Arnold Brunckhorst

Full biography Arnold Brunckhorst

Arnold Matthias Brunckhorst was a German composer and organist who lived from 1665 to 1725. He is known for his compositions for the organ, and was considered one of the leading organist-composers of the North German school in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

Brunckhorst began his musical career as a choirboy at the Hamburg Cathedral, where he received musical training from Johann Theile. He continued his studies in music and composition, eventually becoming an accomplished musician and composer himself.

Brunckhorst was highly regarded in his time, and his compositions for the organ were praised for their complexity and technical difficulty. He was associated with the North German tradition of organ music, which was known for its highly improvisatory and virtuosic style.

Some of Brunckhorst's most notable works include his chorale preludes, which were written for use in Lutheran church services. He also composed a number of fugues, suites, and canzonas for the organ.

Despite his relatively short career, Brunckhorst's contributions to the development of organ music in Germany were significant. Today, his music is recognized as an important part of the North German organ tradition, and is still performed and studied by organists around the world.