Erdmann Neumeister (Librettist)

Born: May 12, 1671 - Uichteritz, near Weißenfels, Saxony, Germany
Died: August 18, 1756 - Hamburg, Germany

Writer and theologian, Erdmann Neumeister’s importance to music history lies in his church cantata texts. He was also a theorist (he lectured on poetry at Leipzig University in 1695) and a pastor, at first for brief periods in minor posts in Saxony and Silesia, and finally for 40 years, from 1715, at the Jacobikirche, Hamburg.

Around 1695 Neumeister wrote his first cantata texts. They belong to the type common in the later 17^th century, consisting of biblical verses, strophic arias, and, occasionally, single chorale strophes. In 1700 he published Geistliche Cantaten staff einer Kirchen-Music ('Sacred Cantatas in Place of Liturgical Music'), which consist only of recitatives and 'operatic' arias. The title suggests that Neumeister did not intend these as apt for performance during a normal service. It was only in cycles published in 1711 and 1714 and set by Telemann that Neumeister inserted biblical texts and chorales into his cantatas, thus mixing the forms of traditional German church music with those of contemporary Italian opera. But this mixture was already tried out at the Meiningen court in 1704. Thus, pace Philipp Spitta and many later writers, Neumeister was not the inventor of the type of cantata text so important for the further development of Protestant church music, although he was clearly influential in its adoption.

J.S. Bach set five of Neumeister's texts, two (BWV 18 and BWV 61) at Weimar, probably about 1714, and three (BWV 24, BWV 28, and BWV 59) during his Leipzig years. That Neumeister supported J.S. Bach's application for the post of organist at the Jacobikirche, Hamburg, in 1720 is suggested by the sarcastic comments he made, in one of his sermons, about the simony attached to the election.

Source: Oxford Composer Companion - J.S. Bach, edited by Malcolm Boyd (1999)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2003)

Texts of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

BWV 18, BWV 24, BWV 28, BWV 59, BWV 61, BWV 81 (?), BWV 142, BWV 160, BWV 218, BWV 219, BWV 439, BWV Anh 1 (?), BWV Anh 156

Chorale Texts used in Bach’s Vocal Works

Ach, daß nicht die letzte Stunde (1705)

Texts of G.P. Telamann Cantatas

Cantata TVWV 1:74 Also hat Gott die Welt geliebet for Pfingstmontag / Whit Monday (Jun 6, 1718)
Cantata TVWV 1:76 Also hat Gott die Welt geliebet for Pfingstmontag / Whit Monday (May 25, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:301 Der jüngste Tag wird bald sein Ziel erreichen for 2. Advent / 2^nd Sunday in Advent (Dec 5, 1717)
Cantata TVWV 1:302 Der jüngste Tag wird bald sein Ziel erreichen for 2. Advent / 2^nd Sunday in Advent (Dec 7, 1710)
Cantata TVWV 1:310 Der Segen des Herrn machet reich for 5.So.n.Trin. / 5^th Sunday after Trinity (Jul 5, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:311 Der Segen des Herrn machet reich for 5.So.n.Trin. / 5^th Sunday after Trinity (Jul 17, 1718)
Cantata TVWV 1:374 Drei sind, die da zeugen im Himmel for Trinitatis / Trinity Sunday (Jun 12, 1718)
Cantata TVWV 1:377 Drei sind, die da zeugen im Himmel for Trinitatis / Trinity Sunday (May 31, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:533 Es spricht der Unweisen Mund wohl for 8.So.n.Trin. / 8^th Sunday after Trinity (Aug 7, 1718)
Cantata TVWV 1:611 Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ for 2. Weihnachtstag / 2^nd Day of Christmas Dec 26, 1717
Cantata TVWV 1:612 Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ for 2. Weihnachtstag / 2^nd Day of Christmas (Dec 26, 1710)
Cantata TVWV 1:616 Gesegnet ist die Zuversicht for 7.So.n.Trin. / 7^th Sunday after Trinity (Jul 19, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:617 Gesegnet ist die Zuversicht for 7.So.n.Trin. / 7^th Sunday after Trinity (Jul 31, 1718)
Cantata TVWV 1:809 Hosianna dem Sohne David for Unknown Event (Date?)
Cantata TVWV 1:843 Ich hatte viel Bekuemmernisse in meinem Herzen for Reminiszere / 2^nd Sunday in Lent (Feb 21, 1717)
Cantata TVWV 1:915 Ihr seid alles Gottes Kinder for 4. Advent / 4^th Sunday in Advent (Dec 19, 1717)
Cantata TVWV 1:916 Ihr seid alles Gottes Kinder for 4. Advent / 4^th Sunday in Advent (Dec 21, 1710)
Cantata TVWV 1:919 Ihr Völker, bringet her dem Herrn for Epiphanias / Feast of Epiphany (Jan 6, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:1130 Mein Kind, willst du Gottes Diener sein for 3. Advent / 3^rd Sunday in Advent (Dec 14, 1710)
Cantata TVWV 1:1134 Mein Sünd mich werden kränken for 19.So.n.Trin. / 19^th Sunday after Trinity (Oct 11, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:1174 Nun komm der Heiden Heiland for 1. Advent / 1^st Sunday in Advent (Nov 28, 1717)
Cantata TVWV 1:1177 Nun komm der Heiden Heiland for 1. Advent / 1^st Sunday in Advent (Nov 30, 1710)
Cantata TVWV 1:1196 O großer Gott von Macht for 10.So.n.Trin. / 10^th Sunday after Trinity (Aug 9, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:1205 O mein Gott, vor den ich trete for Quasimodogeniti / Quasimodogeniti Sunday (Apr 12, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:1206 O mein Gott, vor den ich trete for Quasimodogeniti / Quasimodogeniti Sunday (Apr 24, 1718)
Cantata TVWV 1:1225 Redet untereinander mit Psalmen for Neujahr / New Year's Day (Jan 1, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:1275 Seid nüchtern und wachet for 5.So.n.Epiph. / 5^th Sunday after Epiphany (No event, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:1304 Selig sind die zum Abendmal for 2.So.n.Trin. / 2^nd Sunday after Trinity (Jun 14, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:1306 Selig sind die zum Abendmal for 2.So.n.Trin. / 2^nd Sunday after Trinity (Jun 26, 1718)
Cantata TVWV 1:1451 Uns ist ein Kind geboren for 1. Weihnachtstag / Christmas Day) (Dec 25, 1710) (= BWV 142)
Cantata TVWV 1:1525 Was Jesus nur mit mir wird fügen for 12.So.n.Trin. / 12^th Sunday after Trinity (Aug 23, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:1523 Was Jesus nur mit mir wird fügen for 12.So.n.Trin. / 12^th Sunday after Trinity (Sep 4, 1718)
Cantata TVWV 1:1568 Wenn wir in höchsten Noten sein for 4. Sonntag nach Epiphanias / 4^th Sunday after Epiphany (No event, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:1600 Wer sich rächet, an dem wird sich der Herr wieder rächen for 6.So.n.Trin. / 6^th Sunday after Trinity (Jul 12, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:1602 Wer sich rächet, an dem wird sich der Herr wieder rächen for 6.So.n.Trin. / 6^th Sunday after Trinity (Jul 24, 1718)

Cantata TVWV 1:1645 Wie teuer ist deine Güte for 6 Sonntag nach Epiphanias / 6^th Sunday after Epiphany (No event, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:1692 Wohin ich nur die Augen wende for 25.So.n.Trin. / 25^th Sunday after Trinity (No event, 1718)
Cantata TVWV 1:1693 Wohin ich nur die Augen wende for 25.So.n.Trin. / 25^th Sunday after Trinity (Nov 22, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:1738 Zwei Jünger gehn nach Emmaus for Ostermontag / Easter Monday (Apr 18, 1718)
Cantata TVWV 1:deest Zwei Jünger gehn nach Emmaus for Ostermontag / Easter Monday (Apr 6, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:deest Es spricht der Unweisen Mund wohl for 8.So.n.Trin. / 8^th Sunday after Trinity (Jul 26, 1711)
Cantata TVWV 1:deest O großer Gott von Macht for 10.So.n.Trin. / 10^th Sunday after Trinity (Aug 21, 1718)
Cantata TVWV 1:deest Mein Sünd mich werden kränken for 19.So.n.Trin. / 19^th Sunday after Trinity (Oct 23, 1718)

Links to other Sites

Erdmann Neumeister (Cyber Hymnal)
Erdmann Neumeister (Heligenlexikon) [German]
ERDMANN NEUMEISTER (LitLinks)
Erdmann Neumeister (Deutsche Liebelyrik) [German]
NEUMEISTER, Erdmann (BBKL) [German]
Uichteritz-Der Ort an der Saale: Erdmann Neumeister [German]
Neumeister - Song Texts

Bibliography