Leonhardt Schröter

Leonhardt (alternatively spelled "Leonhard" or "Leonhart") Schröter (or Schroeter) was born in Torgau.[1] His education began in Torgau where one of his teachers was Johann Walter.[2] His subsequent education included schools at Annaberg-Buchholz and following at the Meissen ducal school.[2] By at least 1561 until 1571, he occupied the position of town Kantor (director of church music) in Saalfeld.[2] He was removed from this position because of his Philippist sympathies, whereupon he became librarian for the Wolfenbüttel court.[2] He was restored to his position at Saalfeld two years later.[2] Sometime later, he was hired to teach at the Old City School in Magdeburg.[1] His last and most prestigious post was as Kantor at the Alstadt Lateinschule in Magdeburg.[2][3] He is thought to have died sometime around the year 1601, based on an inscription in Friedrich Weissensee’s “Opus Melicum” from 1602, which describes Schröter’s recent death.[1]

Schröter composed carols, hymns, motets, a passion, psalms, and a Te Deum which date from 1571 to 1587.[1] He also composed several part-songs dating from 1562, which have been noted for their contrapuntal ability.[3] His style has been described as having the “greatest simplicity”, but also the “highest grandeur,” simultaneously simple and sublime.[1] He employed Reformation polyphony in his chorale settings, and also homophony, most notably in his eight-voice double-choir settings.[2] His choral settings of psalms, while not numerous, are considered an "important contribution" to the Protestant motet tradition.[2]