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Georg Gottfried Wagner (Composer, Kantor, Bach's Pupil) |
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Born: April 15, 1698 - Mühlberg, Saxony, Germany
Died: March 23, 1756 - Plauen, Saxony, Germany |
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The German Kantor and composer, Georg Gottfried Wagner, was born the son of Georg Zacharias Wagner (Kantor in Mühlberg ). He attended Thomasschule in Leipzig from 1712 to 1718/1719 (from age 14 to 21); then studied theology and philosophy at the University of Leipzig (enrollment for the summer semester 1718). During those years (1718/1719-1726), he would have continued to participate in the musical activities of the Thomanerchor under Johann Kuhnau from age 21-25 and then under J.S. Bach from age 25-28. He assisted J.S. Bach in Leipzig as a string player and bass singer (1723-1726). His bass voice would have been a welcome addition to the choir (according to what J.S. Bach wrote in a different letter which was referred to here recently) even if he probably did not actually sing bass arias and recitatives. As a university student, who played harpsichord, violin, and violoncello, he received official stipends for his participation in the figural music performed during the years 1724 to 1726.
In 1722 Georg Gottfried Wagner applied unsuccessfully for the post of Kantor at the Michaeliskirche in Zeitz. He is the subject of a number of letters (Leipzig, September 14, 26 and October 21, November 15, 1726) written by J.S. Bach to the members of the City Council of Plauen who were seeking a replacement for the post of Kantor at the Johanniskirche in Plauen (from 1688-1726), Victorinus Irmisch. J.S. Bach was approached by the council to suggest a candidate for replacement of Irmisch and recommended Wagner for this venerable position as follows: “He [Wagner] is very well educated in the humanities and particularly in music. He is experienced in composition; some performances of his compositions have been well received here. In addition, he plays the organ and other keyboard instruments well, is accomplished as well in playing the violin, violoncello and other instruments. He has a good bass voice even if it is not the strongest (“singet einen wo nicht alzu starcken doch artigen Bass”). After his audition in Plauen, Wagner was accepted for the position there and held this position in Plauen until his death in 1756. His son, Johann Georg Wagner (1728-1779), was also a Thomaner (1744-1750).
Georg Gottfried Wagner was the composer of the 8-part motet Lob und Ehre und Weisheit und Dank, which was published in 1819 as a work of J.S. Bach (BWV Anh. III 162). Only one other composition by him has survived.
According to Johann Gottfried Walther (after 1732), after J.S. Bach's inauguration as Thomaskantor in 1723, Georg Gottfried Wagner “received several Profectus in music from his leadership.” At that time, Wagner was 25 years old and could already be an important pillar in J.S. Bach's cantata performances. His work as a bass singer, organist, violinist, violoncellist and composer emerges from J.S. Bach's testimony for Wagner from 1723 and the documents on Wagner's employment in Plauen in 1726, including several letters from J.S. Bach.
References: Koska: A-13; GND: 134920643 |
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Sourcea:
1. Various messages by Thomas Braatz to the BCML
2. Malcom Boyd, editor: Oxford Composer Companion J.S. Bach (Oxford University Press, 1999)
3. Bernd Koska: Bachs Privatschüler in Bach-Jahrbuch 2019, English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2020)
Contributed by Thomas Braatz (September 2006), Aryeh Oron (November 2008, May 2020) |
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Georg Gottfried Wagner : Short Biography | Works: Motet Lob und Ehre und Weisheit, BWV Anh 162 |
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Works previously attributed to J.S. Bach |
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Motet Lob und Ehre und Weisheit, BWV Anh 162 |
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Works performed by J.S. Bach |
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Motet Lob und Ehre und Weisheit, BWV Anh 162, performed by J.S. Bach in Leipzig Late 1720's ? |
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Links to other Sites |
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Wagner, Georg Gottfried (Bach digital) |
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Bibliography |
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Sources: Dok I, Nr. 14–17; Dok II, Nr. 206, 210–213, 216, 217; Dok III, Nr. N II 324a; Löffler 1929/31, Nr. 13; Löffler 1936, S. 110; Löffler 1953, Nr. 22; H.J. Schulze, Johann Sebastian Bach und Georg Gottfried Wagner – neue Dokumente, in: Bach-Studien 5, S. 147–154; MGGo; BJ 2005, S. 98f. (M. Maul) |
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