107. The Thuringian School.—In central Germany (mainly Thuringia and Saxony) there was a considerable interlocking of influences. Workers here were affected by traditions from both the Catholic and the Protestant sides. While their more natural affiliation was with the South German school, especially as Pachelbel was for a time at Erfurt, the stronger northern styles were eagerly studied and adopted, so that by the end of the century this middle school presented an amalgamation of the best from all sources. Conspicuous among the masters here were many of the Bachs.
The long line of organists in the Bach family includes, in the fourth
generation, Johann (d. 1673), town-musician at Erfurt from 1635 and organist
at the Predigerkirche from 1647, and Heinrich (d. 1692), his brother and
pupil, town-musician and organist at Arnstadt from 1641, a worthy worker in
chorales and the teacher of his two sons; in the fifth generation, Joh. Christian
(d. 1682), who succeeded Johann at Erfurt in 1673 and was in turn followed
by his brother Joh. Egidius (d. 1717)—with the distinguished brothers Joh. Christoph of Eisenach (d. 1703) and Joh. Michael of Gehren (d. 1694),
Heinrich's sons (see sec. 97); and several in the sixth generation who belong
rather to the 18th century. Here the influence of Pachelbel became
marked.
Werner Fabricius (d. 1679), born in Holstein in 1633, won notice as a clavichordist when not 12 years old, was taught by Selle and Scheidemann at Hamburg, studied law as well as music at Leipsic, and became organist of the Nikolaikirche there in 1657, being famous both as a virtuoso and as an organ-expert. His extant works (from 1657) are motets, chorales, some dances and a handbook on organ-examination (1656).
Andreas Werckmeister (d. 1706), born in 1645 in the Hartz, trained by two uncles, was from 1664 organist at Hasselfelde, from 1675 at Quedlinburg (where he wrote his best works), and from 1696 at Halberstadt, where he was also city-councilor and royal organ-inspector. His importance lay in his unequaled knowledge of organ-building, his hostility to inartistic and ill-made instruments, and his theoretical writings (see sec. 113), of which those on the organ were the Orgelprobe (1681), the pioneer study of equal temperament (1691), and an account of the organ at Grüningen.
Friedrich Wilhelm Zachau (d. 1712), born at Leipsic in 1663, pupil of his father, in 1684 became organist at the Marktkirche at Halle. As player and composer he was careful and exact. His fame rests on the fact that for several years before 1702 he was Handel's teacher, firmly grounding him in the technique of composition.
Johann Heinrich Buttstett (d. 1727), born near Erfurt in 1666 and a pupil of Pachelbel there, began as organist in 1684 and followed his master at the Predigerkirche in 1691. His works (1705-20) include chorale-variations, fugues, 4 masses, etc. He sought to withstand the drift toward freer styles in church music by a pamphlet (1717).
