Christian Geist (c. 1650 – 1711) was a German
composer and organist, who lived and worked mainly in
Scandinavia. He was born in Güstrow, where his father,
Joachim Geist, was cantor at the cathedral school. From
1665–1666 and 1668–1669 he was a boy member of the
court orchestra conducted by Daniel Danielis
(1635-1696) of Duke Gustav Adolph of
Mecklenburg-Güstrow. He was a bass singer at the
Danish court music ensemble in Copenhagen in 1669 and
in June 1670 moved to the Swedish court orche...(+)
Christian Geist (c. 1650 – 1711) was a German
composer and organist, who lived and worked mainly in
Scandinavia. He was born in Güstrow, where his father,
Joachim Geist, was cantor at the cathedral school. From
1665–1666 and 1668–1669 he was a boy member of the
court orchestra conducted by Daniel Danielis
(1635-1696) of Duke Gustav Adolph of
Mecklenburg-Güstrow. He was a bass singer at the
Danish court music ensemble in Copenhagen in 1669 and
in June 1670 moved to the Swedish court orchestra under
Gustaf Düben the elder (ca. 1628-1690), a position he
held until June 1679, having applied unsuccessfully for
the position of choirmaster of St. John's in Hamburg in
1674. He became organist of the German church in
Gothenburg, and in November 1684 moved to Copenhagen,
where he succeeded J.M. Radeck as organist of the
Helligaandskirke, a post he held to his death, and also
the Trinitatis Church, after marrying his widow
Magdalena Sibylla in May 1685 (a practice by no means
rare). He succeeded Johann Lorentz as organist of the
Church of Holmen in Copenhagen in 1689. He died, with
his third wife and all their children, of the bubonic
plague.
Sixty of his vocal works have survived, all but two of
a sacred nature, with Latin texts; they were probably
composed during his time in Stockholm. Most are
intended for court performance, and one third for use
in church services, but he also wrote larger works for
royal ceremonies; Quis hostis in coelis and Domine in
virtute were written for Charles XI's accession to the
throne in 1672.
His vocal works are related in form and style to the
contemporary Italian concerted motet; indeed, he called
them motetto. They are generally in sections which
alternate in texture and scoring, and include ariosos
or arias for solo voice. The simple counterpoint and
expressive harmonic and melodic nature of these works
is typically Italian, while his extravagant use of the
violin and viol is rooted in the German tradition. His
music is somewhat similar to that of Marco Giuseppe
Peranda and Vincenzo Albrici, Kaspar Förster, and
Dieterich Buxtehude. The manuscripts of his
compositions reside in the library of the University of
Uppsala, and some have been published as C. Geist: 15
Ausgewählte Kirchenkonzerte, edited by B. Lundgren, in
Das Erbe deutscher Musik, 1st series, XLVIII
(1960).
Six vocal works on German texts were written during his
time as organist of the German church in Gothenburg;
they are typical of German Protestant works; chorale
settings, sacred arias, and a concerto with aria.
Three organ works of doubtful authorship have been
published as Tre koralförspel, ed. Lundgren
(Stockholm, 1943); these are chorale preludes on
"Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr" (All glory be to God
on high); Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir (From deep
affliction I cry out to you), using the melody by
Wolfgang Dachstein rather than the more well-known one
by Martin Luther, and Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ
(Praise to you, Jesus Christ). These works fall into
the tradition of the North German school of organ
music
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Geist).
Although originally writen for Choir (SATB), 2 Violins
& Continuo I created this interpretation of the "Jesu
delitium vultus, ah redde amantes" (Jesus deligths the
face,of the lovers?) for Double-Reed Trio (Oboe,
English Horn & Bassoon) & Strings (2 Violins, Viola &
Cello).
PARTITION