Georg Friedrich Kauffmann

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Georg (e) Friedrich Kauffmann (* February 14th July / February 24th  1679 greg. In Ostramondra ; † February 27th 1735 in Merseburg ) was a German organist and composer of the Baroque era .

Life

Training and professional positions

Kauffmann received his first organ lessons from Johann Heinrich Buttstedt in Erfurt and then continued his studies with Johann Friedrich Alberti in Merseburg, from whom he also received lessons in composition .

As Alberti 1698 a stroke suffered, as a result, his right hand was paralyzed, took Kauffmann as his substitute the organ service and, after Alberti's death in 1710 for the princely Saxon-merseburgischen appointed Court and Cathedral organist and finally as director of the entire church music and court music director appointed .

Through copies of his works, Kauffmann quickly became known as a composer beyond the Merseburg area, so his music was also played in Halle and Leipzig and the University of Leipzig decided to choose Kauffmann as an expert to assess the newly built organ of the Paulinerkirche .

Application for the position of Thomaskantor

In the autumn of 1722, Kauffmann, along with Christoph Graupner and Johann Sebastian Bach, was one of the seven applicants to succeed Johann Kuhnau as Thomaskantor in Leipzig .

According to a report by the Hollsteinischer Correspondent from Hamburg on December 8, 1722, Kauffmann conducted his rehearsal cantata on November 29, 1722, the first Sunday in Advent. Because his competitors Graupner and Bach had been granted two cantatas each , the Leipzig city ​​council also allowed him to perform another test performance at his request.

Ultimately, however, Kauffmann renounced his application in favor of Graupner and since Graupner had to refuse the appointment as Thomaskantor at the behest of his employer, Landgrave Ernst Ludwig von Hessen-Darmstadt, Bach finally became the new Thomaskantor in 1723.

"Harmonious lust for the soul"

From 1733 onwards, Kauffmann published Harmonische Seelenlust on a subscription basis , the first printed collection of chorale preludes for organ since Samuel Scheidt's Tabulatura Nova (1624). This collection was supposed to contain all of Kauffmann's chorale adaptations, but Kauffmann died of consumption before the entire edition was published and his widow continued the publication until 1736. This seems to be the reason why there are also some pieces by Johann Gottfried Walther and Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow in the later editions .

Overall, see the harmonics Seelenlust 66 basso - chorales and 98 chorale preludes.

Since Kauffmann had provided many of the pieces with register information based on the disposition of the Merseburg cathedral organ, which had been rebuilt during his time in office , an insight into the registration practice of the time is possible. There are also tempo indications and decoration suggestions from Kauffmann's hand.

Works (selection)

  • The Ascension of Christ ( Oratory )
  • The love of God is poured out (cantata for Pentecost)
  • Come, you joyful spirit (cantata for the 2nd day of Pentecost)
  • Not us, Lord, but your name give honor (cantata)
  • Undaunted, oppressed heart (solo cantata for the 11th Sunday after Trinity)
  • Introduzione alla Musica antica & moderna (1725, print-ready, unpublished and later lost manuscript of a theoretical work)

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Kauffmann, Georg Friedrich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kauffmann, George Friedrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German composer of the baroque
DATE OF BIRTH February 24, 1679
PLACE OF BIRTH Ostramondra
DATE OF DEATH February 27, 1735
Place of death Merseburg