David Moritz Michael

Who was David Moritz Michael?

David Moritz Michael was a composer. Born and educated in Germany, David Moritz Michael became a member of the Moravian Church when he was thirty years old. He taught in the Moravian school at Niesky and, in 1795, he emigrated to Pennsylvania. Moritz Michael's official church position was as a worker with the young men of the Moravian congregations in Nazareth and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and his contributions to the musical life of the Moravian settlements in Pennsylvania was great. In addition to his wind ensemble works—the most famous of which, Die Wasserfahrt' is currently available in a number of recordings—and fourteen "Parthien", he wrote a number of anthems and arias for church services. Moritz Michael returned to Germany in 1815 and died in Neuwied, Germany, on February 26, 1827.