Hassler, Hans Leo (1564–1612)

German organist and composer. He wrote considerable quantities of church music in Latin and German, in addition to many secular songs in German and Italian, and other pieces. He was one of the first Germans to study in Italy, and the polychoral techniques and rich sonorities of his Masses and motets show the influence of the Venetians.

Hassler was born in Nuremberg and was taught by his father, Isaac Hassler (c. 1530–1591), who was himself an organist. After an appointment at Nuremberg he was sent to Venice for further study under Andrea Gabrieli. He was organist to Octavian Fugger at Augsburg 1585–1600; he published many works there and established a wide reputation. Having returned to Nuremberg as organist of the Church of Our Lady, he married and went to live at Ulm in 1604, but soon went into the service of the emperor Rudolph in Prague. In 1608 he became organist to Christian II, the Elector of Saxony at Dresden, but suffered from tuberculosis and died during a visit with the Elector to Frankfurt.

Although Hassler was a Protestant, his early works are all for the Catholic Church. His German church music is somewhat conservative, and though it often uses Lutheran melodies, it shows the influence of Roland de Lassus. He was famous for his Italian madrigals and canzonettes, and his German songs were widely known: the tune of his love song, ‘Mein G'müt ist mir verwirret’ (1601), was used for the Lutheran hymn, ‘O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden’ which features in Bach's St Matthew Passion.

Works Masses, Magnificats, hymn tunes, motets (including two collections Sacrae cantiones and Sacri concentus), fugal psalms, and Christian songs; Italian canzonets for four voices, Italian and German madrigals, Lustgarten neuer Teutscher Gesäng (32 German songs for four to eight voices, 1601); ricercari, toccatas, and other pieces for organ.