Johannes Vodnianus Campanus

For other people named Johannes Campanus, see Campanus (disambiguation).

Jan Campanus Vodňanský (Johannes Vodnianus Campanus, Jan Vodňanský Campanus; also Jan z Vodňan, Jan Kampánus Vodňanský, Ionnes Campanus Vodnianus) (27 December 1572 – 13 December 1622) was a Czech humanist, composer, pedagogue, poet, and dramatist. He was born in Vodňany (hence his surname), in southern Bohemia. He studied at the University of Prague and in 1596 and was made Master of Liberal Arts there. He became a teacher in Prague and Kutná Hora. From 1603 he taught Greek and Latin at the University of Prague. He also taught history and Latin poetry. He was repeatedly appointed as dean, prorector, and rector of this university.

Campanus was a Hussite before renouncing this faith and becoming a Catholic in 1622.

Works

Campanus usually wrote his works in Latin, but also wrote occasionally in Czech, Greek, and German. Some of his works, like the play Břetislav und Jitka (Bretislaus) (1614), were forbidden, because they were critical of the dukes of Bohemia. His works were recognized in Europe for their metrical perfection.

Campanus' first collection of musical works, Sacrarum odarum libri duo, was published in Frankfurt in 1613. The Sacrarum odarum, which includes Rorando coeli, contains primarily short vocal works set in a simple, homorhythmic style.

His chants include:

Poems

These were published in 1612, and can be found in the Cantica canticorum in Odaria, LIII, od. 17. They were set to music by Jan Novák in the twentieth century.

Death and legacy

Sources

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