Georg Dietrich Leyding

Georg Dietrich Leyding (or Leiding) (23 February 1664 - 10 May 1710) was a German composer and organist associated with the North German school.

Born in Bücken, close to Nienburg, his father was a riding master in the French lifeguards. Showing an early ability in music, he moved to Brunswick in 1679 to study with organist Jacob Bölsche and in 1684 studied briefly with both Johann Adam Reincken and Dieterich Buxtehude in Hamburg and Lübeck. He returned to Brunswick the same year, where he succeeded Bölsche as organist of the St Ulrich and St Blasius churches after his death, and later also became organist of the Magnikirche. Towards the end of the 1680s, he learnt composition from the Hofkapellmeister of Wolfenbüttel, Johann Theile. He died in Brunswick.

J. G. Walther wrote in his "Musicalisches Lexicon" that he was 'primarily a composer for the organ', but of the 'many extant keyboard pieces' of which Walther wrote, only five are now known, all for organ. Three are preludes, in B-flat major, C major, and E-flat major, which have significant pedal parts; a setting of the chorale "Wie schön leucht’ uns der Morgenstern"; and a set of chorale variations on "Von Gott will ich nicht lassen". They are published in an edition by K. Beckmann as "Sämtliche Orgelwerke" (Wiesbaden, 1984).

ources

*Horst Walter, 'Leyding [Leiding] , Georg Dietrich', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 2007-06-08), http://www.grovemusic.com/