=Frescobaldi and His Successors=.—The greatest of all the organists of the earlier days, to whom the title of “Father of true organ playing” has been given, was =Girolamo Frescobaldi=, born in 1583 at Ferrara, in Italy, educated in Flanders, and from 1608 to his death in 1644 organist at St. Peter’s, Rome. His fame was so great that the spacious cathedral was often filled when he gave an organ recital. His compositions, many of which have been preserved, have a very decided contrapuntal character, whence some have called him the inventor of the organ fugue. Two prominent German organists, whose compositions were studied by Bach, were =Caspar Kerl= (1627-1693), and =Jacob Froberger= (———1667), both of whom lived in Vienna. The most eminent organist of the 17th century was =Johann Peter Sweelinck= (1562-1621), pupil of Zarlino, the famous Italian theorist, and of Andreas Gabrieli, organist of Venice. Sweelinck occupied the position of organist at the Cathedral in Amsterdam, and gave much attention to the development of the fugal style of composition. His compositions are of the highest importance historically, since they exhibit the first known examples of the independent use of the pedals in a real fugal part. He was the most eminent organist of his time (being called the organist maker), and was the teacher of the following noted players: =Jacob Praetorius= (died at Hamburg in 1651); =Heinrich Scheidemann= (1596-1663), also located at Hamburg; =Jan Adams Reinken= (1623-1722), from 1663 organist and successor to Scheidemann at the Catherine Church, Hamburg (Bach came to Hamburg several times to hear Reinken play and to learn his style); =Samuel Scheidt= (1587-1654), organist at Halle. Some of their compositions are accessible. [Illustration: JOHANN PETER SWEELINCK.] Other famous organists of this period were =Johann Pachelbel= (1653-1706), located at Nuremberg (Bach studied his works as a lad); =Dietrich Buxtehude= (1637-1707), organist at Lübeck for thirty-nine years. One of the most important names of this period of development is that of =Johann Joseph Fux= (1660-1741). His “_Gradus ad Parnassum_,” published in 1725, a treatise on counterpoint based on the practice of the great masters, played an important part in the training of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.