Pez, Johann Christoph 09/09/1664 - 09/25/1716

The Italian tenor and composer, Johann Christoph Pez (1664-1716), sang as in the choir at St. Marks in Munich, where he also attended school.



Johann Christoph Pez later played the lute and the viol in the orchestra at St. Peter's, Munich, singing in the choir and becoming maestro di capella in 1687. During the course of his career Pez also served the Elector Max Emanuel in Munich, Joseph Clemens in Bonn and the Wurttemberg Court from 1706 until his death. He acceded to the position of Kapellmeister in both Bonn and Wurttemberg. While in Munich he served the church but found the music too conservative.



Receiving a job in the court, Johann Christoph Pez was sent to Rome where he was able to study with Corelli and learn new methods. Pez's vocal compositions were characterized by homophony in a variety of moods and rhythms. Instrumental parts, particularly the strings, often doubled the voices with the exception of bass solos that were accompanied by strings. Pez also composed masses and psalms, for which he rarely employed ornamentation. The only noted instance of Pez's strong melodic gifts are heard in the strains of the solo cantata, Corona stellarum.