Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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SEBASTIANI SECHTER 405
In 1813 Clementi published a vocal score with a
better version. The Kev. John Webb followed
with a further improvement, and more recently,
in 1840 or 1841, Professor E. Taylor made a
fourth.
It was in the repertory of the Cecilian
Society ; and the Sacred Harmonic Society
performed it on Deo. 5, 1861, and four times
more down to 1877. 6.
SEBASTIANI, JoHANN, was born at Weimar,
Sept. 30, 1622. The known facts of his life
are few. He is said to have studied music in
Italy, but no hint is given as to who his
teachers were. He is next heard of as settled
at Kcinigsberg in Prussia about 1650, where
also in 1661 he was appointed Cantor to the
Domkirehe in the Kneiphof quarter of the
town, and in 1663 became Capellmeister to the
Electoral Schlosskirche. Heretired on a pension
in 1679, and died 1683. He is chiefly known
as the composer of a Passion music, which
occupies an important place in the development
of the forhi. The full title of the work is
'Das Leyden und Sterben unsers Herrn und
Heylandes J. Chr. naoh dem heiligen Matthaeo.
In eine recitirende Harmoni von 5 singenden
und 6 spielenden Stimmen nebst dem Basso
continue geaetzet. Worinnen zu erweokung
mehrer Devotion untersohiedliche Verse aus
denen gewbhnliohen Kirchenliedern mit eingefiihret.
. . . Kbnigsberg, 1672.' The work is
dedicated to Frederick William, Elector of
Brandenburg. As the title indicates, it is a
Passion with instrumental accompaniment a 6,
and Chorus a 5. The instrumental parts are
for first and second violins, three for Viola da
Gamba or da Braccio, and one for Viola Bassa.
But the full accompaniment is only reserved
for the dramatic choruses in the work. Elsewhere
the distinction is made that while the
violas alone accompany the words of the
Evangelist and other single characters sung by
solo voices, the first and second violins alone
with basso continuo accompany the utterances
of our Lord. There are also short symphonic
interludes for violas alone, and the chorale
verses are intended to be sung by a solo voice
with the accompaniment of violas. The conclusion
consists of a hymn of thanksgiving, the
first four verses of which are sung solo, and
only the last verse tutti. The whole interesting
work has now been reprinted in Bd. xvii. of
the 'Denkmaler Deutscher Tonkunst,' Erste
Folge. Other works of Sebastiani, enumerated
in the Quellen-Lexikon, are two collections of
geistliche und weltliche Lieder bearing the
title Pamass - blumen, published at Hamburg
1672 and 1675, also a large number of occasional
compositions for weddings and funerals. A few
sacred compositions in the concerted style for
voices and instruments remain in MS. J. K. M.
SECHTER, Simon. One of the most important
of modern contrapuntists. Born at Friedberg,
in Bohemia, on Oct. 11, 1788. In 1804,
after a moderate musical education, he went to
Vienna, where he applied himself with ardour to
theoretical studies. In 1809, while Vienna was
in the hands of the French, he made theacquaintance
of Dragonetti—then living in concealment
under the curious apprehension that Napoleon
would oblige him to go to Paris—for whom he
wrote the pianoforte accompaniments to his
concertos for the double bass. In 1810 Sechter
became teacher of the piano and singing to the
Blind Institute, for which he wrote many songs
and two masses. During the whole of this time he
pushed forward his studies, working more especially
at Bach and Mozart. He found a good
friend in Abb^ §tadler, through whose means,
thi'ee of Sechter's masses were performed at the
court chapel. A requiem of his and a chorus
from Schiller's Bride ' of Messina ' were also
executed at the Concert Spirituel with success.
In 1824 he became court-organist, first as subordinate,
and in 1825, on the death of Worzischeck,
as chief, an oflice which he retained till
his death. His fame as a theoretical teacher
attracted numerous scholars, amongst others
the great Schubert, who was on the point of
taking lessons from him when attacked by his
last illness. (See Schubekt, ante, p. 316a.)
The Emperor Ferdinand conferred upon him
the large gold medal for a gi-and mass dedicated
to his Majesty, which was shortly followed by
the order of St. Louis from the Duke of Lucca. In
1850 he became Professor of Composition in the
Conservatorium at Vienna. His Aphorisms, etc.
which he communicated to the Vienna Allg.
inusik. Zeitung, show him to have beenaprofound
thinker, and give many instructive hints both to
teachers and scholars. His most intimate friends
were Staudigl, Lutz, and Hblzel, for whom he
wrote a quantity of humorous Volkslieder in
contrapuntal style, as well as many comic operettas,
ballads, etc. His diligence in study was
astonishing. No day passed in which he did
not write a fugue. A few years before his death
he had the misfortune, through his own good
nature, to lose almost everything, and died on
Sept. 12, 1867, nearly eighty years old, in
poverty and privation. Sechter was much
esteemed and beloved for his simplicity and
goodness, and it may be truly said that he
had no enemies. His system, though severe,
was simple, clear, and logical. His scholars
were almost innumerable : amongst them may
be mentioned, Preyer, Nottebohm, the Princess
Czartorijska, Sucher, Bibl, Rosa Kastner
(Escudier), Rufinatscha, Bruckner, Otto Bach,
Dohler, Schachner, Filtsch, S. Bagge, Benoni,
Vieuxtemps, Pauer, C. F. Pohl, and Thalberg.
Notwithstanding the multitude of his lessons
he found time to compose a gi-eat deal of music.
His unpublished works in the Imperial Library
and the Musikverein at Vienna contain four
oratorios, operas and large cantatas, music for
voice, organ, and pianoforte, including 104