Andreas Düben was most likely born in 1597 or 98 in Leipzig, where his father, also named Andreas (1558−1625), worked as the organist in Thomaskirche (St Thomas Church) from 1595 until his death. His mother, Elisabeth Bessler, was born in 1563, and died in Stockholm in 1629. She was the daughter of Marten Bessler who was an alderman in Wurzen, where the family previously had resided. Andreas matriculated at the University of Leipzig in 1609, although it is unknown whether he actually studied there. He studied music with Jan Pieterson Sweelinck in Amsterdam from 1614 to 1620, the town council of Leipzig supporting his studies during the years 1614−15. In June 1620, Andreas also received a travel grant from the town council enabling him to, via Amsterdam, seek a position in a ‘foreign country’.

By mid-June 1620, Andreas Düben found himself in the Swedish Hovkapellet (the Royal Court Orchestra). His brother, Martin Düben, and his brother-in-law, Elias Decker (who was married to Andreas’ sister, Elizabeth) were both working as organists in Sweden. In 1620, Hovkapellet was a recently formed entity and composed mainly of musicians from the Brandenburg court orchestra in Berlin. Andreas was first employed as a court organist. In 1640, with the death of the hovkapellmästare (chief conductor of Hovkapellet), Ludwick Billes, Andreas Düben took over leadership of Hovkapellet. In 1625, he was appointed organist at Stockholm’s German Church (St Gertrud’s Church). Some time in 1649 or 50, he also became organist at the main church in Stockholm, Storkyrkan, taking over after the death of his brother Martin, who had previously held the position. Andreas Düben maintained all three positions until his death in Stockholm on 7 July 1662.

Sometime after 1625, Andreas Düben married Anna Maria Gabrielen (ca 1605−1690, other forms of the name, Gabriels, Gabrielin and Kosselin, can also be found). She was likely the widow of the court musician, Peter Gabriel, and it is possible that she was in the service of Maria Eleonora’s court. The Dübens had ten children, several of whom were active musicians. After Andreas Düben’s death, their son, Gustav, took over the position of hovkapellmästare, as well as the position as organist at the German Church.

Andreas Düben’s surviving works consist of music which can be connected with his service at the royal court. Pugna triumphalis, written for two a cappella choirs, was performed at King Gustav II Adolf’s funeral in 1634. The music was set to the text ‘Bonum certamen certavi…’ ('I have fought a good fight…’), 2 Tim. 4:7−8. The composition is preserved in a coeval print. Andreas Düben also composed music for King Charles X Gustav’s funeral in 1660; a composition for five vocal parts and continuo. It is a musical setting of psalm 51, ‘Miserere mei Deus’ (‘Have mercy upon me, O God’). The music is preserved in an anonymous manuscript found in the Düben collection (currently in the Uppsala University Library). According to a coeval print including the texts from the musical works performed at the funeral, Düben is the composer. At the time of Charles X Gustav’s death, Andreas Düben also set Georg Stiernhielm’s poem ‘Kunne i Svea bygd the skalder’ to music. The composition includes one vocal and a continuo part, and a short instrumental ritornello. The manuscript is preserved in Kungliga biblioteket (the National Library of Sweden). A number of dance movements attributed to 'A.D.', for four or five-part string ensemble in French style, are included in an extensive volume of tablature in the Düben collection. A few organ compositions, attributed to Andreas Düben, are extant in Berlin.

Maria Schildt © 2013
Trans. Jill Ann Johnson