Johann Ulrich Steigleder

Johann Ulrich Steigleder was a German Baroque composer and organist. He was the most celebrated member of the Steigleder family, which also included Adam Steigleder (1561–1633), his father, and Utz Steigleder, his grandfather.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article on Johann Ulrich Steigleder.

From the period sources

Johann Ulrich Steigleder came from a family of organists established in Stuttgart. After serving as organist at Lindau on the Bodensee, he was appointed Stifts-Organist at Stuttgart in 1617, a role that also required him to serve as a musician to the Court of Württemberg, according to Grove’s Dictionary (1922). He published two notable works for the organ. His first, the ‘Ricercar Tabulatura’ of 1624, is historically significant as the “first specimen in Germany of copper-plate engraving for organ or clavier music,” with the title page explicitly stating it was “insculpta et excusa” by his own hands and at his own expense (Grove’s Dictionary, 1922). Though mentioned by Gerber, this work was largely unknown to modern musicians until a copy from the Royal Library at Stuttgart was exhibited in Vienna in 1892. The engraving itself was “rather coarsely done,” but the music consists of Ricercari in the earlier Italian fugal style (Grove’s Dictionary, 1922).

His second published work, the ‘Tabulatur-Buch’ of 1627, features forty variations on the melody of “Vater Unser im Himmelreich.” These variations demonstrate the influence of the “newer technique of the English-Dutch Variation School of Sweelinck,” as well as the South German toccata style associated with George Muffat (Grove’s Dictionary, 1922). The New Encyclopedia of Music and Musicians (1924) further describes Steigleder as an “able South German organist.”