David Pohle

Biography

David Pohle (1624 – 20 December 1695) was a German composer of the Baroque era. His surname is also spelled Pohl, Pohlen, Pole, Pol or Bohle.

Biography

Pohle was born in Marienberg into a family of civic musicians. He was a pupil of Heinrich Schütz in Dresden. He and his brother Samuel joined the Kapelle of Christian I, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg as instrumentalists. From 1650 to 1652 his presence at Kassel is documented. From 1653 he was at the Holstein-Gottorp court in Schleswig.
In a baptismal record of 1660 he is named as "Concertmeister to the prince of Magdeburg", namely Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels. Pohle became the Kapellmeister for the Duke's court at Halle that same year, succeeding Philipp Stolle. The poet and dramatist David Elias Heidenreich worked in the Saxon courts as an official, and provided the libretti for a number of the Singspiel operas that Pohle composed. Christian Ritter was also at Halle, as organist, for some years up to 1677, when Ritter was succeeded in the post of Kammerorganist by Johann Philipp Krieger. From 1674 to 1677 Pohle also worked at the secundogeniture courts at Saxe-Weissenfels and Saxe-Zeitz.
When the court at Halle moved to Weissenfels in 1680, Krieger, who had already become deputy Kapellmeister at the court, replaced Pohle as Kapellmeister. From 1678 to 1682 Pohle held the post of Kapellmeister at Zeitz, a role he shared with Heinrich Gottfried Kühnel. Violinist Christian Heinrich Aschenbrenner was also at Zeitz during that time. When the Zeitz Kapelle was disbanded, in 1682, Pohle became Kapellmeister for the secundogeniture court at Saxe-Merseburg. He was accompanied there by Aschenbrenner. Pohle remained at Merseburg till he died in 1695.
His earliest surviving compositions are Lieder in strophic form, settings of odes by Paul Fleming. He dedicated these in 1650 to William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. Between 1663 and 1664 he wrote a cycle of cantatas for the church year. In each one of these, in addition to biblical verse there is a strophic aria, for which Pohle set odes by David Elias Heidenreich. Only one work from this cycle survives, Siehe, es hat überwunden der Löwe.
In his sacred vocal works the influence of Heinrich Schütz is noticeable. Pohle's vocal works provide a link between Heinrich Schütz and Johann Sebastian Bach in the development of the Protestant cantata. His preference for middle and lower voices, and above all his experimentation with form in his instrumental music, create a distinctive style which reveals itself despite the limited scope of his works.
None of Pohle's works were published during his lifetime. Only manuscripts survived, and much was lost. However, recent years have seen some of his works published.

Singspiel

(all lost; libretti mostly by David Elias Heidenreich)

Liebe krönt Eintracht (1669)
Der singende Hof-Mann Daniel (1671)
Der glückselige Liebes-Fehl Prinz Walrams aus Sachsen (1673)
Der verliebte Mörder Herodes (1673)
Aspasia (1672)
Das ungereimte Paar Venus und Vulcanus (1679)

Sacred Latin

Amo te Deus for 3 voices, 3 instruments and continuo
Benedicam Dominum for 2 voices, 3 instruments and continuo
Benedicam Dominum (other version) for 2 voices, 3 instruments and continuo
Bonum est confiteri for 3 voices and continuo
Diligam te Domine for soprano, 2 instruments and continuo
Domine, ostende mihi for 5 voices, 6 instruments and continuo
Domine, quis habitat for 4 voices, 5 instruments and continuo
In te Domine speravi for 3 voices, 3 instruments and continuo
Jesu chare for alto, 2 instruments and continuo
Jesus auctor clementiae for 3 voices, 3 instruments and continuo
Miserere mei Deus for 5 voices, 5 instruments ad lib. and continuo
Nascitur Immanuel for 5 voices, 5 instruments and continuo
Oculi mei for 3 voices, 2 instruments and continuo
Paratum cor meum for tenor, 2 instruments and continuo
Te sanctum Dominum for 5 voices, 7 instruments and continuo
Tulerunt Dominum for 6 voices, 6 instruments and continuo
Vox Domini for bass, 2 instruments and continuo
In the 21st century Pohle was suggested as one of three possible composers of the Kyrie–Gloria Mass for double choir, BWV Anh. 167.

Sacred German

Der Engel des Herrn for 4 voices, 4 instruments and continuo
Es wird ein Stern aus Jacob aufgehen for 4 voices, 3 instruments and continuo
Herr, wenn ich nur dich habe for alto, 5 instruments and continuo
Herr, wenn ich nur dich habe (other version) for 3 voices, 3 instruments and continuo
Ihr Völker bringet her for 3 voices, 3 instruments and continuo
Jesu, meine Freude for 4 voices, 3 instruments and continuo
Nur in meines Jesu Wunden for 6 voices, 6 instruments and continuo
Siehe, es hat überwunden der Löwe for 5 voices, 7 (8 ad lib.) instruments and continuo
Wie der Hirsch schreiet for tenor, 3 instruments and continuo

Secular German

12 arias after the fifth book of odes by Paul Fleming, for 2 voices, 2 instruments and continuo
Kein Augenblick vergeht for 3 voices and continuo
Marindgen, du siehst hold und schöne for 2 voices, 5 instruments and continuo
Weiss und Schwarz for 2 voices, 2 instruments and continuo

Instrumental

20 sonatas for 5 to 8 instruments
Sonata a 3
Sonata a 4
2 sonatas a 4
Sonata a 5
3 sonatas a 6
Sonata a 8
2 suites a 4
Le Testament du Sr. Belleville et Courante et Sarabande
Ballet
Sonata a 2 Violini (lost, mentioned in Codex Rost, No. 24)

Recordings

Wie der Hirsch schreyet: Diligam te Domine; In te Domine speravi; Benedicam Dominum; Jesu chare; Paratum cor meum. Sonatas a 6 No.23–25, 29; Sonatas a 6 in F. Monika Mauch, David Erler, Hansjörg Mammel, L'arpa festante, Rien Voskuilen, Carus, DDD, 2004
Complete Sonatas & Ballet Music. Brice Sailly, Stéphanie de Failly, Ensemble Clematis, Ricercar RIC 460, 2024