Johannes Becker (musician)

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Johannes Becker (born September 1, 1726 in Epterode ; † July 1, 1804 in Kassel ) was a German organist and church musician. He shaped church music in the Electorate of Hesse .

Life

Ev. Epterode Church

No information is available about the years of children and adolescents, especially school and training. Since the schoolmasters of the 18th century were probably the organist in Epterode too, it can be assumed that Becker was inspired to play the organ on the church organ in Epterode when he was a child. The maternal grandfather worked as a minstrel , as did Nicolaus, the mother's brother and her stepbrother Johannes.

Regarding his musical education, Becker stated after Strieder that he had already received lessons in music from various masters in his early years, most recently from the famous chamber musician Süs in Cassel . Carspecken reports on this. Afterwards he is said to have been sent to Italy by the Landgrave (probably Wilhelm VIII) for further training and then to have gone on concert tours as an organist . Basically, the training of the organists took place until the establishment of the country school teacher seminar at the Friedrichsgymnasium in Kassel by Landgrave Friedrich II , but from 1783 onwards by teaching the organists to individual interested students.

Teaching and organizing activities

According to Becker, he came to school in Harmuthsachsen at the age of 23 in 1749 , where he was only 9 months until August 1750 . In addition to his work as a teacher, he was also an organist here. From Harmuthsachsen he went to (Kassel) - Bettenhausen and took over the school and organist position there. Here he met his future wife, the youngest daughter of Andreas Becker, "manorial papermaker in the paper mill at Messingshoff ", Annen Margarethen, whom he married on January 20, 1752 in Kassel-Bettenhausen.

1759–1764 he was a teacher in the German class of the city school or the now Lyceo in Cassel . In 1761 he was given a position as city organist at St. Martin's and Old Town Churches , where, as a result of a special commission, he has been responsible for church music with his own compositions and an appropriate arrangement since 1768. In 1763, as city organist, he drafted a disposition for the organ of the Catholic palace chapel.

In 1764 he became princely page, typist and arithmetic master for a low annual salary of 60 rt . In 1766 he was writing and arithmetic master at the Collegio Carolino . In 1767 the large organ in the Martinskirche was repaired under his supervision and the prospectus was changed, as were the organs in the Old Town and Brethren Church in the years 1768–1769.

parents

Baptism entry Jhs. Becker

His father was the schoolmaster Johannes Becker (born July 14, 1687 (err.), Place of birth unknown), who lived in Epterode and died there on November 14, 1773. Johannes Becker married Dorothea Elisabetha Fülgrabe (also Füllgraf or Vollgrabe) in Epterode on December 4, 1724, who was born around June 16, 1702 in the same place and probably died in Kassel in 1773. In addition to their son Johannes Becker, they had a second child. Dorothea Elisabeth, born on January 31, 1736 in Epterode, died early on June 18, 1741, also in Epterode.

Wives

? Anna Margaretha Becker, born June 19, 1736 (err.) In Bettenhausen, † June 26, 1810 Bettenhausen, evang., Daughter of Andreas Becker (1714–1747), papermaker in Bettenhausen, paper mill at Messinghoff , year of birth not known, annexed. 1717 BC Upper auditorium moved, † June 20, 1747 in Bettenhausen,? January 3, 1726 in Bettenhausen with Johanna Magdalene von Dorn, year and place of birth not known, † July 6, 1762 Bettenhausen.

children

  1. Johannes, born November 18, 1752, twins, † November 1752.
  2. George, born November 18, 1752, † November 1752.
  3. Heinrich (?), * Around 1761, imm. Marburg on October 22, 1779 as Casselis Hassus.

Timetable

  • 1768: Order of new compositions for Protestant church music in the castle.
  • 1769/1770: Creation of a new reformed hymn book with 35 own melodies.
  • 1770: Appointment as court organist, instrumentalist for all stately instruments and appointment to the annual salary of 250 thalers. In certain cases he had to be with the Prince. Chamber Music took the position of Kapellmeister , and when he was retired, he had the accompaniment with the grand piano all by himself in chamber music, in Italian and French operas and operettas, until the whole orchestra ceased with the death of Landgrave Frederick II .
Choral book from 1771
  • 1771: Draft of a disposition for the new organ of the Untereustädter Church . At that time, Becker was the organist of the court community , the Reformed Palace Church in Kassel . After Hocke , only six copies of this chorale book were known so far. Two of them are in the British Museum in London, the other four are in different German libraries, but not a single one was in Kurhessen! The seventh known specimen was found by chance in the Harmuthsachsen rectory. Another copy of this four-part [lost] chorale book was still in the church of Epterode according to the inventory of the caste invoice 1805.
  • 1772: Appointment as organ auditor of the consistory in Kassel (new function in the Hessian organ maintenance department).
  • 1773: Creation of an instruction for the organists, especially in the country, how they have to tract the organs and also take care of their maintenance and tuning .
  • 1774: Preparation of a disposition for the new organ in the Catholic chapel on Friedrichsplatz.
  • 1778: Creation of two compositions for the water organ works by Friedrich II on the Carlsberg and a marching composition for the princely harp clock .
  • In 1785 the court orchestra was dissolved , but Becker was still a court organist in 1786 .
  • 1786 piano lessons for a few months with the princesses Friderike and Caroline von Hessen-Cassel.
  • 1787–1815 no organists are given. Becker was still on duty.
  • 1796: Appraisal of the very bad organ in Großalmerode . In it he explains that the proposed rollover (suggestion) by the organ maker Hansen would not be met with much approval and should not be followed. Instead, he suggests having the organ builder Wilhelm investigate the whole thing right here .
  • 1800: Appointment as music director .

Just at the age of 74 he was graciously appointed music director, Conrad Manufacturing , a long-time student of Becker, applied for free support out of gratitude to his former teacher ; however - as noted in an official margin note - with the hope of a successor . There are some indications that the manufacturer's application was made in agreement with Becker, who then, after being asked to comment on November 27, 1800, stated, among other things: ... I am subordinate to the first point that I was 3 months ago, my 74th year I have decided, however much I can do to fulfill my obligations, whether I feel the burden of old age and therefore wish to have the manufacturer as adjunctus. Wilhelm Wiffel , a retired court musician, also applies with the following words: Since the court organist Becker is now an old and very weak man - and who has been able to hold this position for longer without an assistant. So I have Ewr. [Your] Hochfürstl. Let me ask you in the deepest submission: to give me the adjunction cum spehuccendendi to the court organist position. After Hocke and Strieder, Becker's pupils were also the Kassel opera composer Georg Christoph Grosheim (1774–1841) and Christian Kalkbrenner (1755–1806), who was known for Beethoven and valued by him .

  • 1804: Manufacture who has the function of an adjung. Court organist , he only performed this service for almost four years, because on July 1, 1804, on behalf of the widow who had been left behind , he informed the Electoral Court-Marshal's Office: Since the music director Becker left this morning between 6 and 7 a.m. with death, so I did not want to fail to report such submissively. Just two days later, Prince-Elector Wilhelm named Conrad Manufacturing as his successor.

Web links

Commons : Johannes Becker  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Friedrich Wilhelm Strieder: Basis for a Hessian Scholar and Writer History, 1781–1863, 7, p. 19.
  2. ↑ Ferdinand Carspecken, Five Hundred Years of Kassel Organs - A Contribution to the Culture and Art History of the City of Kassel, 1968, p. 36 f.
  3. ↑ Carspecken, Five Hundred Years of Kassel Orgeln, p. 113.
  4. ^ Rolf Hocke: Choral book finds in Harmuthsachsen and Germerode. In: Eschweger Geschichtsblätter 1997, 8, p. 59.
  5. ↑ OFB Bettenhausen, Fam.-Bl. 217 (Commun. Holger Zierdt on July 14, 2001).
  6. ^ Strieder, Scholars and Writers History, p. 19 f.
  7. ↑ a b c Strieder, Scholars and Writers History, p. 20.
  8. ↑ a b c Carspecken, Five Hundred Years of Kassel Orgeln, p. 36 f.
  9. ↑ a b c d StAM 4b, No. 421 (Court organist position 1770–1804; ad Num. 199 Ad Serenissimum Cassell, May 4th 1770).
  10. ↑ a b Carspecken, Five Hundred Years of Kassel Orgeln, p. 68.
  11. ↑ OFB Bettenhausen, as note 6, p. 215.
  12. ^ Wilm Sippel: Data on the North Hessian leadership class. In: Research reports Stiftung Sippel, 1987, 16, p. 193.
  13. ↑ Carspecken, Five Hundred Years of Kassel Orgeln, p. 36.
  14. ↑ a b Strieder, Scholars and Writers History, p. 21.
  15. ↑ Strieder, Scholars and Writers History, p. 22.
  16. ^ Hermann Nobel: Hofkapellmeister Johannes Becker 275 years - An Epteröder makes music history. In: HFK 26/1, 2000, 46.
  17. ↑ Carspecken, Five hundred years Kassel organs, p.36 f., F 121st
  18. ↑ a b Eckhard Trinkaus: Organs and Organ Builders in the former Ziegenhain District (Hesse) (=  publications of the Historical Commission for Hesse . Volume 43 ). Elwert, Marburg 1981, ISBN 3-7708-0713-8 , pp. 6 f .
  19. ↑ StAM 5 Hess. Go Council 10 777.
  20. ↑ Collective Princely Hess. State regulations and tenders, Vol. 6, 1760–1785, pp. 701–705.
  21. ↑ Carspecken, Five Hundred Years of Kassel Orgeln, p. 22.
  22. ↑ Carspecken, Five Hundred Years of Kassel Orgeln, p. 23.
  23. ↑ StAM 300 E 12 No. 3: Description d. Gardens of Weißenstein, 1777 [ Pieces de Musique que joue l'Orgue organis par le mouvement de l'Eau ; here: No. 3. Air de Polypheme and No. 6. Clir avec Variation ].
  24. ↑ StAM 315e, III.1a, Spec. Catalog. 1, Vol. I, III.2.
  25. ↑ Hocke, Choralbuchfunde, p. 59.
  26. ↑ Hocke, Choralbuchfunde, p. 59 f.
  27. ↑ Strieder, Scholars and Writers History, p. 19 ff.
personal data
SURNAME Becker, Johannes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German organist and church musician
DATE OF BIRTH September 1, 1726
PLACE OF BIRTH Epterode
DATE OF DEATH July 1, 1804
Place of death kassel