A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Frank, Melchior

FRANK, Melchior, prolific composer of church music and Lieder, born, according to Wetzler's 'Lieder-Historie,' at Zittau on the borders of Saxony and Silesia, lived at Nuremberg in 1600, and was Capellmeister to the Duke of Coburg at the time of his death, June 1, 1639. Gerber gives in his 'Lexicon' a list of 44 works by him, now become very scarce. He did much to improve the instrumental accompaniment of songs, a point to which little attention was paid before his day. Döring ('Choralkunde,' p. 84) gives a list of 13 of his Chorales which survived him, among which 'Jerusalem du hochgebaute Stadt' and 'Wenn ich in Todesnöthen bin' are still sung. He is also said to have written the words of several hymns, 'Jesu wie ist deine Gestalt,' 'Der Bräutigam wird bald-rufen,' etc.

[ F. G. ]