|
|
Johann Philipp Kirnberger (Composer, Music Theorist, Violin, Copyist, Bach's Pupil) |
|
Born: April 1721, (baptised: April 24, 1721) - Saalfeld/Saale, Thuringia, Germany
Died: July 26/27, 1783 - Berlin, Germany |
|
Johann Philipp Kirnberger was among the leading theorists and commentators on music of the 18th century, but as a composer, he is of lesser importance. Although he wrote keyboard and chamber music, songs, and a small amount of church music, these struck listeners then and now as uninspired. David Mason Green wrote that the music has "an excess of theory" and wryly adds, "It would have won him a foundation grant today."
Johann Philipp Kirnberger was born the son of Matthias Kirnberger/Kernberg (court footman in Saalfeld/Saale). Hae attended the Gymnasium in Coburg. He had a conventional musical and general education that included organ studies with Johann Peter Kellner (C-14) in Gräfenroda and Heinrich Nicolaus Gerber. From 1738 he was pupil of the court musician Meil (violin) in Sondershausen. But the high point of his training was the two years (1739-1741, with breaks) he spent studying performance and composition with J.S. Bach.
From 1741 to 1751, Johann Philipp Kirnberger lived in Poland (mostly in the Lviv region) and worked for various noblemen of that country. In 1751 he returned to Germany, and stayed in stays in Coburg, Gotha and Dresden. c1751 he was engaged as a violinist by the Prussian royal chapel in Berlin; from 1754 he voluntarily took a higher position as harpsicordist in a lower establishment (that of Prince Heinrich of Prussia in Rheinsberg); and in 1758 obtained the major position of his life, music director for Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia. He kept this job for life and all but one of his published compositions originated from that period. He had a reputation for being tactless and pedantic, but enforced exceptionally high musical standards.
Johann Philipp Kirnberger regarded J.S. Bach as the greatest of all composers, a common view today but not then when the Leipzig master, if he was remembered at all, was regarded as an old-fashioned composer. Kirnberger sought to develop theories of music that would carry on J.S. Bach's musical thinking. His widely published theoretical works so extol J.S. Bach that subsequent generations knew his reputation as a great master of technique and form, at the least, prompting many later composers to study his music and ultimately, to bring it back to its exalted place in the performance repertoire as well. Moreover, Kirnberger applied exhaustive effort to get J.S. Bach's largely unpublished chorale preludes preserved in printed form.
His theoretical thinking was very deep and plumbed the relationship of mathematical ratios to music. This led him to describe certain theoretical harmonic combinations, such as ninth, 11th, and 13th chords that later became important in the Romantic and Impressionist eras.
In Kirnberger's biography published by Marpurg in 1754, his lessons with J.S. Bach in composition and keyboard playing were mentioned for the first time. In a letter to Forkel in 1775, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach also referred to Kirnberger as his father's student.
References: Koska: A-44; GND: 118777238; Bach Digital: 00003100 |
|
Works |
|
Allemande, a-Moll BWV 835 / Anh. III 182->; Engelhardt 74
Fuge, e-Moll BWV Anh. 94 / Anh. III 181->; Engelhardt 35
Fuge e-Moll BWV deest (NBA Serie V:3); Engelhardt 34
Fughetta in a-Moll BWV deest (NBA Serie IV:26)
Herzlich tut mich verlangen Emans 103; Engelhardt 205
Praeludium, e-Moll Engelhardt 17
Praeludium (Grave), e-Moll BWV Anh. 112 / Anh. III 182->; Engelhardt 16
Sonate (Trio) E-Dur H 544
Trio d-Moll BWV deest (NBA Serie VI:1)
Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan Emans 173; Engelhardt 215 |
|
Works of Bach he copied [Manuscript No. in Bach Digital / Work / Performance date] |
|
B-Bc 12102 MSM: BWV 599, 600, 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, 606, 607, 611, 612, 609, 608, 610, 615, 613, 614, 616, 617, 618, 619, 622, 620, 624, 621, 623, 625, 626, 627, 629, 628, 630, 633, 632, 635, 636, 637, 638, 639, 640, 641, 642, 643, 644 (without BWV 631, 634); BWV 768
D-B Am.B 57, Faszikel 1: BWV 846, 847, 848, 849, 850, 851, 852, 853, 854, 855, 856, 857, 858, 859, 860, 861, 862, 863, 864, 865, 866, 867, 868, 869
D-B Am.B 57, Faszikel 2
D-B Am.B 60 [Konvolut]
D-B Am.B 63
D-B Am.B 84
D-B Am.B 112
D-B Am.B 396
D-B Am.B 489
D-B Am.B 548
D-B Mus.ms. 30196 [Konvolut]
D-B Mus.ms. 30196, Faszikel 17 (recte: 18)
D-B Mus.ms. 30196, Faszikel 18 (recte: 19)
D-B Mus.ms. 30196, Faszikel 19 (recte: 20)
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 209, Faszikel 1
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 209, Faszikel 2
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 209, Faszikel 5: BWV 887
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 209, Faszikel 6
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 209, Faszikel 7
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 209, Faszikel 8
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 209, Faszikel 11
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 209, Faszikel 14
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 209, Faszikel 16
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 209, Faszikel 17
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 209, Faszikel 18
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 209, Faszikel 22
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 209, Faszikel 24
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 218, Faszikel 1
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 218, Faszikel 3
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 611
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 636
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 946
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 1206
D-Bsa SA 3287[Original source]
Verschollen Sing-Akademie BWV 878/2
Verschollen BWV 906 (1), J. P. Kirnberger |
 |
|
Sources:
1. All Music Guide Website (Author: Joseph Stevenson)
2. Bernd Koska: Bachs Privatschüler in Bach-Jahrbuch 2019, English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2020)
3. Bach Digital Website (May 2019)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (December 2005, May 2020) |
|
Works previously attributed to J.S. Bach |
|
Allemande for keyboard in A minor, BWV 835
Fugue for keyboard in E minor, BWV Anh 94 (Anh III 181)
Praeludium (Grave) for keyboard in E minor, BWV Anh 112 |
|
Use of Chorale Melodies in his works |
|
Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ , Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ) |
|
Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz, Chorale BWV 421 (Breitkopf 299) by J.S. Bach - probably made changes (CM: Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz) |
|
Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan , Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan) |
|
Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten , Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten) |
|
Links to other Sites |
|
Johann Philipp Kirnberger - Biography (AMG)
Kirnberger, Johann Philipp: Biography (Sojurn)
HOASM: Johann Philipp Kirnberger
Kirnberger, Johann Philipp (WQXR)
Johann Philipp Kirnberger - Wikipedia [German]
Johann Kirnberger (Answers.com)
Kirnberger, Johann Philipp (Bach Digital) |
|
Bibliography |
|
Sources: F. W. Marpurg, Historisch-Kritische Beyträge zur Aufnahme der Musik, Bd. I, Berlin 1754, S. 85f. (= Dok III, Nr. 661); Dok III, Nr. 803; Dok VII, S. 55f.; Löffler 1929/31, Nr. 44; Löffler 1936, S. 118; Löffler 1953, Nr. 60; MGGo; S. Paczkowski, Bach and Poland in the Eighteenth Century, in: Understanding Bach 10 (2015), S. 123–137, speziell S. 130–132; BJ 2017, S. 149–184 (B. Koska); D-B, Mus.ms. autogr.theor. Kirnberger, Joh. Phil. 2 (Stammbuch Kirnbergers) |
|
|
