Johan Agrell

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Johan Agrell

Johan Joachim Agrell (born February 1, 1701 in Löth in Östergötland , † January 19, 1765 in Nuremberg ) was a Swedish composer and conductor .

Life

The son of a pastor received his first musical training during his studies in Uppsala. Around 1723 he was appointed violinist and harpsichordist in the chapel of Prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel , the brother of the then Swedish King Friedrich I of Hesse-Kassel . He ran an elaborate court at Jesberg Castle near Kassel. There Agrell met Pietro Locatelli and Jean-Marie Leclair, among others, Johann Sebastian Bach . Due to the increasing financial difficulties of his employer, he was also repeatedly active in the court orchestra in Kassel . In 1746 Agrell was named "Director Chori Musici", d. H. appointed head of the council music ("music choir"), the Free and Imperial City of Nuremberg. Here, in addition to leading the council music and the choir of the Frauenkirche at regular concerts and on festive occasions, his duties included the composition of all kinds of occasional music. In Nuremberg he also met the later publisher of his works, Johann Ulrich Hafner. Agrell worked for almost twenty years in the position of music director of the imperial city until his death.

Agrell is stylistically assigned to the baroque . His surviving works mainly include instrumental music, which was very popular at the time due to its pleasant, not too demanding music-making. Works by him can be found in music libraries from Sweden to England to southern Germany. In 1738 Antonio Vivaldi performed one of his symphonies in Amsterdam. Agrell's vocal works, which were originally abundant, are probably lost for good. In his early years, Agrell's music was strongly oriented towards the then modern Italian music, especially Antonio Vivaldi. Later, like Telemann for example , he increasingly included elements of the pre-classical period, especially the Mannheim School , in his music. Agrell made an important contribution to the development of the so-called "bourgeois piano concerto" and to the replacement of the symphony from the opera and its development towards an independent form of music.

Works (selection)

  • Concerti a harpsichord obligato with strings (F- D- D- A- A- B- D- major)
  • Concerti a harpsichord obligato, traverso e violino concertato with strings op.4 (A major, G major; B minor)
  • Oboe Concerto in B flat major
  • Concerto for flute and harpsichord in B major
  • 6 Sinfonias op. 1, published by Haffner in Nuremberg in 1746 I D major II C major III A major IV B major V G major VI F major OCLC 552293224
  • 6 sonatas for 2 flutes, op.2
  • 6 trio sonatas for 2 flutes and bass, op.3
  • 6 sonatas for harpsichord solo, Nuremberg and London 1748
  • Concerto for violin and orchestra in D major
  • Symphonies in A major, D major, B flat minor, B flat major, etc. a.

literature

  • Arrey von Dommer:  Agrell, Johann . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 1, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1875, p. 142.
  • Wilibald Gurlitt , Carl Dahlhaus (editor): Riemann Musik-Lexikon. In three volumes and two supplementary volumes. Agrell, Johan. 12th completely revised edition. 1. Personal section A – KB Schotts-Söhne, Mainz 1959, p. 12 (first edition: 1882).
  • Wilibald Gurlitt , Carl Dahlhaus (editor): Riemann Musik-Lexikon. In three volumes and two supplementary volumes. Agrell, Johan. 12th completely revised edition. 4. Supplementary volume, personal section A – KB Schotts-Söhne, Mainz 1972, p. 8 (first edition: 1882).

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Agrell, Johan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Agrell, Johan Joachim (full name); Agrelli, Giovanni
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swedish composer and conductor
DATE OF BIRTH February 1, 1701
PLACE OF BIRTH Löth , Östergötland
DATE OF DEATH January 19, 1765
Place of death Nuremberg