Salomon Franck

Salomon (also Salomo) Franck, 6 March 1659  – 11 July 1725), was a German lawyer, scientist, and poet. He was the librettist of some of the best-known cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Franck was born in Weimar. After studying law and theology at Jena he held government posts at Zwickau, Arnstadt, Jena and Weimar, where he died. Records show that, as of 1702, Franck was secretary of the high Consistory, managing the numismatic collection and the library records for the court of Duke of Saxe-Weimar, William Ernest.

Franck had already written several secular cantata texts prior to his association with Johann Sebastian Bach, e.g. Himmelsflammende Wunschopfer, which was performed at Weimar castle in 1697. Franck also wrote many sacred texts. His earliest church-cantata texts were written in the older form, consisting of verses from the Bible and strophic songs. In 1711 he used for the first time the new form introduced by Erdmann Neumeister.

In 1717, Franck published a collection of sacred texts titled Evangelische Sonn- und Festtages Andachten auf Hochfürstliche Gnädigste Verordnung zur Fürstlich Sächsischen Weimarischen Hof-Capell-Music in Geistlichen Arien erwecket von Salomon Francken, Fürstlich Sächsischen Gesamten Ober-Consistorial-Secretario in Weimar. Weimar und Jena bey Johann Felix Bielcken. 1717.

He wrote the text for Bach's earliest secular cantata (1713), Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd (BWV 208) in which, following the custom of the day, he drew upon mythological characters. The cantata was composed for the 31st birthday celebration of Duke Christian of Sachsen-Weissenfels.

It is not known for sure when he began collaborating with Bach on sacred cantatas, as the author of some texts used by Bach is unknown. However, the collaboration between Franck and Bach was particularly active from 1714, when the composer was promoted to the post of Konzertmeister at Weimar, and embarked on the composition of cantatas for the Schlosskirche (court chapel) on a regular monthly basis. Bach adopted the new form of cantata, composing recitatives and da capo arias. In 1717 the composer left Weimar, but he continued to set Franck's words years later when based at Leipzig.

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