Eruya Shalev

In the 17th and the early 18th centuries there were ample opportunities to work as a musician in Germany. Many cities and aristocratic courts had their own chapels. The best musicians were expected to compose instrumental music, music for special occasions like birthdays and weddings, sometimes operas and, of course, religious works. As most music was performed only once and compositions were considered old-fashioned within about ten years, there was a continuous demand for new music. Against this background it is hardly surprising that some of the composers of the 17th and 18th centuries have so far escaped the attention of modern scholars and performers.