Christian Geist (Composer)

Born: 1640 - Güstrow in Mecklenburg (North Germany)
Died: 1711 - Copenhagen, Denmark

Christian Geist was a German composer and organist resident in Scandinavia. He probably received his first musical education in Güstrow where his father, Joachim Geist, was the cantor at the cathedral.

After holding a musical position in the court of Duke Gustav Adolph of Mecklenburg, Christian Geist moved to Copenhagen early in 1670 where he, upon the recommendation of the Duke of Mecklenburg, joined the Danish Court Chapel as a bass player. But already by June, 1670, he resigned from this position to join the Swedish Court Chapel which was under the direction of Gustaf Düben (Düben made a celebrated collection of contemporary music, which is the most important source for Dietrich Buxtehude's music). Here he stayed until 1679 and composed many church cantatas which are now part of the Düben Collection of Manuscripts at the University Library at Uppsala. Virtually all his extant compositions date from the time of this employment.

Later he appears to have returned again to Denmark. On marriage to the widow of the previous occupant, he took up the position of organist at several churches and cathedrals in Copenhagen. A document from 1686 gives evidence of his service as the organist at the Trinity and Holy Spirit Church in Copenhagen. However, after several years he gave up this position, but nevertheless remained in Copenhagen until the time of his death. In 1689 he was the organist at the Holmens Church, where he was a successor to the famous organist at the St Nicholas Church, Johann Lorentz. In 1711 he and his third wife and children died of the plague in Copenhagen.

Johann Mattheson reports that Christian Geist was among the applicants for the position of Kantor of all Hamburg Churches which had become available after the death of Thomas Selle. Among the candidates applying for this position was Christoph Bernhard, who was chosen by the Weckmann Collegium Musicum based upon the preferred style that he exhibited in his church cantatas, but they also praised Christian Geist for his “delicate style in which one could detect the influence of Italian music.” Geist is one of the most significant German composers who lived and was active in Scandinavia in the 2^nd half of the 17^th century Only three organ preludes and two secular cantatas have survived. All the remaining compositions are church cantatas in German and Latin. Among the latter, the texts are primarily quotations from the Bible.

Christian Geist's works as in Es war aber an der Stätte Geist sets St John's retelling of Christ's burial and follows it by eight strophic verses commenting on the gospel; the pulsating quavers in the viols' introduction are a typical German figuration to portray the effect of lamento. De funere ad vitam uses a virtuoso obbligato violin which comments vigorously on the text. His sacred concertos were written for small ensembles of voices and strings. They date from the 1670's and a number were inspired by the accession in 1672 of King Karl XI - for whose coronation service a number were written. He also wrote music for the New Year’s Day celebrations, though the impetus to write the Dixit Dominus, Domine qui das salutem I and Domine qui das salutem III remains obscure. Clearly he had a firm grounding in counterpoint, a product of his rigorous early training, and even more obviously Geist was greatly influenced by the prevailing musical wind of change blowing from Italy.

Works

Sacred Cantatas: (all of these are manuscripts in University Library in Uppsala, unless otherwise noted):
Adiuro vos o filiae Jerusalem f. 3 C., B., 2 V. u. Bc.
Alleluia. Absorpta est mors f. 2 C., B., 2 V; u. Bc. (1671)
Alleluia. De funere ad vitam f. A., V. u. Bc. (1672)
Alleluia. Surrexit pastor bonus (1) f. 2 C., 2 T., B., 2 V. u. Bc.
Alleluia. Virgo Deum genuit' f. 2 C., B., 2 V., Gambe u. Bc. (1672)
Altitudo quid hic iaces f. 2 C., B., 2 V. u. Bc. (1670)
Beali omnes qui timent f. B., 2 V. u. Bc
Die mit Tränen säen f. 2 C., A., T., B., 3 Gamben u. Bc.
Dieses ist der Tag der Wonne f. C., A., B., 2 V., Violone oder Gambe u. Bc. (1680)
Dixit Dominus Domino meo! f. C., A., T., B., 2V. u. Bc. (1673)
Domine in virtute tua laetabitur Rex f. 2 C., A., T., B., 2 V., 2 Clarinen, 2 Va., Gambe, Violone (oder Fag.) u. Bc. (1672)
Domine ne secundum f. C., A., T., B., 2 V. u. Bc.
Domine, qui das salutem Regibus (1) f. 2 C., A., T., B., 2 V., Va., Gambe u. Bc. (1670)
Domine, qui das salutem Regibus (2), f. 2 C., 2 T, B., 2 V., 2 Clarinen, 2 Va, Violone (oder Fag.) u. Bc. (1672)
Domine, qui das salutem Regibus (3) f. 2 C., A., T., B., 3 V., Braccia, Violone u. Bc. (1675)
Emendemus in melius f. C., A., T., B., 2 V. u. Bc. (1676)
Es war aber an der Stätte. O Traurigkeit o Herzeleid f. C. (T. oder Bassetto), 3 Gamben u. Bc.
Exaudi Deus orationem meam f. 2 C., A., T., B., 2 V., 2 Clarinen, 3 Va., Violone u. Bc.
Festiva laeta f. 2 C., B., 2 V., Gambe u. Bc.
Haec est dies quam fecit Dominus, f. 2 C., B., 2 V., Theorbe u. Bc.
In te Domine speravi (1), f. C., A., T., B., 4 Instr. u. Bc.
In te Domine speravi (2) f. 2 C., B., 2 V., Gambe n. Bc.
Invocavit me f. 2 C., T., B., 3 V., Gambe, Theorbe, Violone u. Bc.
Jesu delitium vultus ah redde amantes f. C., A., T., B., 2 V. u. Bc. (1679)
Laetemur in Christo redemptore f. C. (oder T.), 2 V., Gambe u. Bc.
Laudate pueri Dominum f. 2 C., B., 2 V. u. Bc. (1674)
Laudet Deum mea gloria f. 2 C., B., 2 V., Gambe u. Bc. (1675)
Media vita in morte sumus f. 2 C., B., 4 V. u. Bc. (1671)
O admirabile commercium f. B., 2 V. u. Bc.
O coeli sapientia. Jesu spes mentis unica f. 2 C., B., u. Bc. (1670)
O immensa bonitas f. 2 C, B., 2 V., Gambe u. Bc. (1671)
O Jesu amantissime f. 2 C., T., 2 V., Gambe u. Bc.
O Jesus dulcis dilectio f. 2 C., T., 2 V., Gambe u. Bc. (1675)
O jucunda dies, o fortunata dies f. 2 C., B., 2 V., Theorbe u. Bc.
O piissime Jesu f. C., A., T., B., 3 Va. u. Bc. (1674)
Orietur sicut sol salvator mundi f. C., B., 2 V. u. Bc.
Pastores dicite f. C., 2 T., B., 2 V. u. Bc., 1672
Quam pulchra es amica mea f. C., B., 2 V. u. Bc.
Qui habitat in adiutorio f. C., A., T., B., 2 V., Va., Gambe, Violone u. Bc.
Quis hostis in coelis f. 2 C., A., T., B., 2 V., 2 Va., 2 Clarinen, Violone u. Bc. (1672)
Resonet in laudibus f. 2 C., B., 2 V., Violone u. Bc.
Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum f. C., 2 V., Gambe u. Bc.
Schapa i migh Gudh itt rent hierta f. 2 C., B., 2 V. (oder Va.) u. Bc.
Schöpfe Hoffnung, meine Seele f. 2 C., A., T., B., 2 V. u. Bc.
Selig, ja selig, wer willig erträget f. 2 C., T., B., 2 V., Gambe u. Bc
Se univit Deus coeno f. 2 C., B., 2 V., Violone u. Bc. (1670)
Sij huru godt och lustight är thet f. B., 2 V., Gambe (Violone?) u. Bc.
Surge dilecte f. C., 2 V. u Bc.
Surrexit pastor bonus (2) f. C., B., 2 V., Gambe u. Bc.
Tristis anima« f. 4 v., 2 V. u. Bc. (Austrian Manuscript Source)
Vater unser, der du bist im Himmel f. C., 3 Instr. u. Bc.
Veni salus pauperum, veni Jesu care f. 2 C., 2 V. u. Bc. (1670)
Veni Sancte Spiritus et emitte f. 2 C., 2 V., Gambe u. Bc. (1671)
Veni Sancte Spiritus, reple f. 2 C., B., 2 V. (eine weitere V. später zugefügt), Theorbe u. Bc.
Verbum caro factum est f. 2 C., 2 V., Gambe (ad plac.) u. Bc. (1672)
Vide pater mi« f. 2 C., T. (oder Bassetto), 2 V. u. Bc.
Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern f. C., 2 V., Gambe u. Bc.

Secular Cantatas:
Io, Musae, novo sol rutilat f. 2 C., A., B., 2 V., 2 Va., Gambe u. Bc. (1670)
Zitto hoggi Faune f. 2 C., T., B., 2 V., Violone u. Bc. (1674)

Organ Compositions:
Alleneste Gudh i himmelrijk
Lofwad ware tu Jesu Christ
O Jesu Christ som mandom togh

Additional Vocal works (not confirmed):
Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr'
Auf tiefer Nor schrei' ich zu dir
Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ

De funere ad vitam: Alleluia'

Source: Signum Classics Website; MusicWeb; MGG1 (Author: Bo Lungren, Bärenreiter, 1986), English translation by Thomas Braatz (2006)
Contributed by Teddy Kaufman (May 2006), Thomas Braatz (May 2006)

Use of Chorale Melodies in his works

Title

Chorale Melody

Year

Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr', for organ

Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr

Links to other Sites

Sacred Songs of Sorrow (Signum Classics)
GEIST Royal Concertos (MusicWeb)

Christian Geist (Wikipedia) [German]

Bibliography

Berglund, Lars:The Vocal Works of Christian Geist (c. 1640-1711). Music for the Court of Charles XI.