Sweelinck, Jan Pieterszoon (Sweelinck Jan Pieterszoon)

(1562-1621)
The last great representative of the golden age of Flemish and Netherlandish choral music, as well as founder of the clavier style of northern Baroque. Born in Deventer, in May 1562. Most of his life he, like his father was organist at the Old Church (Oude Kerk) in Amsterdam. For two centuries, the Netherlands composers occupy a leading position in the musical culture of Europe. Sweelinck put the 150 psalms to music, and this choral cycle in the Renaissance was the final creative surge of an era. Compositions for keyboard instruments had a marked influence on subsequent generations of musicians. Many organists came to Amsterdam to enjoy a workout with Sweelinck, who was nicknamed 'the creator of organists'. The value of his works for keyboard instruments is the development of these specific techniques, . such, . as 'echo', . quick schemes and various passages, . rhythmic sequences, . as well as in-depth development of the principle of instrumental variations,
. Died Sweelinck in Amsterdam October 16, 1621.