A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Walliser, Christoph

by James Russell Milne

WALLISER, Christoph Thomas, born at Strasburg about 1568, died there 1648. His chief work is 'Ecclesiodae, das ist Kirchengesäng, nemblichen die gebräuchlichsten Psalmen Davids so nicht allein viva voce, sondern auch zu musikalischen Instrumenten christlich zu gebrauchen, mit 4, 5, 6, Stimmen componirt,' Strasburg 1614. It consists of 50 German psalms set in the old contrapuntal style on the melodies to which they were wont to be sung in the Protestant services in Strasburg. Two of these psalms are republished in Schöberlein and Riegel's 'Schatz des liturgischen Chorgesangs,' and one ('Ein' feste Burg,' Luther's verson of the 46th psalm) in Kade's Notenbeilagen to Ambros's 'Geschichte der Musik.' In 1625 Walliser published 'Ecclesiodae Novae, darin die Catechismusgesang, andere Schrift und geistliche Lieder samt dem Te Deum, und der Litania … mit 4, 5, 6, 7 Stimmen gesetzt.' Winterfeld also mentions a setting by him of a chorus from the 'Clouds' of Aristophanes, and 3, 4, 5 to 10 part choruses to a drama on the subject of 'Elias,' and to a tragi-comedy 'Chariclea.'

[ J. R. M. ]