Johann Andreas Herbst

Johann Andreas Herbst (baptized June 9, 1588–January 24, 1666) was a German composer and music theorist of the early Baroque era. He was a contemporary of Michael Praetorius and Heinrich Schütz, and like them, assisted in importing the grand Venetian style and the other features of the early Baroque into Protestant Germany.

Writings

Herbst was one of the most important German music theorists of the first half of the 17th century, second only to Michael Praetorius. His two books, Musica practica and Musica poetica, were hugely influential: except for the titles, they were in German, and covered many topics of practical importance to musicians. Musica practica was a manual on the art of singing, with particular care given to explaining the art of tasteful ornamentation; Musica poetica was a manual on the art of composition, and included exercises in counterpoint and in the careful setting of text to music. Parts of the first book, Musica practica, were drawn from the earlier treatise of Michael Praetorius, the Syntagma musicum.

Related Topics:
17th century - Counterpoint

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Late in his career he published several translations of Latin musical writings in German, under the collected title of Arte prattica & poetica.

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