A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Schein, Johann Hermann
SCHEIN, Johann Hermann, was born Jan. 29, 1586, at Grünhain in Meissen, where his father was the Lutheran pastor. Having lost his father at an early age, he was taken to Dresden and became a chorister in the Court Chapel there. His further education was received at the Gymnasium of Schulpforta and the University of Leipzig. Of his musical training further than what he received in the Court Chapel at Dresden we have no details. In 1613 he was invited to be Capellmeister at Weimar, but held this post for only two years. On the death of Seth Calvisius in 1615 he obtained the appointment of Cantor to the Thomas-Schule in Leipzig, which post he held till his death in 1630.
Schein is chiefly known to later times by his 'Cantional,' first published in 1627. Its original title is 'Cantional oder Gesangbuch Augspurgischer Confession, in welchem des Herrn D. Martini Lutheri und anderer frommen Christen, auch des Autoris eigne Lieder und Psalmen … So im Chur und Fürstenthümern Sachsen, insonderheit aber in beiden Kirchen und Gemeinen allhier zu Leipzig gebräuchlich, verfertiget und mit 4, 5, 6 Stimmen componirt …' A second enlarged edition appeared in 1645 after Schein's death. As the title shows, it consists of Choral-melodies, both old and new, harmonized for ordinary church use, mostly note against note. Schein himself appears in this book in three capacities, viz. as poet, melodist, and harmonist. Of the 200 and odd Choral-melodies in the book about 80 are Schein's own, a few of which have still held their ground in modern chorale books, though some appear to be attributed to him by mistake. Schein's book differs from Crüger's similar book of later date (1648) in retaining the old irregular rhythm of Choral-melodies, while Crüger has transformed their rhythms according to more modern ideas. But if Schein still retains the old rhythm in the melodies, in his harmonies he has almost entirely lost, as Winterfeld points out, the feeling for the peculiarities of the old church modes in which those melodies are written, though otherwise his harmonies are serious and dignified. With Michael Praetorius and Heinrich Schütz, and probably through their influence, Schein was one of the pioneers in Germany of the new movement in music proceeding from Italy at the beginning of the 17th century. Naturally his other works show this more plainly than the 'Cantional,' as many of them are avowedly written in imitation of Italian models. These other works are as follows:—
1. 'Venus-Kränzlein' ('Garland of Venus'), a set of 'weltliche Lieder' or secular songs, for 5 voices. Leipzig, 1609.
2. 'Geistliche Concerto' (Sacred Concertos) for 4 voices. 1612.
3. 'Cymbalum Sionium,' containing 31 settings of German and Latin sacred texts for 5, 6, 8, 10, and 12 voices. 1613.
4. 'Banchetto Musicale,' a collection of Pavanes, Gaillardes, etc., in 5 parts. 1617.
5. 'Opella Nova,' 1st part, containing 'Geistliche Concerte auf jetzo gebräuchliche Italienische invention componirt' (Sacred Concertos written in the new Italian style). 1618.
6. 'Musica boscareccia, Waldliederlein auf Italian-Villanellische Invention fingirt und componirt' (Hunting or Forest Songs, composed in the style of Italian villanellas).
7. 'Fontana d'Israel,' 'Israelis Brünnlein auserlesener Kraftsprüchlin altes und neuen Testaments, etc., auf ein sonderbare anmuthige Italian-Madrigalische Manier, etc., mit Fleiss componirt' (Israel's fountain of select passages of the Old and New Testament, carefully composed in the specially graceful style of the Italian Madrigal). 1623. In this work Schein gives up the basso continuo, and goes back to the more purely vocal style of the old madrigal, permitting himself however the bolder harmonic license of the new style of Monteverde and other Italians. Wherever the words seem to justify his doing so, the composer delights in using unprepared discords, and discords without resolution, with perhaps too much straining after passionate expression.
8. 'Opella Nova,' 2nd part, 1626, contents similar to the 1st part, both parts having basso continuo and instrumental accompaniment.
Over 30 numbers from Schein's 'Cantional' may be found in Schœberlein's 'Schatz des Liturgischen und Chor-gesangs,' Göttingen, 1867–72.