Dachstein, Wolfgang 1487

Wolfgang Dachstein (* around 1487 in Offenburg an der Kinzig; † March 7, 1553 in Strasbourg) was a German organist, composer and librettist.

From 1503, Dachstein studied music and theology with Martin Luther in Erfurt. He joined the Dominican convent in Strasbourg and became organist at St. Thomas Church in Strasbourg in 1521. In spring 1523, he left the monastery and joined the Reformation. In 1541, he became organist at Strasbourg Cathedral and at the same time music teacher at the grammar school there. He distinguished himself as the first important organist of the Reformation.

Dachstein put all his poetic and compositional skills at the service of the Reformation. He was involved in drawing up the order of service and provided the German psalms as well as the melodies for the "Teutschen Kirchenampt 1525", an early hymnal. His arrangement of the 137th psalm "An Wasserflüssen Babylon", which appears both in the "Teutschen Kirchenampt 1525" and in Luther's "Babstsches Gesangbuch" from 1545, is well-known. Today, the melody is inseparably linked to Paul Gerhardt's text "Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld" (EG 83). Dachstein also wrote the melody to "Im Frieden dein, o Herre mein" (EG 222) and the second melody to Martin Luther's "Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir" (EG 299 II). His psalms were also included in the Psalter setting by Sigmund Hemmel.

(Source: Wikipedia)