Biography
Nicolai, having pursued theological studies at Erfurt and Wittenberg, produced numerous treatises on doctrine together with multiple volumes of poetry. His principal legacy as a composer lies in the 1599 collection "Der Freudenspiegel des ewigen Lebens," whose devotional contents continued appearing in new editions as late as 1674. These pieces exhibit an archaic musical language whose formal procedures align more closely with Minnesinger models than with prevailing late-Renaissance idioms. From the same volume, "Wie schon leuchet der Morgenstern" and "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" remain his most significant compositions.