Sethus Calvisius or Setho Calvisio, originally Seth Kalwitz (21 February 1556 – 24 November 1615), was a German
music theorist, composer,
chronologer,
astronomer, and teacher of the late
Renaissance.
Biography
He was born into a peasant family at
Gorsleben in present-day
Thuringia. By the exercise of his musical talents he earned money enough for the start, at
Helmstedt, of a university career, which the aid of a wealthy patron enabled him to continue at
Leipzig. He became director of the music-school at
Pforta in 1572. In 1594 he was transferred to Leipzig in the same post, including directing the
Thomanerchor at the
Thomaskirche.[1] He retained this post until his death in
Leipzig, despite the offers successively made to him of mathematical professorships at
Frankfurt and
Wittenberg.[2]
Calvisius was also a significant astronomer: in his Opus Chronologicum (Leipzig, 1605, 7th ed. 1685) he expounded a system based on the records of nearly 300
eclipses. An ingenious, though ineffective, proposal for the reform of the
calendar was put forward in his Elenchus Calendarii Gregoriani (Frankfurt, 1612); and he published a book on
music, Melodiae condendae ratio (
Erfurt, 1592).[2] He composed choral pieces including Unser Leben währet siebzig Jahr.[1]
Works
Harmonia cantionum ecclesiasticarum, Kirchengesänge u. geistliche Lieder D. Lutheri u. andrer frommen Christen, Mit 4 Stimmen contrapunktweise richtig gesetzt. Leipzig 1597, 1598, 1604, 1612 and 1622
Melopoiia sive melodiae condendae ratio. Erfurt 1592 and 1630
Compendium musicae practicae. Leipzig 1594, also published in 1612 as Musicae artis praecepta
Exercitatio musica tertia. Leipzig 1611
Exercitationes musicae duae. Leipzig 1600
Hymni sacri Latini et Germanici. Erfurt 1594
Der Psalter Davids., Cornelius Becker (ed.), Leipzig 1605
Der 150. Psalm Davids. Leipzig 1615
Opus chronologicum ex autoritate s. scripturae ad motum luminarium coelestium contextum. Leipzig 1605 (first edition), Frankfurt 1685 (6th edition)
Elenchus calendarii Gregoriani. Leipzig 1613
Formula calendarii novi. Leipzig 1613
Thesaurus latini sermonis. Leipzig 1614
Enchiridion lexici Latino-Germanici. Leipzig 1614
Tricinia, Auserlesene deutsche Lieder., Paul Rubardt (ed.), 1949