Tuesday, April 6, 2021

April 6 - Johann Kuhnau (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

 

Previous posts for April 6th may be found here: André Previn (2019) and Gheorghe Zamfir (2020).

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Johann Kuhnau (6 April 1660 – 5 June 1722) was a German composer and Bach's predecessor at Liepzig. He was also active as a novelist, translator, lawyer, and music theorist.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s Been Odder 

Dissertation Fodder

 

Much of Kuhnau's vocal music is lost, including an opera (Orpheus), a setting of the Passion according to St. Mark (Markus-Passion), a three-choir Te Deum, and at least two settings of the mass. --Wikipedia


His secular vocal music is not extant. - Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (8th ed.)


14 Messen und andere liturgische Formen, davon 6 verschollen; 87 geistliche Kantaten mit gesicherter Autorschaft Kuhnaus, davon mehr als die Hälfte verschollen - from Kuhnau's work list in German Wikipedia

Of the works of Johann Kuhnau

We are missing quite a few now.

No one knows if someone lost them,

Or maybe his successors tossed them.


Most of us don’t really care now

That his manuscripts aren’t there now,

But somewhere there’s an eager scholar

Who would give their bottom dollar

If the Kuhnau clan had cached them

Before the march of time had trashed them.


Alas, Eternity is ruthless

And his progeny were toothless.

 

 

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