Johann Peter Kellner

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Johann Peter Kellner (born September 24 , 28 or 29 (the date is not certain) 1705 in Graefenroda , Saxony-Gotha (in today's Thuringia ); † April 19, 1772 there ) was a German composer and organist .

Life

He was the oldest of five children of Peter Kellner, a carbon black dealer , and Margaretha Kellner, nee. Wuckel. His first teacher was the Graefenröder school servant (schoolmaster) and organist Peter Nagel. From 1723 to 1724 he received lessons from the organist Johann Jacob Schmidt in Zella . He stayed for another year in Suhl , where he received composition lessons from Hieronymus Florentinus Quehl , cantor at the main church St. Marien in Suhl. It is a widespread opinion that Kellner was also a student of Johann Sebastian Bach , but it was never claimed by himself and so far it has not been supported by sources. From 1725 to 1727 Kellner was a school servant and organist in Frankenhain, from 1727 until his death he was a school servant, cantor and organist at the church of St. Laurentius in his home village of Graefenroda. He enjoyed a considerable reputation as an organist and teacher, which earned him a large number of students, the most famous of whom was Johann Philipp Kirnberger . Other students were u. a. Johannes Ringk , the narrator of BWV 565 and later organist at St. Marien in Berlin, his son, the composer Johann Christoph Kellner (1736–1803) and his older brother, the Gotha court organist and composer Johann Andreas Kellner (1724–1785).

It has recently been assumed that the famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565 could come from Johann Peter Kellner or from his circle. The texture, which points more towards the middle of the 18th century, and the fact that large C sharp is required, which was hardly available on the organs of the early 18th century, speak against Bach's early work. Kellner is of great importance for the tradition of Bach's music. Numerous copies have been made by him or his students. Some works (e.g. Prelude and Fugue in E minor BWV 548) would not have been preserved without his work as a copyist.

In 1754, Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg published his autobiography in the historically critical articles. Another version in Brückner, "Churches and Schools State in the Duchy of Gotha". A third, handwritten one is in the Landeskirchenarchiv Eisenach.

Kellner died at his birthplace, a month before the birth of his daughter Dorothea Wilhelmine.

plant

Johann Peter Kellner wrote mainly for piano and organ. In addition, a large number of cantatas have survived, although the distinction to those of his son Johann Christoph cannot always be made unequivocally.

A detailed catalog of works can be found in Claus, “JP Kellner, Studies on Life and Work”.

literature

CD recordings

  • Johann Peter Kellner: Church cantatas. Cantus Thuringia and Capella Thuringia, direction: Bernhard Klapprott , with Anna Kellnhofer, Christoph Dittmar, Mirko Ludwig, Ralf Grobe. Label: cpo, audio CD 2017

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Rolf Dietrich Claus: On the authenticity of Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565. 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Dohr, Cologne-Rheinkassel 1998, ISBN 3-925366-55-5 , p. 116. See the detailed documentation this discussion .
  2. ↑ Hartmut Ellrich , Theophil Heinke, Karsten Hoerenz: Between Hörsel and Wilder Gera. The churches of the superintendent in Waltershausen-Ohrdruf. Wartburg-Verlag, Weimar 2005, ISBN 3-86160-167-2 .
personal data
SURNAME Waiter, Johann Peter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German organist and composer
DATE OF BIRTH September 24, 1705 or September 28, 1705 or September 29, 1705
PLACE OF BIRTH Graefenroda
DATE OF DEATH April 19, 1772
Place of death Graefenroda