Photo: Johann Friedrich Fleischberger · Public domain · credits
Tier 3 · vertical & regional
Heinrich Scheidemann
Person · male · Duchy of Holstein · Wöhrden · born 1596 · died 1663 · recording since 1998
German composer
Also known as 海因里希·沙伊德曼
Timeline
7 events▣ Album 4◦ Birth 1† Death 1★ Debut release 1
1590s
1660s
1990s
· Debut release
Debut release: Organ Works, Vol. 1
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
2000s
2010s
Biography
English biography449 words · 4 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1376238710
Biography
Heinrich Scheidemann (c. 1595 – 1663) was a German organist and composer. He was the best-known composer for the organ in north Germany in the early to mid-17th century and was an important forerunner of Dieterich Buxtehude and J. S. Bach.
Life
Scheidemann was born in Wöhrden in Holstein. His father was an organist in both Wöhrden and Hamburg, and he probably received some early instruction from him. Scheidemann studied with Sweelinck in Amsterdam from 1611 to 1614, and evidently was one of his favorite pupils, since Sweelinck dedicated a canon to him, prior to Scheidemann's return to Germany. By 1629, and possibly earlier, Scheidemann was in Hamburg as organist at St. Catherine's Church, Hamburg, a position which he held for more than thirty years, until his death in Hamburg in early 1663 during an outbreak of the plague.
Music and influence
Scheidemann was renowned as an organist and composer, as evidenced by the wide distribution of his works; more organ music by Scheidemann survives than by any other composer of the time. Unlike the other early Baroque German composers, such as Praetorius, Schütz, Scheidt, and Schein, each of whom wrote in most of the current genres and styles, Scheidemann wrote almost entirely organ music. A few songs survive, as well as some harpsichord pieces, but they are dwarfed by the dozens of organ pieces, many in multiple movements.
Scheidemann's lasting contribution to the organ literature, and to Baroque music in general, was in his settings of Lutheran chorales, which were of three general types: cantus firmus chorale arrangements, which were an early type of chorale prelude; "monodic" chorale arrangements, which imitated the current style of monody—a vocal solo over basso continuo—but for solo organ; and elaborate chorale fantasias, which were a new invention, founded on the keyboard style of Sweelinck but using the full resources of the developing German Baroque organ. In addition to his chorale arrangements, he also wrote important arrangements of the Magnificat, which are not only in multiple parts but are in cyclic form towards liturgical use in alternation with the choir during the so-called Vespers, a technique in multiple-movement musical construction which was not to return with vigor until the 19th century. Among his students were Johann Adam Reincken, his successor at the St. Catharine's Church, Hamburg, and (possibly) Dieterich Buxtehude.
See: List of music students by teacher: R to S#Heinrich Scheidemann.
References and further reading
Article "Heinrich Scheidemann, in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie. 20 vol. London, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 1980. ISBN 1-56159-174-2.
Manfred Bukofzer, Music in the Baroque Era. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1947. ISBN 0-393-09745-5.
Pieter Dirksen, Heinrich Scheidemann's Keyboard Music. Its Transmission, Style and Chronology, Ashgate, Aldershot, 2007. ISBN 978-0-7546-5441-4.
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 20 | 81.1th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 4 | 78.1th |
| Studio albums | 4 | 82.8th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 7 | 82.6th |
| Recording span (years) | -335 | 1.3th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (4 release groups · 4 studio albums)
Albums · 4
1998 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 1:18:37
1Praeludium in D Minor, WV 344:142Dic nobis Maria (after Giovanni Bassano)7:193Magnificat VI Toni16:284Ballet4:175Erbarm dich mein, O Herre Gott5:546Toccata in G Major, WV 438:547Paduana Lachrymae (after Dowland)5:158Surrexit pastor bonus, WV 10 (after O. de Lassus)5:379Jusus Christus unser Heiland (Chorale Fantasia)11:4410Vater unser im Himmelreich I6:3511Praeambulum in C Major, WV 722:202009 · studio album
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Tracklist · 13 tracks · 1:13:29
1Christ lag in Todesbanden, WV 37:082Angelus ad pastores ait, WV 465:023Praeambulum in D, WV 352:294Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, WV 1010:395Praeambulum in D, WV 332:576Canzon in F, WV 443:007Toccata in G, WV 437:418Erbarm dich mein, o Herre Gott, WV 45:119Praeambulum in E, WV 381:3910Verbum caro factum est, WV 565:5811Lobet den Herren, WV 133:2012Praeambulum in G, WV 413:3513Magnificat secundi toni, WV 1514:502011 · studio album
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Tracklist · 30 tracks · 1:18:53
1Motette ‘Verbum caro factum est’3:582Intavolierung (‘auff 2 Clavir Pedaliter’) der Motette ‘Verbum caro factum est’ von Hans Leo Hassler WV 566:493Fantasia in d WV 834:174Kyrie Summum WV 12: Kyrie / Christe / Kyrie ultimum6:095Paduana Lachrymae WV 106 (nach John Dowland)5:256Galliarda & Variato in d WV 1075:147‘Erbarm dich mein, o Herre Gott’ WV 4: Primus Versus / Secundus Versus (‘auff 2 Cl.’)5:088‘O Gott, wir danken deiner Güt’ WV 22 (vor 1645)3:099Praeambulum in d WV 34 (geschrieben 10.1.1637)4:4410Toccata in G WV 43a (Fassung aus Lüneburger Orgeltabulatur KN 208i und KN209)4:4911‘Jesu, du wollst uns weisen’ WV 781:3912‘Vater unser im Himmelreich’ WV 282:3813‘Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott’ WV 76 (Fassung aus den Pelpliner Orgeltabulaturen)13:1114Registervorführung: Prestant 8′ OW0:2615Registervorführung: Prestant 12′ HW0:2116Registervorführung: Prestant 8′ RP0:2617Registervorführung: Prestant 24′ & 12′ zusammen0:5418Registervorführung: Prestant 24′ & 12′ zusammen + Prestant 8′ aus RP0:5319Registervorführung: Plenum HW (originales Blockwerk)0:4120Registervorführung: Holpijp 8′ OW0:2721Registervorführung: Holpijp 8′ OW + Gemshoorn 2′0:3722Registervorführung: Gemshoorn 2′ eine Oktave tiefer0:3623Registervorführung: Schalmei 8′ RP0:3824Registervorführung: Vox humana 8′ OW0:2425Registervorführung: Vox humana 8′ OW (Consort‐Musik)0:3526Registervorführung: Quintadeen 8′ OW & RP (im Wechsel)0:4127Registervorführung: Holpijp 4′ RP0:3528Registervorführung: Holpijp 4′ RP + Sifflet 1′0:3129Registervorführung: Plenum RP (Aufbau): Prestant 8′ + Octaaf 4′ + Superoctaaf 2′ + Mixtuur 1⅓′ 3–8 f + Scherp 1′ 4–6 f1:1230Registervorführung: Plenum OW (Aufbau): Prestant 8′ + Octaaf 4′ + Superoctaaf 2′ + Tertiaan ⅘′–1⅗′1:462017 · studio album
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Tracklist · 25 tracks · 1:02:14
1Praeambulum in C1:092Praeambulum in d2:183Praeambulum in d2:194Praeambulum in d3:155Praeambulum in d1:056Praeambulum in e1:177Praeambulum in e1:238Praeambulum in F1:109Praeambulum in F1:3710Praeambulum in g3:0111Praeludium in d0:5412Praeludium in d1:3513Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ2:0414Gott sei gelobet und gebenedeiet3:0915Jesu, du wollst uns weisen1:1416Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott3:5417Kyrie dominicale3:0518Nun bitten wir den heiligen Geist1:2819Vater unser im Himmelreich2:3320Canzona in F3:3421Fantasia in G5:0722Fuga in d1:1623Fuga in d2:4424Toccata in C3:2625Toccata in G7:37
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Heinrich Scheidemann head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 20 | 81.1th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 4 | 78.1th |
| Studio albums | 4 | 82.8th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 7 | 82.6th |
| Recording span (years) | -335 | 1.3th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Awards & honours
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heinrich_Scheidemann.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/558a3a1a-c325-4e8c-8413-5efecec8021cdiscography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/558a3a1a-c325-4e8c-8413-5efecec8021ccore—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q61273seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Scheidemannbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Scheidemann
Why this artist is in the database
- List of composers by name
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: Johann Friedrich Fleischberger · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q61273 · MusicBrainz: 558a3a1a-c325-4e8c-8413-5efecec8021c