Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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SCHEIDT SCHEIN 255
there is still wanting in him a consistent system
of modulation. The chromatic semitones are
still employed by him rather in a haphazard
sort of way.
Twenty-six years later, viz. in 1650, Scheldt
published another work for the organ, his second
and last, which shows a different conception as
to the use of the organ in the services of the
Church, and probably marks a change which
was then going ongraduaUy in the practice of
the Lutheran Church. The congregational singing
of metrical hymns was gradually superseding
the older liturgical music, and the organ had
more and more to surrender its independence to
accommodate itself to the simple accompaniment
in 4-part harmony of* the melodies of these
hymns, which now began to assume exclusively
the name of Choral-musik. This, which was at
first a loss, became in time a gain, as it deepened
the sense of the value of harmony for its own
sake ; and besides, out of this originated the new
art-form of the Choral- Vorspiel of later days.
Scheldt's last organ work was intended to meet
the new requirements. Its title sufficiently
explains its object
'
: Tabnlatur-buch 100 geist-
Kcher Lieder u. Psalmen D. Martini Lutheri
und anderer gottseliger Manner fiir die Herren
Organisten mit der Christlichen Kirchen u.
Gemeine auf derOrgel, desgleichenauch zu Hause
zu spielen u. zu siugen, auf alle Fest-u. Sonn- tage
durchs ganze Jahr mit 4 Stimmen componirt
. . . Gedruckt zu Gorlitz . . . im 1650 Jahr.'
This work is dedicated to the Magistrates and
Town Council of Gorlitz, and the composer
seems to imply that it had been undertaken at
their special desire. In this, as in his previous
work, there is noticeable, as Ritter points out,
the same imdecided struggle in the composer's
mind between attachment to the old and inclination
to the new. Thus, while he strictly
adheres to the original rhythms of the old melodies,
he harmonises according to the rules of
modem musical accent, and thus the rhythm of
the melody is not in agreement with the rhythm
implied by the harmony. See for illustration
his setting of 'Ein' feste Burg' in Ritter,
GeschicAte der Orgel-Musik, p. 19, the iirst two
bars of which may here be given :
One chorale appears in this book for the iirst
time, viz. '0 Jesulein siiss, Jesulein mild,'
which has been adapted in later chorale books
to the words ' heiliger Geist, heiliger
Gott.' As harmonised by Scheldt it is given
in Winterfeld Ev. K. G. ii. No. 218, and
Schbberlein, SchcUz des Chorgesangs, ii. No.
457.
If it is his organ works that now entitle
Scheldt to honourable remembrance, and give
him a distinct position of his own amongst
composers, it was not his organ works, but his
vocal compositions, that procured him the
esteem of his contemporaries, and caused him to
be ranked as one of the celebrated three S's.
Of his vocal works, besides the ' Sacrae Cantiones'
of 1620, mentioned above, there are
mentioned 'Liebliche Krafft-Bliimlein conzertweise
mit 2 Stimmen sampt deni General-Basse,
Halle, 1625. Another work should also be
recorded, consisting of 'Paduana, GaUiarda,'
etc. for four and five voices, 1621, the second
part of which was called Ludorum '
musicoruni
prima et secunda pars,' and published in 1622.
It is natural to draw comparisons, as Ritter
does in his history above quoted, between
Scheldt and Frescobaldi, whoso lives covered
nearly the same period of time, and who may
both be regarded as the true founders of modern
organ mu6ic, or rather, the Italian of clavier
music generally, the German of specifically
organ music. Of the two, Frescobaldi is the
greater genius, showing greater force of imagination
in the invention of new forms and the
solution of difficult problems ; Scheldt is more
laborious and painstaking, showing greater
study of the capabilities of his instrument, as,
for instance, in the use of the pedal, and in
registering generally, with neither of which
did Frescobaldi concern himself. As Ritter
points out, while Scheidt has thus gi-eatey
command of all the resources of expression,
Frescobaldi has more of real poetic expression in
his music itself. For more detailed comparison
of the two masters it will be sufficient to refer
to Ritter's work. [See Max Seiffert's preface
to the first vol. of the DenJcmSZer deu,tscher
Tonkunst, containing Scheldt's
'
Tabulatura
Nova '
; the Vierteljahrsschrift fiir Musikwiss.
vii. p. 188 ff'. ; and the Sammelbande of the Int.
Mils. Ges. i. p. 401, where a detailed study of
Samuel and Gottfried Scheidt is to be found,
the work of Arno Werner. Also titles of works
in the Quellen-Lexikon.^ j. p.. m.
SCHEIN, JoHANx Herman, was born Jan.
20, 1586, at Grunhain in Saxony, 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 in 1599. His further education
was received at the Gymnasium of Schnlpforta
in 1603 and the University of Leipzig (1607).
Of his musical training further than what he
received in the Court Chapel at Dresden we
have no details. In 1615 he was invited to
be capellmeister at Weimar, but held this
post for only two years. On the death of Seth
Calvisius in November 1615 he obtained the
appointment of Cantor to the Thomasschule in
Leipzig, which post he held till his death Nov.
19, 1630.