Type Director of music Formation 1518 (1518) | Reports to Leipzig First holder Georg Rhau | |
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Thomaskantor (Cantor at St. Thomas) is the common name for the musical director of the Thomanerchor, now an internationally known boys' choir founded in Leipzig in 1212. The official historic title in Latin, Cantor et Director Musices describes the two functions of cantor and director. As the cantor, he had to prepare the choir for service in four Lutheran churches, Thomaskirche (St. Thomas), Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas), Neue Kirche (New Church) and Peterskirche (St. Peter). As director, he had to organise music for city functions such as town council elections and homages. Functions related to the university took place at the Paulinerkirche. Johann Sebastian Bach was the most famous Thomaskantor, from 1723 to 1750.
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Position
Leipzig has a university dating back to 1409, and is a commercial center, hosting a trade fair first mentioned in 1165. It was mostly Lutheran since the Reformation. The position of Thomaskantor at Bach's time has been described as "one of the most respected and influential musical offices of Protestant Germany.
The services in Lutheran Leipzig, their readings and required music were regulated in detail. The Church Book (Complete Church / Book / Containing / The Gospels and Epistles / For Every Feast-, Sun-, and Apostle Day Of the Entire Year ...) lists the prescribed reading, repeated every year. The church year began with the First Sunday in Advent and was divided in feast days, fasting periods and the feast-less time after Trinity Sunday. In music, there was mainly no concert music such as a cantata during the fasting times of Advent and Lent. Modest music was performed during the second half of the church year, and rich music with more complex instrumentation and more services per day on feast days. Christmas, Easter and Pentecost were celebrated three days each, and many other feast days were observed. The library of St. Thomas contained works in vocal polyphony from the fifteenth century onward.
The official historic title in Latin of the Thomaskantor is Cantor et Director Musices (Cantor and Director of Music), describing two functions, cantor and director. The Thomaskantor had to report to the city council, the rector of the Thomasschule and the church superintendent. He had the duty to prepare the choir for service in the city's four Lutheran churches, the main churches Thomaskirche (St. Thomas) and the Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas), but also the Neue Kirche (New Church) and the Peterskirche (St. Peter).
As cantor, the Thomaskantor had to compose and take care of copying, rehearsals and performances. He also had to teach, both music and general subjects. He had to take part in the admission process for new students to the school. The choir was divided in groups: the most advanced singers performed a cantata every Sunday, alternating between St. Thomas and St. Nicholas, a second group sang at the other church, beginners on feast days at the smaller churches. On high holidays, the cantata was performed in both churches, in a morning service in one, in a vespers service in the other. The choir performed also for weddings and funerals, to earn additional funding.
As director of music, the Thomaskantor was Leipzig's "senior musician", responsible for the music on official occasions such as town council elections and homages. Functions related to the university took place at the Paulinerkirche.
Today, the Thomaskantor leads the music in services at the Thomaskirche, including weekly afternoon services called Motette which often contain a Bach cantata. He also conducts the choir in recordings and on tours.
Known holders of the position
The following table shows the names of the known people in the position, and their time of service, in chronological order from the Reformation to now.