Michael Praetorius

About

Remembered for works such as Musae Sioniae (1605–1610) and Terpsichore (1612), this prominent German composer of the early 17th century is also well known for his 1609 setting of the hymn "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming."

Before Fame

After studying philosophy and religion at the University of Frankfurt, he became a church organist and subsequently worked in the court of Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg.

Trivia

A musical scholar as well as a composer, he penned a multi-volume work titled Syntagma Musicum.

Family Life

Born Michael Schultze to a Lutheran minister father, he spent his early days in Creuzburg, Germany. He passed away in Wolfenbuttel, Germany on his fiftieth birthday.

Associated With

He and fellow German composer Paul Gerhardt both wrote popular church hymns during the early 1600s.