# A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Albert, Heinrich

From volume 1 of the work.
​ALBERT, Heinrich, born at Lobenstein, Voigtland, Saxony, June 28, 1604; nephew and apparently pupil of the famous composer Heinrich Schütz. He studied law in Leipsic, and music in Dresden. In 1626 he went to Königsberg, where Stobbaeus was at that time kapellmeister. In 1631 he became organist to the old church in that city, and in 1638 married Elizabeth Starke, who is referred to in his poem as 'Philosette.' Of the date of his death nothing certain is known. It is given as June 27, 1657 (by Fetis Oct. 10, 1651). One of his books of 'Arien' (Konigsberg, 1654), contains a statement that it was 'edited by the author's widow,' but the same book comprises some poems on the events of the year 1655. It is plain therefore that the date 1654 is an error.
Albert was at once poet, organist and composer. As poet he is one of the representatives of the Königsberg school, with the heads of which he was closely associated.
His church music is confined, according to Winterfeld, to a Te Deum for three voices, published Sept. 12, 1647. He however composed both words and music to many hymns, which are still in private use, e.g. 'Gott des Himmels und der Erden.' These, as well as his secular songs, are found in the eight collections printed for him by Paschen, Mense, and Reussner, under the patronage of the Emperor of Germany, the King of Poland, and the Kurfürst of Brandenburg. These collections sold so rapidly that of some of them several editions were published by the author. Others were surreptitiously issued at Königsberg and Dantzic under the title of 'Poetisch-musikalisches Lustwäldlein,' which Albert energetically resisted. These latter editions, though very numerous, are now exceedingly rare. Their original title is 'Erster (Zweiter, etc.) Theil der Arien etlicher theils geistlicher theils weltlicher, zur Andacht, guten Sitten, keuscher Liebe und Ehrenlust, dienen der Lieder zum singen und spielen gesetzt.' Then followed the dedication, a different one to each part. The second is dedicated to his 'most revered uncle, Heinrich Schütz,' the only existing reference to the relationship between them. Albert's original editions were in folio, but after his death an octavo edition was published in 1657 by A. Profe of Leipsic. In his prefaces Albert lays down the chief principles of the musical art, a circumstance which gives these documents great value, as they belong to a time in which by means of the 'basso continuo' a reform in music was effected, of which we are still feeling the influence. Mattheson, in his 'Ehren-pforte,' rightly assumes that Albert was the author of the 'Tractatus de modo conficiendi Contrapunctam,' which was then in manuscript in the possession of Valentin Hausmann. In the preface to the sixth section of his 'Arien' Albert speaks of the centenary of the Königsberg University, Aug. 28, 1644, and mentions that he had written a 'Comödien-Musik' for that occasion, which was afterwards repeated in the palace of the Kurfürst. Albert was thus, next after H. Schütz, the founder of German opera. Both Schütz's 'Daphne' and Albert's 'Comödien-Musik' appear to be lost, doubtless because they were not published.
[ F. G. ]