The Coburg court Music director Melchior Franck (~1580-1639) is considered one of the most important and productive composers in the German-speaking world in the first half of the 17th century. He created numerous vocal and instrumental works, several cantionals, works for the school and compositions for weddings and deaths, both for the court and for the urban bourgeoisie, as well as a large number of secular songs. His fame extended far beyond his Franconian sphere of influence. During his lifetime and later, his music was performed throughout the entire Protestant region.
Almost all of Franck's extensive oeuvre has survived in contemporary prints, which are currently preserved in numerous libraries in Europe and America. In the Melchior Franck Catalogue of Works (MFWV), each individual work, including those within collections, is given a work number for the first time, the tradition and sources are documented and made accessible by comprehensive indexes.
