Johann Kuhnau (; 6 April 16605 June 1722) was a German
polymath
A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific pro ...
, known primarily as a
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
today. He was also active as a
novelist
A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...
,
translator
Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...
,
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
, and
music theorist
Music theory is the study of the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory". The first is the "rudiments", that are needed to understand music notation (ke ...
, and was able to combine these activities with his duties in his official post as
Thomaskantor
(Cantor at St. Thomas) is the common name for the musical director of the , now an internationally known boys' choir founded in Leipzig in 1212. The official historic title of the Thomaskantor in Latin, ', describes the two functions of cantor a ...
in
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
, which he occupied for 21 years. Much of his music, including
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
s,
masses, and other large-scale vocal works, is lost. His reputation today rests on his ''Biblical Sonatas'', a set of
programmatic keyboard
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
sonata
Sonata (; Italian: , pl. ''sonate''; from Latin and Italian: ''sonare'' rchaic Italian; replaced in the modern language by ''suonare'' "to sound"), in music, literally means a piece ''played'' as opposed to a cantata (Latin and Italian ''cant ...
s published in 1700, in which each sonata depicted in detail a particular story from the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
. After his death, Kuhnau was succeeded as Thomaskantor by
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
.
Biography
Much of the biographical information on Kuhnau is known from an autobiography published by
Johann Mattheson
Johann Mattheson (28 September 1681 – 17 April 1764) was a German composer, singer, writer, lexicographer, diplomat and music theorist.
Early life and career
The son of a prosperous tax collector, Mattheson received a broad liberal education ...
in 1740 in his ''Grundlage einer Ehrenpforte''. Kuhnau's
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
family was originally from
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
, and their name was Kuhn. Kuhnau was born in
Geising
Geising is a ''Stadtteil'' (municipal division) of Altenberg in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district, in Saxony, Germany. , present-day
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
. His musical talents were apparent early, and in around 1670, he was sent to
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
to study with court musicians there. During the next decade, he studied keyboard playing and music composition, as well as French and Italian. In 1680, an offshoot of the
Great Plague of Vienna
The Great Plague of Vienna occurred in 1679 in Vienna, Austria, the imperial residence of the Austrian Habsburg rulers. From contemporary descriptions, the disease is believed to have been bubonic plague, which is caused by the bacterium ''Yersin ...
reached Dresden, and Kuhnau returned home. He subsequently studied music at the Johanneum in
Zittau
Zittau ( hsb, Žitawa, dsb, Žytawa, pl, Żytawa, cs, Žitava, :de:Oberlausitzer Mundart, Upper Lusatian Dialect: ''Sitte''; from Slavic languages, Slavic "''rye''" (Upper Sorbian and Czech: ''žito'', Lower Sorbian: ''žyto'', Polish: ''żyto' ...
, and then law at
Leipzig University
Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December ...
. Exceptionally active as a composer and performer during his university years, he was appointed organist of Leipzig's
Thomaskirche
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, image = Leipzig Thomaskirche.jpg
, imagelink =
, imagealt =
, caption =
, pushpin map =
, pushpin label position =
, pushpin map alt ...
in 1684, at the age of 24.
[Buelow, Grove.]
In 1688, Kuhnau completed his dissertation and began practicing law. He was still working as an organist and continued composing. In 1689 he published his first collection of keyboard works, followed by three more in 1692, 1696, and 1700. During the 1690s, he translated a number of books into German from Italian and French, completed and published his best-known novel, the satirical ''Der musicalische Quack-Salber'' (1700), and devoted his spare time to studying various subjects such as
mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
,
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
and
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
. In 1701 he succeeded
Johann Schelle Johann Schelle (Geising, Erzgebirge, 6 September 1648 – Leipzig 10 March 1701) was a German Baroque composer.
From 1655 to 1657 he was a choirboy in Dresden and pupil of Heinrich Schütz. From 1657 to 1664 on Schütz's recommendation he was ...
as Thomaskantor and kept the position until his death. Unfortunately, although he was successful in directing the many musical activities of the Thomaskirche and teaching at
Thomasschule
St. Thomas School, Leipzig (german: Thomasschule zu Leipzig; la, Schola Thomana Lipsiensis) is a co-educational and public boarding school in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany. It was founded by the Augustinians in 1212 and is one of the oldest schools ...
, Kuhnau started suffering from bad health. Scholar
Willi Apel
Willi Apel (10 October 1893 – 14 March 1988) was a German-American musicologist and noted author of a number of books devoted to music. Among his most important publications are the 1944 edition of '' The Harvard Dictionary of Music'' and ''Fre ...
noted that the job was "as vexatious and difficult for him as for his successor,
J.S. Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suite ...
."
[Apel 1972, 667.] Not only health troubles, but also efforts by rival musicians and composers such as
Georg Philipp 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 ...
and Kuhnau's own student
Johann Friedrich Fasch
Johann Friedrich Fasch (15 April 1688 – 5 December 1758) was a German violinist and composer. Much of his music is in the Baroque-Classical transitional style known as galant.
Life
Fasch was born in the town of Buttelstedt, 11 km north o ...
, undermined his activities as Kantor.
Kuhnau died in Leipzig on 5 June 1722. He was survived by three daughters, from a marriage of 1689.
His pupils included not only Fasch, but also
Johann David Heinichen
Johann David Heinichen (17 April 1683 – 16 July 1729) was a German Baroque composer and music theorist who brought the musical genius of Venice to the court of Augustus II the Strong in Dresden. After he died, Heinichen's music attracted little a ...
and
Christoph Graupner
Christoph Graupner (13 January 1683 – 10 May 1760) was a German composer and harpsichordist of late Baroque music who was a contemporary of Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Philipp Telemann and George Frideric Handel.
Life
Born in Hartmannsdorf ...
.
Music
![Kuhnau Frontispiece Biblical Sonatas 1710](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Kuhnau_Frontispiece_Biblical_Sonatas_1710.jpg)
Kuhnau's reputation today rests on four collections of music for keyboard, which he published in 1689–1700. Particularly important is the last volume, titled ''Musicalische Vorstellung einiger biblischer Historien'', and known popularly as the ''Biblical Sonatas.'' It contains six sonatas, each outlining a biblical story in several contrasting movements:
* ''The Fight between David and Goliath''
* ''Saul's melancholy cured by the music played by David on his harp''
* ''Jacob's Wedding''
* ''Hezekiah's sickness and restoration''
* ''Gideon, Saviour of Israel''
* ''Jacob's Death and Burial''
Kuhnau uses a wide variety of musical devices to portray the series of events (the sounding of trumpets, the hurling of David's stone, etc.) as well as the characters' psychological states (e.g. the Israelites' fright before a battle, or Hezekiah's joy darkened by a remembrance of his illness). These devices are not limited to changes of texture or harmony, but also include quotations from Protestant chorales (the Israelites' prayer is based on Luther's
Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir
"" (From deep affliction I cry out to you), originally "", later also "", is a Lutheran hymn of 1524, with words written by Martin Luther as a paraphrase of Psalm 130. It was first published in 1524 as one of eight songs in the first Lutheran hy ...
) and imitations of operatic arias (Gideon's fear).
The other keyboard works by Kuhnau show a varied approach to form. The two parts of his ''Clavier-Übung'' include 7
suites each. The first is only in the major
mode
Mode ( la, modus meaning "manner, tune, measure, due measure, rhythm, melody") may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* '' MO''D''E (magazine)'', a defunct U.S. women's fashion magazine
* ''Mode'' magazine, a fictional fashion magazine which is ...
, and the second is only in the minor mode. The suites almost always begin with a
prelude
Prelude may refer to:
Music
*Prelude (music), a musical form
*Prelude (band), an English-based folk band
*Prelude Records (record label), a former New York-based dance independent record label
*Chorale prelude, a short liturgical composition for ...
, and continue through the usual order of dances –
allemande
An ''allemande'' (''allemanda'', ''almain(e)'', or ''alman(d)'', French: "German (dance)") is a Renaissance and Baroque dance, and one of the most common instrumental dance styles in Baroque music, with examples by Couperin, Purcell, Bach a ...
,
courante
The ''courante'', ''corrente'', ''coranto'' and ''corant'' are some of the names given to a family of triple metre dances from the late Renaissance and the Baroque era. In a Baroque dance suite an Italian or French courante is typically paired ...
,
sarabande
The sarabande (from es, zarabanda) is a dance in triple metre, or the music written for such a dance.
History
The Sarabande evolved from a Spanish dance with Arab influences, danced by a lively double line of couples with castanets. A dance cal ...
,
gigue
The gigue (; ) or giga () is a lively baroque dance originating from the English jig. It was imported into France in the mid-17th centuryBellingham, Jane"gigue."''The Oxford Companion to Music''. Ed. Alison Latham. Oxford Music Online. 6 July 200 ...
– occasionally with a
minuet
A minuet (; also spelled menuet) is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually in time. The English word was adapted from the Italian ''minuetto'' and the French ''menuet''.
The term also describes the musical form that accompa ...
or
aria
In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...
placed between the dances. Kuhnau's preludes are almost always in two sections: a prelude and a
fugue
In music, a fugue () is a contrapuntal compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject (a musical theme) that is introduced at the beginning in imitation (repetition at different pitches) and which recurs frequently in the c ...
(or a ''fugato'' section), complete with countersubjects Kuhnau mentions in the preface.
Kuhnau's ''Sonata in B-flat major'', appended to the ''Neuer Clavier-Übung, anderer Theil'', was for some time considered to be the earliest known keyboard sonata. Later research has shown that it was rather the first keyboard sonata published in Germany and that Kuhnau simply followed the naming convention established by contemporary foreign composers. The composer himself commented on the issue in the preface:
I have also appended a ''Sonata in B-flat major'', which should also be pleasing to the amateurs. Why shouldn't one provide such pieces for keyboard which are provided for other instruments? Indeed, no instrument has been able to dispute the clavier's reputation for perfection.
The third volume, titled ''Frische Clavier Früchte'', contains six sonatas modelled on Italian chamber sonatas. According to music authors
Milton Cross
Milton John Cross (April 16, 1897 – January 3, 1975) was an American radio announcer famous for his work on the NBC and American Broadcasting Company, ABC radio networks.
He was best known as the voice of the Metropolitan Opera, hosting its Met ...
and David Ewen, the work's publication is an "important event in musical history" since it is one of the earliest serious attempts at composing works for keyboard instruments besides the organ. A wide variety of forms and textures is employed: even the opening movements range from
toccata
Toccata (from Italian ''toccare'', literally, "to touch", with "toccata" being the action of touching) is a virtuoso piece of music typically for a keyboard or plucked string instrument featuring fast-moving, lightly fingered or otherwise virtuo ...
-like miniatures to full-fledged
chaconne
A chaconne (; ; es, chacona, links=no; it, ciaccona, links=no, ; earlier English: ''chacony'') is a type of musical composition often used as a vehicle for variation on a repeated short harmonic progression, often involving a fairly short rep ...
s. Kuhnau's approach to the episodes of the many fugues of this collection has been called "perhaps his primary contribution to the historical development of fugue as an extended form" by one scholar. ''Frische Clavier Früchte'' was Kuhnau's most popular work in his lifetime, reprinted five times (including one posthumous publication).
Much of Kuhnau's vocal music is lost, including an
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
(''Orpheus''), a setting of the
Passion according to St. Mark (''Markus-Passion''), a three-choir ''
Te Deum
The "Te Deum" (, ; from its incipit, , ) is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to AD 387 authorship, but with antecedents that place it much earlier. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin Chur ...
'', and at least two settings of the
mass
Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
. The surviving cantatas are simple harmonically and melodically, yet expressive. Unlike those of his predecessors at the Thomaskirche, Kuhnau's cantatas feature a unified approach to form: most begin with an instrumental section followed by alteration of arias and
recitative
Recitative (, also known by its Italian name "''recitativo''" ()) is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repea ...
s.
The Christmas
cantata
A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
The meaning of ...
''
Uns ist ein Kind geboren'', formerly attributed to Bach as
BWV 142
(Unto us a child is born), , is a Christmas cantata by an unknown composer. In the ''Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis'' it is listed among the works with a doubtful attribution to Johann Sebastian Bach. The text is based on a libretto by Erdmann Neumeist ...
, was most likely composed by Kuhnau.
Writings
![Kuhnau - Der musicalische Quack-Salber - Title Page](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Kuhnau_-_Der_musicalische_Quack-Salber_-_Title_Page.jpg)
Of the few surviving books and treatises by Kuhnau, perhaps the most important is ''Der musicalische Quack-Salber'' ("The Musical Quack"), a
satirical
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...
novel published in 1700. It describes the fictional exploits of Caraffa, a German charlatan who strives to make a name for himself as musician by posing as an Italian virtuoso. The novel's literary qualities have been noted, one writer venturing to call it linguistically innovative, and it has also proven to be a singularly valuable source for performance practices of the late 17th century.
Two other satirical works by Kuhnau are known: ''Der Schmid seines eignen Unglückes'' ("The Maker of His Own Misfortune", 1695) and ''Des klugen und thörichten Gebrauchs der Fünf Sinnen'' ("On the Clever and Foolish Use of the Five Senses", 1698). Some of Kuhnau's satirical concepts and story turns are influenced by
Christian Weise
Christian Weise (30 April 1642 – 21 October 1708), also known under the pseudonyms Siegmund Gleichviel, Orontes, Catharinus Civilis and Tarquinius Eatullus, was a German writer, dramatist, poet, pedagogue and librarian of the Baroque era. He prod ...
's novels. Kuhnau knew Weise from his days at Zittau, where Weise worked as Rector of the Gymnasium, and Kuhnau used to provide music (now lost) for Weise's school plays.
Kuhnau's theoretical treatise ''Fundamenta compositionis'' survives in a single manuscript which also contains an anonymous treatise on
double counterpoint
In music theory, an inversion is a type of change to intervals, chords, voices (in counterpoint), and melodies. In each of these cases, "inversion" has a distinct but related meaning. The concept of inversion also plays an important role in mu ...
(''Kurtze doch deutliche Reguln von den doppelten Contrapuncten'') and two texts by
Christoph Bernhard
Christoph Bernhard (1 January 1628 – 14 November 1692) was born in Kolberg, Pomerania, and died in Dresden. He was a German Baroque composer and musician. He studied with former Sweelinck-pupil Paul Siefert in Danzig (now Gdańsk) and in War ...
; the entire manuscript was at one point attributed to
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
. Unfortunately, ''Fundamenta'' appears to be a bad and partial copy from Kuhnau's original. The last five chapters are a direct copy from another Bernhard treatise on invertible counterpoint, while the discussion of
modes
Mode ( la, modus meaning "manner, tune, measure, due measure, rhythm, melody") may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* '' MO''D''E (magazine)'', a defunct U.S. women's fashion magazine
* ''Mode'' magazine, a fictional fashion magazine which is ...
is very similar to that in
Walther
Walther is a masculine given name and a surname. It is a German form of Walter, which is derived from the Old High German ''Walthari'', containing the elements ''wald'' -"power", "brightness" or "forest" and ''hari'' -"warrior".
The name was fir ...
's ''Praecepta der musicalischen Composition'' (1708), yet omits several passages included in Walther. The similarity raised an important question about Walther's well-known and highly regarded treatise: how heavily was it based upon Kuhnau's lost original? Or did both Walther and Kuhnau borrow from another writer, currently unknown?
Kuhnau authored at least two more theoretical works, but those are only known by name: ''Tractatus de tetrachordo seu musica antiqua ac hodierna'' and ''De triade harmonica''. His views on musical modes,
solmization
Solmization is a system of attributing a distinct syllable to each note of a musical scale. Various forms of solmization are in use and have been used throughout the world, but solfège is the most common convention in countries of Western cultur ...
, and other matters are preserved in a letter dated 8 December 1717, published by Mattheson in ''Critica musica'' in 1725.
In addition, the "Biblical Sonatas" include a large preface in which Kuhnau explores the idea of program music and various related matters.
Family
Kuhnau's nephew Johann Andreas Kuhnau, born in
Annaberg on 1 December 1703, was one of the principal copyists for J. S. Bach. He attended the
Thomasschule
St. Thomas School, Leipzig (german: Thomasschule zu Leipzig; la, Schola Thomana Lipsiensis) is a co-educational and public boarding school in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany. It was founded by the Augustinians in 1212 and is one of the oldest schools ...
from 1718, and studied at the
Leipzig University
Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December ...
from 1719. He died after 1745.
List of works
Numerous works by Kuhnau are lost, including stage works, cantatas, numerous pieces of occasional music, and so on. Some cantatas, arias, and odes survive in text-only versions. Lost also were at least two treatises: ''Tractatus de tetrachordo seu musica antiqua ac hodierna'' and ''De triade harmonica''. The following list only includes works that are extant in complete form.
[The entire list is edited from Buelow, Grove, omitting all lost works, details on editions, etc.]
Keyboard
* ''Neuer Clavier-Übung, erster Theil'', 7 suites (1689)
* ''Neuer Clavier-Übung, anderer Theil'', 7 suites and 1 sonata (1692)
* ''Frische Clavier Früchte'', 7 sonatas (1696)
* ''Musicalische Vorstellung einiger biblischer Historien'', 6 sonatas (1700)
* Prelude in G major, organ
* Praeludium alla breve, organ
* Fugue in G major, organ
* Toccata in A major, organ
Sacred vocal
* ''Ach Herr, wie sind meiner Feinde so viel''
* ''Bone Jesu, chare Jesu''
* ''Christ lag in Todesbanden''
* ''Daran erkennen wir, dass wir in ihm verbleiben''
* ''Das Alte ist vergangen''
* ''Ende gut und alles gut''
* ''Erschrick mein Hertz vor dir''
* ''Es steh Gott auf'' (doubtful)
* ''Frohlocket, ihr Völker, und jauchzet, ihr Heiden''
* ''Gott der Vater, Jesus Christus, der Heil'ge Geist wohn uns bey''
* ''Gott hat uns nicht gesetzt zum Zorn''
* ''Gott sei mir gnädig''
* ''Ich freue mich im Herrn''
* ''Ich habe Lust abzuscheiden''
* ''Ich hebe meine Augen auf''
* ''Ihr Himmel jubilirt von oben''
* ''In te Domine speravi''
* ''Laudate pueri''
* ''Lobe den Herrn meine Seele'' (2 versions, for 2 and 5 voices)
* ''Lobet, ihr Himmel, den Herrn''
* ''Mein Alter kommt, ich kann nicht sterben''
* Magnificat
* Missa brevis
* ''Muss nicht der Mensch auf dieser Erden''
* ''Nicht nur allein am frohen Morgen''
* ''O heilige Zeit, wo Himmel, Erd und Luft'' (2 versions, 1 for 2 voices doubtful, 1 for 4 voices)
* ''Schmücket das Fest mit Meyen''
* ''Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied''
* ''Spirate clementes''
* ''
Tristis est anima mea Tristis est anima mea (Sad is my soul) is the Latin phrase with which starts. It is Tristis est anima mea (responsory), the second responsory of the Tenebrae for Maundy Thursday which was often set to music. It may also refer to:
*Movement XI of ...
''
* ''Und ob die Feinde Tag und Nacht''
* ''Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her''
* ''Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan''
* ''Weicht ihr Sorgen aus dem Hertzen''
* ''Welt adieu, ich bin dein müde''
* ''Wenn ihr fröhlich seid an euren Festen''
* ''Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern''
Secular vocal
* ''Ach Gott, wie lästu mich erstarren'', aria for the burial of Rektor Titius, Zittau, 19 May 1681
Writings
* ''Divini numinis assistentia, illustrisque jure consultorum in florentissima academia Lipsiensi'' (dissertation; Leipzig, 1688)
* ''Der Schmid seines eignen Unglückes'' (novel; 1695)
* ''Des klugen und thörichten Gebrauchs der Fünf Sinnen'' (novel; 1698).
* ''Der musicalische Quack-Salber'' (novel; Dresden, 1700)
* ''Fundamenta compositionis'' (treatise; 1703)
Notes
References
*
Apel, Willi. 1972. ''The History of Keyboard Music to 1700''. Translated by Hans Tischler. Indiana University Press. . Originally published as ''Geschichte der Orgel- und Klaviermusik bis 1700'' by Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel.
* Becker-Cantarino, Barbara. 2005. ''German Literature of the Eighteenth Century: The Enlightenment and Sensibility'', Boydell & Brewer.
*
* Butt, John. 1992. Liner notes, ''Johann Kuhnau: Keyboard Works'', Harmonia Mundi HMX 2907360.61
*
* Hahn, K. 1956. ''Johann Kuhnaus "Fundamenta Compositionis"'', GfMKB: Hamburg 1956, 103–4.
* Hardin, James (ed.). 2001. ''The Camden House History of German Literature'', Boydell & Brewer.
* Newman, W.S. 1953–1954. ''A Checklist of the Earliest Keyboard "Sonatas" (1641–1738)'', Notes, xi (1953–54), 201–211.
*
* Rose, Stephen. 2011. ''The Musician in Literature in the Age of Bach'', Cambridge University Press.
* Seares, Margaret. 2014. ''Johann Mattheson’s Pièces de clavecin and Das neu-eröffnete Orchestre: Mattheson’s Universal Style in Theory and Practice''. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
* Silbiger, Alexander (ed.). 2004. ''Keyboard Music Before 1700'' Routledge.
* Walker, Paul. 2004. ''Theories of Fugue from the Age of Josquin to the Age of Bach'', University Rochester Press.
Further reading
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External links
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Free Listening of "Neue Clavier-Übung", Books I/II (Leipzig 1689/1692)performed by
Fernando De Luca
Fernando De Luca (born 1961 in Rome) is an Italian harpsichordist, teacher and composer.
He studied harpsichord with Paola Bernardi.
He is known to some people for his efforts to perform and record, for the first time, the Handel's Complete H ...
Free Listening of "Frische Clavier Früchte", Leipzig 1696performed by
Fernando De Luca
Fernando De Luca (born 1961 in Rome) is an Italian harpsichordist, teacher and composer.
He studied harpsichord with Paola Bernardi.
He is known to some people for his efforts to perform and record, for the first time, the Handel's Complete H ...
The Kuhnau Project Pfefferkorn Verlag with Opella Musica, Camerata Lipsiensis and Gregor Meyer. Project to publish and record Kuhnau's surviving sacred works to mark the tercentenary of his death.
Johann Kuhnau, Complete Works for Keyboard(2016), edited by Norbert Müllemann, with preface and critical commentary,
G. Henle Verlag
G. Henle Verlag is a German music publishing house specialising in Urtext editions of classical music. The catalogue includes works by composers from different epochs periods, in particular composers from the Baroque to the early twentieth cent ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuhnau, Johann
1660 births
1722 deaths
German Baroque composers
German classical composers
German male classical composers
People from the Electorate of Saxony
Thomaskantors
German music theorists
People educated at the Kreuzschule
18th-century classical composers
18th-century German composers
18th-century German male musicians