Johann Steffens (1560-1616)
Lasst uns zusammen in Gottes Namen singen
Musik von alters her ist geehrt
Paduana & Galliard n° 1 en ré
Bei guten Wein traurig traurig zu sein
Werleben will ohn Schmerz
Kann auch dr Liebe Band
Die Musik und ein guter Wein
Paduana & Galliard n° 18 en la majeur
Midas, der Grosse Rustephil
Orpheus die Harfen schlug so fein
Paduana & Galliard n° 2 en sol majeur
Wir armen Kartaüser
Paduana & Galliard n° 14 en la majeur
Nun tret herbei ein jeder frei
Mein Lust und Freud in Traurigkeit
Im Maien hört man die Hahnen krähen
Mit Lust tät ich spazieren
Der ander Teil
Der Kuckuck mit seinem Schalle
Paduana & Galliard n° 12 en lamajeur
Der Kuckuck hat sich zu Tod gefalln
Frisch fröhlich wolln wir singen
Der Kuckuck auf dem Zaune sass

Himlische Kantorei
Hamburger Ratsmusik
Simone Eckert, viole de gambe, direction

Johann Steffens is entered in the long list of choirmasters and organists at St. Johannis in Lüneburg, ahead of such eminent successors as Christian Flor and Georg Böhm. The esteem in hich he was held is proved by the fact that he took part alongside 54 of the most highly regarded German masters of the organ at the celebrated inspection of the new Gröningen instrument. Steffens's secular vocal compositions display the influence of Hans Leo Hassler and the Italian madrigalists. His Newe Teutsche Weltliche Madrigalia, "New German Secular Madrigals and Balletts both with living Voices and on all manner of Musical Instruments and Strings to be used with great pleasure", posthumously published by his son Heinrich in 1618, celebrate "wine, women and song", nature and good company, and reflect the merriment and occasional coarseness of Germany's post-Reformation mercantile classes, yet to experience the horrors of the Thirty Years' War. The jesting, drinking and love songs inspire Steffens to dance-like writing and plain stanza settings with much "falala"-ing, but also to complex through-composed forms. Homophonic writing alternates with contrapuntal work.