Erlebach (1605 - 1648) was a prolific German composer. His compositions include orchestral and chamber music, operas, cantatas, Masses and oratorios. Most of his works (over 1000 compositions)were destroyed in 1735 during a fire in Rudolstadt.This caused Erlebach’s music to be almost completely forgotten. Only 70 compositions (about 7 percent of his working output) survived, some only in handwritten manuscript form, which later had to be transcribed. Much of his posterity is dependent upon published editions of his works.