Musik für den Schultheiß

I composed Musik für den Schultheiß in 2006 in response to Terpsichore, a 1612 collection of instrumental dances by the composer Michael Praetorius. In my preparatory research for the piece, I discovered that Praetorius was actually born Michael Schultheiß, but as was the custom among educated Germans he changed his name to its Latin version, “Praetorius.”

This resonated with my own university experience. Having grown up far from the classical tradition—more versed in metal than Mozart—and educated entirely in public school, I found myself asking: could I really be a classical composer without digging up these “rough” roots and starting over? In essence, did I need to change my name from Schultheiß to Praetorius? As with everything, I grappled with these questions by composing.

In the end, as one might deduce from the work’s title, I did not dig up my roots; I dug into them. I embraced my personal history. I resolved that I would make my art from it and through it. It was in this spirit that I composed this music for Michael Schultheiß, the brilliant composer of Terpsichore, who would have been no less brilliant had he kept his real name.