Balthasar Resinarius

Balthasar Resinarius (born Balthasar Harzer; c. 1483 – 12 April 1544) was a German composer, and a Lutheran bishop, one of the first Lutherans in Bohemia.

Life and career It is regarded as proven the Resinarius, listed by the music publisher Georg Rhau, is identical with the composer Balthasar Harzer, also listed by Rhau.

He died in Leipa.

After Resinarius' death, the Renaissance humanist Georg Hansch, who lived in Leipa, published several commemorative publications ("Epitaphs") in memory of him; these present him as a kind and friendly, also helpful and with a beautiful voice talented person. In particular, Hansch repeatedly praises his striking, outstanding gift as a speaker and his theological scholarship and persuasiveness – with which he had won many followers for the Protestant teaching.

Importance As a composer, Resinarius is regarded as one of the most important representatives of the first Protestant generation. His works are only known through the publications of Georg Rhau. He was directly inspired to write these works by the latter, who also introduced him, in the preface to his Responsories, as an aged and hitherto unknown master. In his publication Encomion Musicae (1551), the author Johannes Holtheuser counted the composer among the most famous masters of his time. Especially noteworthy from the series of publications by Georg Rhau is the individual print of 1543 with compositions by Resinarius; this is, apart from a publication of the works of , the only publication Rhaus with works by only one composer (individual print). These pieces by the master found a wide distribution due to the publication of Georg Rhau in relevant manuscripts of the 16th century.

The works of Resinarius correspond in content and composition in an excellent way to the efforts to provide music for the services of the early Lutheran church.

Work The works of Resinarius are exclusively vocal music and are based, with one exception, on publications by Georg Rhau in Wittenberg: 4 hymns for four voices: "Caeduntur gladiis", "Deus tuorum militum", "Jesus corona virginum" and "Urbs beata Jerusalem", 1542, as Balthasar Hartzer collection Responsoriorum numero octoginta de tempore et festis iuxta seriem totius anni, Libri duo. Primus de Christo, & regno eius, Doctrina, Vita, Passione, Resurrectione & Ascensione. Alter, de Sanctis, & illorum in Christum fide & Cruce for four voices, 1543, 2nd edition 1544