Strungk, Nikolaus Adam (1640–1700)

German composer, violinist, and organist. After working as music director at Hanover, Hamburg, and Dresden, he went to Leipzig, where he produced operas. His most successful operas were two of those produced at Hamburg, Esther (1680) and Semiramis (1681).

He studied under his father, Delphin Strungk, for whom he deputized at the organ at Brunswick from the age of 12. While at Helmstedt University he learnt the violin at Lübeck during vacations. In 1660 he joined the court orchestra at Wolfenbüttel, then at Celle, and in 1665 went to the court of Hanover. After a period at Hamburg from 1678, two visits to Vienna, and one to Italy, he returned to Hanover 1682–86, but in 1688 took up a position at Dresden as chamber organist and second kapellmeister to the Saxon court in succession to Christian Ritter, and in 1692 succeeded Christoph Bernhard (1628–1692) as first kapellmeister. In 1693 he opened an opera house at Leipzig, where he produced his later stage works and where his daughters Philippine and Elisabeth sang.

Works Opera and stage operas, including Der glückseligsteigende Sejanus, Der unglücklichfallende Sejanus (1678), Esther, Doris (1680), Semiramis (1681), Nero, Agrippina (1699); completion of Pallavicini's L'Antiope.

Choral oratorio Die Auferstehung Jesu (1688); ricercare on the death of his mother.

Chamber sonatas and chaconnes for violin or viola da gamba; sonatas for two violins and viola and for six strings; airs and dances for recorders.