Gustav Fock (18 November 1893 – 12 March 1974) was a German
music historian
Music history, sometimes called historical musicology, is a highly diverse subfield of the broader discipline of musicology that studies music from a historical point of view.
In theory, "music history" could refer to the study of the history o ...
, editor
early music
Early music generally comprises Medieval music (500–1400) and Renaissance music (1400–1600), but can also include Baroque music (1600–1750). Originating in Europe, early music is a broad musical era for the beginning of Western classical m ...
and
organologist
Organology (from Ancient Greek () 'instrument' and (), 'the study of') is the science of musical instruments and their classifications. It embraces study of instruments' history, instruments used in different cultures, technical aspects of how i ...
(musical instrumentologist). He is considered the most important
Schnitger researcher of his time.
Life and work
Born in
Neuenfelde
is a rural quarter located in the borough Harburg of Hamburg, Germany near the Lower Saxony border. The quarter is well known for its quality of fruit and unique houses, many of which prove to be popular attractions for tourists passing through, ...
, Fock was a captain's son from a family of seafarers in 1893. His father's name was Claus Hinrich Fock and he died early in 1913. His mother was Greta, ''née'' Fortriede, Tiedemann († 1969). Claus Hinrich Fock was the owner and skipper of the two-masted ships called "Cadet" and later "Greta".
His lifelong fascination for Arp Schnitger - who was also born in Neuenfelde - and his encounter with Schnitger's organ there awakened his lifelong fascination for this
organ builder
Organ building is the profession of designing, building, restoring and maintaining pipe organs.
The Organ builders , organ builder usually receives a commission to design an organ with a particular disposition of Organ stop, stops, Manual (mu ...
. He attended the
Royal Music Institute of Berlin
The Königliches Musik-Institut Berlin (Royal Music Institute of Berlin) was a training centre for musicians and a predecessor of today's Institute for Church Music at the Berlin University of the Arts.
History
The institute was founded in 1822 ...
in
Berlin-Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg () is a Boroughs and localities of Berlin, locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Established as a German town law, town in 1705 and named after Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, Queen consort of Kingdom ...
in 1919/20, then studied musicology with
Max Seiffert Maximilian Seiffert (9 February 1868 – 15 April 1948) was a German musicologist and editor of Baroque music.
Biography
Seiffert was born in Beeskow an der Spree, Germany, the son of a teacher. He was first educated at the Joachimsthal Gymnas ...
at the
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative o ...
and with
Fritz Stein
Friedrich Wilhelm Stein (17 December 1879 – 14 November 1961) was a German theologian, conductor, musicologist and church musician. He found in an archive in Jena the score of the so-called '' Jena Symphony'', which he published as possibly a wo ...
in Kiel, where he was granted his
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
in 1931 on "Hamburgs Anteil am Orgelbau im niederdeutschen Kulturgebiet". Afterwards he was
Studienrat Studienrat (abbreviated StR) is an official title/rank of higher teachers in the German and Austrian education system. Even though the German and Austrian education systems use the same term, there are differences in the level and usage of this rank ...
for music at Hamburg grammar schools until his retirement (1958). He lived in Hamburg-Blankenese until his death in 1974 at the age of 80.
Musically, Fock was particularly influenced by his teacher Max Seiffert. The organ movement also exerted its influence on him. He wrote numerous music-historical treatises, especially on North German and Dutch organ culture. From 1942 to 1949 he investigated the music history of
St. Michaelis, Lüneburg
St. Michaelis is one of the main churches in Lüneburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. It was first an abbey church of the former monastery of Benedictines, built from 1376 in brick Gothic style. It became Lutheranism, Lutheran during the Reformation. Joh ...
, but was unable to complete this work. Fock veranstaltete Orgelfahrten, um die historischen Orgeln einem breiten Publikum zu erschließen. He was particularly interested in the
Schnitger organ (Hamburg).
In 1955 and 1960, Fock discovered two manuscripts of the ''Zellerfelder Tabulatur'', One of the most important sources for the organ works of
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck ( ; April or May, 1562 – 16 October 1621) was a Dutch composer, organist, and pedagogue whose work straddled the end of the Renaissance and beginning of the Baroque eras. He was among the first major keyboard compo ...
and his school. Of particular importance are the chorale arrangements and Magnificat settings by
Heinrich Scheidemann
Heinrich Scheidemann (ca. 1595 – 1663) was a German organist and composer. He was the best-known composer for the organ in north Germany in the early to mid-17th century, and was an important forerunner of Dieterich Buxtehude and J.S. Ba ...
, some of which were unknown until that time, and which he also published. His life's work is a monograph on "Arp Schnitger and his school", which only appeared
posthumously
Posthumous may refer to:
* Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death
* Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death
* ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987
* ''Posthumous'' (E ...
in the year of his death. A publication of the manuscript, completed in 1940, had been delayed during the Second World War and lost due to bombing. Fortunately, Fock's meticulously compiled collection of material was preserved. Fock's treatise is the fundamental work on Arp Schnitger, his predecessors and successors, and all of Schnitger's organ buildings.
In addition to his publishing activities, Fock was a performing musician and was responsible as a conductor for several first performances, especially of
Telemann
Georg Philipp Telemann (; – 25 June 1767) was a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist. Almost completely self-taught in music, he became a composer against his family's wishes. After studying in Magdeburg, Zellerfeld, and Hildesh ...
cantatas, which he also published.
Fock's comprehensive musical estate archive integrates the scholarly estate of Max Seiffert. Since 1987, the largest part has been in the . The rest was located in
Osterholz-Scharmbeck
Osterholz-Scharmbeck (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Oosterholt-Scharmbeek'') is a town and the capital of the district of Osterholz, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Osterholz-Scharmbeck is situated in between the cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven.
Geography ...
under the care of
Harald Vogel
Harald Vogel (born 21 June 1941 in Ottersberg) is a German organist, organologist, and author. He is a leading expert on Renaissance and Baroque keyboard music. He has been professor of organ at the University of the Arts Bremen since 1994.
Book ...
and was to be systematically processed and digitised with the help of the
University of the Arts Bremen
The University of the Arts Bremen (German: Hochschule für Künste Bremen, HfK Bremen) is a public university in Bremen, Germany. It is one of the most successful arts institutions, and its origins date back to 1873. The University of the Arts Br ...
. The collection was handed over to the Arp Schnitger Society in Golzwarden in 2011, which handed it over to the State Archives in Oldenburg.
[Göteborg Organ Art Center]
''Arp Schnitger Orgel Datenbank''
retrieved 15 February 2021.
Publications
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; as editor:
* Johann Stephani: ''Studentengärtlein. Neue teutsche weltliche Madrigalia und Balletten''. Möseler Verlag, Wolfenbüttel 1958.
* Heinrich Scheidemann: ''Orgelwerke. 1. Choralbearbeitungen''. 7th edition. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 2006.
* Heinrich Scheidemann: ''Orgelwerke. 2. Magnificat-Bearbeitungen''. 3rd edition. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 2006.
* Georg Philipp Telemann: ''Trauer-Kantate. 'Du aber, Daniel, gehe hin', for soprano, bass, four-part mixed choir, flute, oboe, violin, two violas da gamba and basso continuo''. 8th edition. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 2008.
* Georg Philipp Telemann: ''Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe''. In festo nativitatis;
Christmas cantata A Christmas cantata or Nativity cantata is a cantata, music for voice or voices in several movements, for Christmas. The importance of the feast inspired many composers to write cantatas for the occasion, some designed to be performed in church ser ...
for soprano, alto, tenor, bass, four-part mixed choir, three trumpets, timpani, strings and basso continuo''. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 1969.
* Georg Philipp Telemann: ''"Ew’ge Quelle, milder Strom". Cantata on the Sunday Cantate; for medium voice, flute (violin) and basso continuo''. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 1971.
* Georg Philipp Telemann: ''"Gott will Mensch und sterblich werden". Cantata for the Feast of the Annunciation of Mary ... for high voice, violin and basso continuo''. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 1971.
* Georg Philipp Telemann: ''Der Harmonische Gottesdienst. 72 solo cantatas for 1 voice, 1 instrument and basso continuo, Hamburg 1725/26''. 2nd edition. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 2007.
* Georg Philipp Telemann: ''"Ihr Völker, hört". Cantata for the Feast of the Three Kings; for middle voice, flute and basso continuo''. 9th edition. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 2005.
* Georg Philipp Telemann: ''"Jauchzt, ihr Christen, seid vergnügt". Cantata for the third Easter feast day for high voice, violin and basso continuo''. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 1971.
* Georg Philipp Telemann: ''"Ruft es aus in alle Welt". Christmas cantata for soprano, alto, tenor, bass, four-part mixed choir, three trumpets, timpani, strings and basso continuo''. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 1970.
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fock, Gustav
German music publishers (people)
German music historians
German conductors (music)
1893 births
1974 deaths
Musicians from Hamburg