Eccard, Johann (1553–1611)

German composer. His works were chiefly choral pieces. As a Lutheran composer, Eccard made much use of the chorale melodies in his works. The collection of sacred pieces which he published in 1597 contains simple harmonizations, but in other volumes he developed the complex chorale motet, of which he was one of the major exponents.

He was a pupil of David Köler in the choir school attached to the Weimar court chapel, 1567–71, and then of Orlande de Lassus in the Hofkapelle in Munich. From the late 1570s he was in the service of Jacob Fugger in Augsburg, and in 1579 joined the Chapel of the Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach in Königsberg; he was assistant Kapellmeister there until 1604 when he succeeded to the senior post. In 1608 the new Elector Joachim Friedrich of Brandenburg in Berlin appointed Eccard Kapellmeister at his Berlin court, and Eccard continued to serve his successor, Johann Sigismund. His music was still printed 30 years after his death.

Works motets, chorales (some harmonized, some newly composed by him); sacred songs; secular German songs for several voices, wedding songs, odes, festival songs.