playwright who despite being tone-deaf was interested in music theory.
(6) Dominy Clements, "Franz TUNDER (1614-1667)." CD review, MusicWeb International website, rec. July 31 - August 3, 2006. (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2009/June09/Tunder_7773702.htm (05/18/2014))
(7) In addition to the biographical errors surrounding Franz Tunder there are also questions of attribution of some of Tunder's and Scheidemann's chorale fantasias. A mighty fortress and Allein zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ, long attributed to Tunder, may have been composed by Heinrich Scheidemann. In addition, according to Kei Koito, the performer on the CD, the Magnificat octavi toni of Scheidemann's collection was, because of its ambitious scope, probably composed for Lubeck's Abendmusiken, and is as such more attributable to Tunder than to Scheidemann.