Christoph Bernhard
Christoph Bernhard (1 January 1628 – 14 November 1692) was born in Kolberg, Pomerania, and died in Dresden. He was a German Baroque composer and musician. He studied with former Sweelinck-pupil Paul Siefert in Danzig (now Gdańsk) and in Warsaw.
Christoph Bernhard

Peter Troschel · Public domain
- Name
- Christoph Bernhard
- Born
- 1 January 1628
- Birthplace
- Kolberg, Pomerania, Germany
- Died
- 14 November 1692
- Place of death
- Dresden, Germany
- Nationality
- Holy Roman Empire
- Occupation
- composer · musicologist · music director · music theorist · singer · court chapel master · independent publisher
- Movements
- Baroque music
- Teachers
- Heinrich Schütz
- Languages
- German
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Documentary summary
Christoph Bernhard (1 January 1628 – 14 November 1692) was born in Kolberg, Pomerania, and died in Dresden. He was a German Baroque composer and musician. He studied with former Sweelinck-pupil Paul Siefert in Danzig (now Gdańsk) and in Warsaw.
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Authority files
gnd · 1120160529 · wikidata · Q524156 · wikipedia · Christoph Bernhard
In this article
Biography
Biography
He then spent a year in Copenhagen to study singing with Agostino Fontana. After his appointment as assistant kapellmeister in Dresden in 1655, Bernhard made two sojourns to Italy to further his musical education. When he was 35, he moved to Hamburg to work as the director of music for the Johanneum and for civic musical events. The next ten years were a golden age in the musical tradition of Hamburg: Bernhard and his good friend Matthias Weckmann performed together and directed the latest compositions from Italy and Vienna, as well as composing an important collection of music in finely-wrought counterpoint. The Elector of Saxony recalled Bernhard to Dresden in 1674, where he returned as assistant kapellmeister. Six years later, the large - and primarily Italian - musical establishment in the city was greatly reduced, until Bernhard remained the only kapellmeister at court. He continued composing, directing and caring for the music library in Dresden until his death in 1692, at the age of 64. Bernhard left behind many sacred vocal works, a few secular compositions, and three important treatises on music, the most famous of which is the Tractatus compositionis augmentatus (ca. 1657), which was the source of the term passus duriusculus. In the 21st century Bernhard was suggested as one of three possible composers of the Kyrie–Gloria Mass for double choir, BWV Anh.

Manuscript: O welch eine Tiefe des Reichtums (Bernhard, Christoph)
Christoph Bernhard · IMSLP

Manuscript: O welch eine Tiefe des Reichtums (Bernhard, Christoph)
Christoph Bernhard · IMSLP
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Christoph Bernhard • Born — 1 January 1628 • Birthplace — Kolberg, Pomerania, Germany • Died — 14 November 1692 • Place of death — Dresden, Germany • Era — Baroque
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1628
Christoph Bernhard born at Kołobrzeg.
1692
Christoph Bernhard died at Dresden.
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Kołobrzeg.
Birth place
Dresden.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q524156: Christoph Bernhard
Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
- “Christoph Bernhard”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 1120160529, Christoph, Bernhard.
Unverified · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Duitse Barokmuziek. pp. 205-209. 2021.
- 2.200 Seiten zu 333 Jahren – ein Lesebuch über den Weißen Hirsch. Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten. 2018-11-23.
References
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authority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 1120160529, Christoph, Bernhard.Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Partially resolvedreference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q524156: Christoph BernhardWikimedia Foundation
Partially resolvedreference work
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His work is associated with Baroque music. Recorded position is court chapel master. He worked at Gdańsk and Dresden. Recorded as composer, musicologist, music director, music theorist and singer.
Career and activity
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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