Christian Heinrich Aschenbrenner

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Christian Heinrich Aschenbrenner († December 13, 1732 in Jena ) was a German composer and violinist .

Life

Aschenbrenner studied with Johann Theile in 1668 and went to Vienna in 1676 , where he perfected himself as a composer and violinist with Johann Heinrich Schmelzer . In 1677 he became a violinist in the court orchestra of Duke Moritz von Sachsen-Zeitz . When this was dissolved four years later after the Duke's death, through Johann Rosenmüller's mediation he found a job in Wolfenbüttel's services with Duke Anton Ulrich . But because of Rosenmüller's death, the plans to redesign the chapel there were provisionally broken, so that Aschenbrenner was again without a permanent position. In 1683 he came to the Merseburg court orchestra as the first violinist and in 1695 entered Zeitzische's service for the second time under Duke Moritz Wilhelm , this time as music director.

In the meantime he went on art trips and gained a widespread reputation, for example he played in Vienna in 1692 in front of the Emperor Leopold , to whom he also presented 6 violin sonatas, received a rich gift from him and repeated his visit to Vienna in 1703. There he reported over a concert led by him with the trombone virtuoso Johann Georg Christian and the tenor Buzzolini: "... and he can truthfully assure that he has never heard anything more pleasant" .

Whether Aschenbrenner led the orchestra in the opera house in front of the Salztor in Naumburg, which was founded in 1703 , or played in it is not documented, but it is obvious, since Naumburg was in the Duchy of Saxony-Zeitz at the time .

In 1713 he became Kapellmeister in Merseburg under Moritz Wilhelm, but at the same time remained in Zeitzisch service, with the condition that he played there on special occasions or led musical performances. In Merseburg he was on the first inspection commission for the new cathedral organ in 1713 (together with the court organist Georg Friedrich Kauffmann ; the second inspection commission consisted of the Altenburg court organist Gottfried Ernstorder and the organ builder Johann Friedrich Wender from Mühlhausen). In this function he certified the uselessness of the organ (which was later perfected by Friedrich Ladegast ).

For unknown reasons he left the Merseburg court in 1719 and retired to Jena with a meager pension. Most of his works have been lost.

In older literature, the violinist Christian Heinrich Aschenbrenner is seen as the son of the Stettin council musician and former Wolfenbüttel musician Heinrich Aschenbrenner, born in 1654. According to recent research, however, it is said to be about two different people of the same name, who was buried in Stettin in 1695 as the “Royal Castle and Abbey Musician”.

Works (selection)

  • Guest and wedding joy, consisting of sonatas, preludes, Allemanden, Couranten, ballets, arias, Sarabante . 3-6 voc. BC, 1673, 1675 and 1676. (lost).
  • The soul of Christ sanctify me . Cantata for solos (SATB), four strings (three violas and violon) and basso continuo.
  • O Jesus sweet who thinks of you . Cantata in B flat major, three strings, basso continuo.

literature

Footnotes

  1. ^ Ernst Ludwig Gerber: New historical-biographical lexicon of the Tonkünstler. First part: AD. Leipzig 1812, p. 715.
  2. ↑ merseburger-orgeltage.de ( Memento from October 15, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ^ Burkhardt Köhler: Musicians and instrument makers in Pomerania until 1800, personal dictionary, 2nd, revised edition. With location and occupational register (= studies in musicology. Volume 50.) Verlag Dr. Kovač, Hamburg 2020, ISBN 978-3-339-11614-7 , p. 8.
personal data
SURNAME Aschenbrenner, Christian Heinrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German composer and violinist
DATE OF BIRTH 17th century or 18th century
DATE OF DEATH December 13, 1732
Place of death Jena