Composer. The outstanding German keyboard composer of his generation, he had a significant impact on Baroque music, especially in his homeland. Froberger was born in Stuttgart, a son of the city's music director, and received his early education there. From 1637 to 1640 he studied in Rome with composer Girolamo Frescobaldi, and in 1641 Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III appointed him Court Organist in Vienna. He traveled extensively, visiting Germany, France, the Low Countries, and England, and acquired a thorough knowledge of European musical trends. On the accession of Leopold I in 1658, Froberger was abruptly dismissed from his post and he spent his last years as tutor to Princess Sibylla of Wurttemberg. He died at her estate in Hericourt, Burgundy (now in northern France). Froberger was a virtuoso of the harpsichord and the organ, and virtually all of his 75 surviving compositions are for the keyboard: toccatas, ricercars, fantasias, and capriccios. Chief among them are his 30 keyboard suites, which he helped develop into a major Baroque genre. He was also one of the earliest to consistently write program music. His primary importance was in creating a cosmopolitan style - a brilliant synthesis of Italianate emotional expression, French formal clarity, and rigorous German development of thought - that proved vastly influential on the Continent. Buxtehude, Pachelbel, the Scarlattis, and Couperin all were indebted to Froberger, and J.S. Bach quoted him (albeit unwittingly) in his "Well-Tempered Clavier".
Composer. The outstanding German keyboard composer of his generation, he had a significant impact on Baroque music, especially in his homeland. Froberger was born in Stuttgart, a son of the city's music director, and received his early education there. From 1637 to 1640 he studied in Rome with composer Girolamo Frescobaldi, and in 1641 Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III appointed him Court Organist in Vienna. He traveled extensively, visiting Germany, France, the Low Countries, and England, and acquired a thorough knowledge of European musical trends. On the accession of Leopold I in 1658, Froberger was abruptly dismissed from his post and he spent his last years as tutor to Princess Sibylla of Wurttemberg. He died at her estate in Hericourt, Burgundy (now in northern France). Froberger was a virtuoso of the harpsichord and the organ, and virtually all of his 75 surviving compositions are for the keyboard: toccatas, ricercars, fantasias, and capriccios. Chief among them are his 30 keyboard suites, which he helped develop into a major Baroque genre. He was also one of the earliest to consistently write program music. His primary importance was in creating a cosmopolitan style - a brilliant synthesis of Italianate emotional expression, French formal clarity, and rigorous German development of thought - that proved vastly influential on the Continent. Buxtehude, Pachelbel, the Scarlattis, and Couperin all were indebted to Froberger, and J.S. Bach quoted him (albeit unwittingly) in his "Well-Tempered Clavier".
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
Gravesite Details
Only memorial stone preserved.
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