Georg Christoph Strattner

Georg Christoph Strattner
Bornc. 1645
Gols, Burgenland, Austria
DiedApril 1704 (aged 58–59)
Weimar, Germany
OccupationsMusician, composer, hymn writer
Known forHymn melodies

Georg Christoph Strattner (c. 1645 – April 1704) was a German church musician, composer, and hymn writer.

Strattner was born in Gols, then in the Hungarian Burgenland. He received his first musical training from his cousin Samuel Capricornus who was the music director at the Dreifaltigkeitskirche in Preßburg. At age fourteen, he became a choir boy at the Stuttgart court chapel.

By 1675 he was Capellmeister to Margrave Frederick of Baden and Hochberg of Frankfurt and by 1682, he was Capellmeister at Frankfurt; however, he was expelled from the city in 1691.

In 1694, he found employment at the court chapel in Weimar and was promoted to vice capellmeister (Particulier Kammermusikus und Vice-Capellmeister) in 1695, succeeding August Kühnel, with Samuel Drese as capellmeister.

Strattner composed several cantatas of which about twenty are extant in manuscripts, and hymns, often with melodies like arias. His hymns include ‘Father, lead me day by day’. He composed melodies for hymns by Joachim Neander for a new 1691 publication. Strattner’s melody for "Himmel, Erde, Luft und Meer" is still part of hymnals.

Strattner died in Weimar where he was buried on 11 April 1704.

Family

Strattner was married twice; his second wedding was in 1689 to Anna Elisabeth Abt Bischofs.

Selected works

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Mentzel, E. "Georg Christoph Strattner". Deutsche Biographie. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  2. ↑ "Georg Christoph Strattner". Hymnary. Retrieved 22 January 2026.

Literature