Carl Christian Agthe

Carl Christian Agthe (born June 16, 1762 in Hettstedt ; † November 27, 1797 in Ballenstedt ) was a German composer and organist .

Life

Coming from a family of musicians, he took up the post of court organist and court conductor at the court of the Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg in 1782 . The then Prince Friedrich Albrecht zu Anhalt-Bernburg became his musical patron. After the court had moved to Ballenstedt, he followed and resumed his previous offices. A court theater was established in his new place of work in 1787 . Agthe was responsible for numerous works that were performed there. He worked at the Ducal Court Theater until his death at the age of 35.

Agthe was a prolific composer. His compositional work includes primarily operas , dramas , concerts, libretti and songs . He mainly set songs and poems by important poets of classical German literature to music . Some of his works were destroyed in the Second World War .

His son was the composer Wilhelm Agthe .

Works

For the stage

• Erwin and Elmire , Singspiel. Text: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe . First performance: 1776 Reval, Schauspielhaus. 1790 Ballenstedt, castle theater
• Acontius and Cidippe , Singspiel. Libretto: Bober, based on Ovid. First performance: 1777 Reval, Schauspielhaus
• The milkmaid , Singspiel. First performance: 1777 Reval. 1782 Ballenstedt
• Martin Velten , Komische Oper 3 acts. 1778 Reval, theater in the guild house
• Philemon and Baucis , Ballet Divertissement. First performance 1778 Reval. 1791 Ballenstedt
• The barber in the country , comic opera 3 acts. First performance: 1779 St. Petersburg
• The Knights of the Mirror , Opera 3 acts. Text: August von Kotzebue . First performance: 1795 Ballenstedt
• The white islands , opera. Not listed
• Mehala, the daughter of Jephta , musical drama. Performance dates unknown

Songs

• Wilted, tired of the anxious life (Text: Ribbeck)
• Oh, my heart is so heavy (Text: Stolberg)
• You young women (romance) (Text: Philippine Gatterer )
• Haven't you measured love too (Text: Gottfried August Bürger )
• Holder Mai, the lambs jump (Text: Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim )
• I see with pain (Text: Stolberg)
• Farewell until we meet again (Text: Friedrich Schlegel )
• It hurts so much in my heart (Text: Gottfried August Bürger)
• Nothing can give me joy (The girl in love) (Text: Philippine Gatterer)
• Kindly close my eyelids (To sleep) (Text: Philippine Gatterer)
• Already the kindness of the approaching spring (Minna to her beloved) (Text: Philippine Gatterer)
• It's nice when the brown chasm (Selino and Alcinna) (Text: Philippine Gatterer)
• Drinking song in May (Text: Ludwig Christoph Heinrich Hölty )
• When the wedding torch burns (Text: Ludwig Andreas Gotter )
• How blessed is he who has his love (Text: Gottfried August Bürger)

Other works

• The children's symphony , for orchestra and children's instruments
• Songs of easy and flowing singing for the piano. Ballenstedt 1782 ( LLB Detmold )
• The morning, noon, evening and night: from Professor Sander as an extract for singing on the piano. Ballenstedt 1784 ( LLB Detmold )

literature

• Arrey von Dommer:  Agthe, Karl Christian . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 1, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1875, p. 158.
• Georg Faulhaber: Carl Christian Agthe. Wernigerode 1962, OCLC 250463854 .
• Thomas Radecke: Carl Christian Agthe (1762–1797): Musician at the Ballenstedter Hof (= cultural historical writings Ballenstedt; 2). City administration, Ballenstedt 1995, DNB 956506755 .
• Thomas Radecke:  Agthe, Carl Christian. In: Ludwig Finscher (Hrsg.): The music in past and present . Second edition, personal section, volume 1 (Aagard - Baez). Bärenreiter / Metzler, Kassel et al. 1999, ISBN 3-7618-1111-X , Sp. 230-231 ( online edition , subscription required for full access)
• Frank Rebitschek: Agthe - The Mozart from the Mansfelder Land. Norderstedt 2016, ISBN 978-3-8370-0323-9 .
• Frank Rebitschek: Agthe - the postman is not to blame . Norderstedt 2016, ISBN 978-3-7412-0949-9
• Helmut Scheunchen: Lexicon of German Baltic Music. Harro von Hirschheydt publishing house, Wedemark-Elze 2002. ISBN 3-7777-0730-9 . P. 24f.

Web links

• Works by and about Carl Christian Agthe in the catalog of the German National Library
• Works by and about Carl Christian Agthe  in the German Digital Library
• Sheet music and audio files by Carl Christian Agthe in the International Music Score Library Project