Johann Christian Kittel

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Johann Christian Kittel

Johann Christian Kittel (baptized February 18, 1732 in Erfurt ; † April 17, 1809 there ) was a German organist and composer .

Life

Johann Christian Kittel came from a Protestant family. He spent his school days at a preacher's school, later at the Ratsgymnasium Erfurt . A possible later musical training with Jakob Adlung in Erfurt is undocumented. At the age of 16 he went to Leipzig to study with Johann Sebastian Bach . This employed him several times as his companion at performances. After Bach's death, Kittel held the position of organist and teacher at a girls' school in Langensalza . In 1756 he was appointed organist at the Barfüßerkirche in Erfurt, where he worked for six years. He then took the position of organist at the Predigerkirche , succeeding Johann Pachelbel , Johann Heinrich Buttstedt and possibly his former teacher Adlung.

As one of the last students of Bach, he achieved a high reputation and taught many students in the Bach tradition. Admirers of his organ playing were among others Goethe , Johann Gottfried von Herder and Christoph Martin Wieland .

In 1800 Kittel went on a concert tour to Hamburg , where he settled down for a short time while studying for his New Choral Book for Schleswig-Holstein .

His most important students are Johann Wilhelm Häßler , Karl Gottlieb Umbreit , Christian Heinrich Rinck and Michael Gotthard Fischer . The latter succeeded Kittel as organist in Erfurt.

The importance of Johann Christian Kittel can be seen above all in the maintenance and transmission of the tradition of Bach and his works, especially since he is also considered to be his “last pupil”. He placed particular emphasis on the musical design of the service and the role of the organ. He applied his musical ambition primarily to the elaboration of playable organ music. In this context, a three-volume textbook on organ playing was created, which was one of the most outstanding works of this kind at the time.

Johann Christian Kittel's compositions show suggestions from Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , whom he personally admired.

Works (selection)

  • The budding practical organist. Erfurt 1801, 1803, 1808.
  • Four-part chorales with preludes. Altona 1803 ( digitized version )

literature

Web links

Commons : Johann Christian Kittel  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Kittel, Johann Christian
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kittel, Johann Christian Leberecht
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German organist and composer
DATE OF BIRTH baptized February 18, 1732
PLACE OF BIRTH Erfurt
DATE OF DEATH April 17, 1809
Place of death Erfurt