Georg Caspar Schürmann


Georg Caspar Schürmann was a German Baroque composer. His name also appears as Schurmann and in Hochdeutsch as Scheuermann.

Life

Schürmann studied music, including voice, in his native Lower Saxony. By 1693, he was singing at the Oper am Gänsemarkt as a young alto. In 1694 he composed a cantata for the inauguration of the Castle Salzdahlum in Wolfenbüttel. In 1697, he went to Lüneburg for a guest performance. His singing there so impressed Duke Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel that the Duke hired him on the spot. From 1702 to 1707 he was principal conductor and composer for the Meiningen Court Orchestra. In 1707 Schürmann officially succeeded Reinhard Keiser as Cammer-Componist. He served the court of Brunswick, with but a few brief interruptions, for 54 years until he died at the age of 79.

Work

Schürmann wrote over thirty operas, many of which have not survived. His music was characterized by harmonic richness, careful contrapuntal elaboration, flexible handling of form and theatrically effective delineation of characters. Among his operas were:
  • Salomon, in einem Singespiel. . Wolfenbüttel, o.J.
  • Daniel, in einem Sing-Spiel. . Braunschweig 1701
  • Telemaque.. Naumburg 1706
  • L'amor insanguinato oder Holofernes. . Braunschweig 1716.
  • Die Pleiades oder das Siebengestirne. . Braunschweig 1716
  • Der Edelmühtige Porsenna. . Wolfenbüttel 1718
  • Heinrich der Vogler. . Wolfenbüttel 1718
  • Die getreue Alceste in einer Opera. . Braunschweig 1719
  • Ludovicus Pius oder Ludewig der Fromme.. Braunschweig 1726
  • Clelia, in einer Opera vorgestellet. . Braunschweig 1730
  • Procris und Cephalus, in einer Opera. . Wolfenbüttel 1734