Salomon Franck | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1659-03-06)6 March 1659 |
| Died | 11 July 1725(1725-07-11) (aged 66) Weimar |
| Other names | Salomo Franck |
| Occupation(s) | lawyer, scientist, poet |
| Known for | collaboration withJohann Sebastian Bach |
| Notable work | librettist of some of the best-knownBach cantatas |
Salomon (alsoSalomo)Franck, 6 March 1659 – 11 July 1725), was a German lawyer, scientist, and poet. Franck was working at Weimar at the same time as the composerJohann Sebastian Bach and he was the librettist of some of the best-knownBach cantatas.[1][2]
Franck was born inWeimar. After studying law andtheology atJena he held government posts atZwickau,Arnstadt, Jena and Weimar, where he died.[1] Records show that, as of 1702, Franck was secretary of the highConsistory, managing the numismatic collection and the library records for the court of Duke of Saxe-Weimar,William Ernest.
Franck had already written several secular cantata texts prior to his association withJohann Sebastian Bach, e.g.Himmelsflammende Wunschopfer, which was performed at Weimar castle in 1697. Franck also wrote many sacred texts. His earliest church-cantata texts were written in the older form, consisting of verses from the Bible and strophic songs. In 1711 he used for the first time the new form introduced byErdmann Neumeister.[3]
In 1717, Franck published a collection of sacred texts titledEvangelische Sonn- und Festtages Andachten auf Hochfürstliche Gnädigste Verordnung zur Fürstlich Sächsischen Weimarischen Hof-Capell-Music in Geistlichen Arien erwecket von Salomon Francken, Fürstlich Sächsischen Gesamten Ober-Consistorial-Secretario in Weimar. Weimar und Jena bey Johann Felix Bielcken. 1717.
He wrote the text for Bach's earliest secular cantata (1713),Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd (BWV 208) in which, following the custom of the day, he drew upon mythological characters.[1] The cantata was composed for the 31st birthday celebration of DukeChristian of Sachsen-Weissenfels.
It is not known for sure when he began collaborating with Bach on sacred cantatas, as the author of some texts used by Bach is unknown. However, the collaboration between Franck and Bach was particularly active from 1714, when the composer was promoted to the post ofKonzertmeister at Weimar, and embarked on the composition of cantatas for the Schlosskirche (court chapel) on a regular monthly basis. Bach adopted the new form of cantata, composingrecitatives andda capo arias. In 1717 the composer left Weimar, but he continued to set Franck's words years later when based atLeipzig.
Texts set by Bach include those of the cantatasBWV 31,BWV 70a,BWV 72,BWV 80,BWV 132,BWV 147,BWV 152,BWV 155,BWV 161,BWV 163,BWV 164,BWV 165,BWV 168,BWV 182,BWV 185, andBWV 186a.[4] He also most likely wrote the text forBWV 12,BWV 172 andBWV 21.
probably by Salomon Franck (1714)
FromEvangelisches Andachts-Opffer (1715)
FromEvangelische Sonn- und Fest-Tages-Andachten (1717)
