title: Josef Seger
text: Josef Seger (born Josef Ferdinand Norbert Segert, last name also Seeger or Seegr) (21 March 1716 – 22 April 1782) was a Czech organist, composer, and educator. After graduating in philosophy from the Charles University in Prague and studying music under Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský, Jan Zach, and others, Seger became organist of two churches in Prague and remained there until his death.
  
  An extremely prolific composer, Seger became one of the most important representatives of the Czech organ school of the 18th century. He was also an influential teacher: his pupils included Jan Antonín Koželuh and Josef Mysliveček, and his figured bass exercises served many generations of teachers.
  
  Life
  Seger was born in Řepín, near Mělník, in Bohemia. He studied at the Jesuit Gymnasium in Prague and later graduated in philosophy at the Charles University. He also studied organ playing with Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský, counterpoint with Jan Zach and František Tůma, and, according to Dlabacž, figured bass with Felix Benda. Around 1741 Seger became organist to the Church of Our Lady in front of Týn and in 1745 he acquired a similar post at the Crusaders' church in Prague. He held both positions until his death. In 1781 Emperor Joseph II was sufficiently impressed with Seger's playing and offered the composer a court appointment, but Seger died in Prague in 1782 before the confirming document arrived.
  
  None of Seger's compositions were published during his lifetime, but he was an important teacher and educator. His pupils included Karel Blažej Kopřiva, Jan Antonín Koželuh, Jan Křtitel Kuchař, Josef Mysliveček, and many other distinguished Bohemian composers and musicians. A few of Seger's pieces appeared in print in the 1790s; a selection of eight organ fugues was published by D. G. Türk in 1793. In 1803, J. Polt published Seger's ten preludes for organ, and a few more works followed in the next few decades. Particularly important was the publication of a portion of his figured bass exercises, which were used by teachers for decades after his death.
  
  Works
  Seger was the most prolific Czech organ composer of the 18th century. Hundreds of preludes, fugues, toccatas and other organ pieces survive in manuscript copies, although the attribution to Seger of some of these works is problematic. Generally speaking, his preludes and fugues are short works (their length probably dictated by the limitations imposed by the Catholic liturgy), but they exhibit a fertile harmonic imagination and a perfect grasp of late Baroque counterpoint practice. He also composed masses, motets and psalm settings; all also dominated by archaic counterpoint.
  
  Selected works
  
  Keyboard
   8 Toccaten und Fugen, ed. D.G. Türk (Leipzig, 1793)
   2 preludes, in Sammlung von Präludien, Fugen, ausgeführten Chorälen … von berühmten ältern Meistern, i (Leipzig, 1795)
   [10] Praeludien, ed. J. Polt (Prague, c. 1803)
   4 preludes, 2 fugues, Toccata, Fughetta, in Fugen und Praeludien von älteren vaterländischen Compositoren, ed. Verein der Kunstfreunde für Kirchenmusik in Böhmen, i–ii (Prague, 1832)
   c. 70 pieces attributed to Seger in Museum für Orgel-Spieler, ed. [C.F. Pitsch] (Prague, 1832–1834)
   Numerous works in manuscript copies from the 18th and 19th century, 20th century publications, etc.
  
  Vocal
  
  Masses
   Missa quadragesimalis [in F major], for 4vv and organ
   Mass in D minor, for 4vv, 2 violins, 2 trombones, and organ
   Mass in D minor, for 4vv, 2 violins, and organ
   Missa choralis [in E-flat major], for 4vv, organ concertante (doubtful)
  
  Other works
   Alma Redemptoris, for 4vv, string instrument ("violetta"), viola, and organ
   Audi filia, for 4vv and organ
   Ave regina, for 4vv, 2 violins, and organ
   Christus nobis natus est, for 4vv, strings, and organ
   Compieta (comprising Cum invocarem, In te Domine, Qui habitat, Ecce nunc, and Nunc dimittis), for 4vv, 2 violins, and organ
   Litaniae de sanctissimo sacramento, for 4vv, 2 violins, and organ
  
  Other
   Around 200 figured bass lessons, known as Fundamenta pro organo, Generalbass-Übungsstücke, Orgel-Übungsstücke, etc.
  
  Editions
   Josef Ferdinand Norbert Seger: Composizioni per organo - Josef Ferdinand Norbert Seger, in: Musica antiqua Bohemica; 51, Band: 1 Preludi, toccate e fughe I-XXXVI. 1961, 111 p.
   Josef Ferdinand Norbert Seger: Composizioni per organo - Josef Ferdinand Norbert Seger, in: Musica antiqua Bohemica; 56, Band: 2 Preludi e fughe I-XXI. 1962. 126 p.
  
  Notes
  
  References
  
  Further reading
   Hora, J. 2000. Josef Ferdinand Norbert Seger - Organist der Teynkirche in den Jahren 1741-1782, in: Cerný, Jaromír, and Koch, Klaus-Peter. Mitteleuropäische Aspekte des Orgelbaus und der geistlichen Musik in Prag und den böhmischen Ländern, Konferenzbericht Prag 17.-22. September 2000,
  
  External links
   
  
  1716 births
  1782 deaths
  People from Mělník District
  Czech classical composers
  Czech male classical composers
  German male classical composers
  Czech classical organists
  Male classical organists
  German people of Czech descent
  German people of German Bohemian descent
  Austrian classical composers
  Austrian people of Czech descent
  Austrian people of German Bohemian descent
  German Baroque composers
  German Classical-period composers
  Charles University alumni
  18th-century classical composers
  18th-century keyboardists
  18th-century German composers
  18th-century male musicians