Christoph Graupner
Christoph Graupner | |
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Born | 23 January [O.S. 13 January] 1683 |
Died | 25 June 1767 | (aged 86)
Education | Leipzig University |
Occupations |
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Organizations | court of Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt |
Works | |
Signature | |
Christoph Graupner (23 January [O.S. 13 January] 1683 – 10 May 1760) was a German composer and harpsichordist of late Baroque music who was a contemporary of Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Philipp Telemann and George Frideric Handel.
Life
Born in
In 1705, Graupner left Leipzig to play the harpsichord in the orchestra of the Oper am Gänsemarkt in Hamburg under the direction of Reinhard Keiser, alongside George Frideric Handel, then a young violinist. In addition to playing the harpsichord, Graupner composed six operas in Hamburg, some of them in collaboration with Keiser, a popular composer of operas in Germany.
In 1709, Graupner accepted a post at the court of
Graupner and Bach
Graupner inadvertently played a key role in the history of music. Precarious finances in Darmstadt during the 1710s forced a reduction of musical life. The opera house was closed, and many court musicians' salaries were in arrears (including Graupner's). After many attempts to have his salary paid, and having several children and a wife to support, in late 1722 Graupner applied for the Cantorate in Leipzig. Telemann had been the first choice for this position, but withdrew after securing a salary increase in Hamburg. Graupner, under the guise of a family-related trip, travelled to Leipzig and presented there a Magnificat (GWV 1172/22) set in the style of his teacher, mentor and former holder of the Leipzig Cantorate, Kuhnau.[1] On 17 January 1723 Graupner's audition, in which he presented the cantatas Aus der Tiefen rufen wir (GWV 1113/23a) and Lobet den Herrn alle Heiden (GWV 1113/23b), took place. His performance was sufficient to secure him the position and three days later the Leipzig council wrote to Graupner's patron (the Landgrave Ernst Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt) to request that he be released.[1] However, Ernst Ludwig insisted on Graupner remaining in Darmstadt. In a subsequent settlement Graupner's past due salary was paid in full, his salary was increased; and he would be kept on staff even if his Kapelle was dismissed. With Graupner out of the running for the Cantorate in Leipzig, the next candidate to audition (on 7 February 1723), one Johann Sebastian Bach, was awarded the position.
After hearing that Bach was the choice for Leipzig, on 4 May 1723 Graupner graciously wrote to the city council in Leipzig assuring them that Bach "is a musician just as strong on the organ as he is expert in church works and capelle pieces" and a man who "will honestly and properly perform the functions entrusted to him."[2]
Graupner's opus and modern editions
Graupner was hardworking and prolific. There are about 2,000 surviving works in his catalog, including 113
Graupner wrote for exotic combinations of instruments, including the
Obscurity
After he died, Graupner's works fell into obscurity for a number of reasons. His manuscripts became the object of a long legal battle between his heirs and the rulers of
As critic David Vernier has summed up, Graupner is "one of those unfortunate victims of fate and circumstance – a contemporary of Bach, Handel, Telemann, etc., who has remained largely – and unfairly – neglected."[5]
Rediscovery
Graupner's music is enjoying a revival, due in large part to the research efforts of many
Beginning in the early 20th century, research began with
Despite all this research, there were relatively few recordings available to the general public. This changed in 1998, when
In 2021 Brilliant Classics issued a 14-CD set of Graupner's complete harpsichord music, performed by Fernando De Luca.
In April 2005, a thematic catalog of Graupner's instrumental music (Oswald Bill and Christoph Grosspietsch, editors) was published by Carus-Verlag. There are plans to catalog Graupner's vocal music. In 2010, Belgian conductor and musicologist Florian Heyerick published an online and searchable digital GWV of the instrumental and vocal works.[8]
Works
- List of church cantatas by Christoph Graupner
- List of chamber pieces by Christoph Graupner
- List of concertos by Christoph Graupner
- List of harpsichord pieces by Christoph Graupner
- List of orchestral suites by Christoph Graupner
- List of symphonies by Christoph Graupner
Operas
- Dido, Königin von Carthago (singspiel, 1707)
- Il fido amico, oder Der getreue Freund Hercules und Theseus (1708)
- L'amore ammalato, Die kränkende Liebe, oder Antiochus und Stratonica (1708)
- Bellerophon (1708)
- Der Fall des grossen Richters in Israel (1709)
- unnamed opera (1709)
- Berenice und Lucilla (1710)
- Telemach (1711)
- La costanza vince l'inganno (1715)
- Adone (1719)
Selected discography
Instrumental music
- Graupner: Cantate, Sonate, Ouverture. Performed by Hélène Plouffe, Geneviève Soly, Chantal Rémillard, Isabelle Bozzini, Ingrid Schmithüsen and L'Ensemble des Idées Heureuses conducted by Geneviève Soly (Analekta 23180)
- Graupner: Chalumeax - Concertos, Ouvertures & Sonatas. Ars Antiqua Austria, Gunar Letzbor; Performed on historically reproduced instruments. (Challenge Classics CC72539).
- Graupner: Orchestral Works. Nova Stravaganza. Siegbert Rampe conductor (MD+G Gold 34111212)
- Graupner: Ouvertures GWV 420 & 421. Antichi Strumenti (Stradivarius 3661472)
- Graupner: Ouverture, Trio, Sinfonia. Nova Stravaganza. Siegbert Rampe conductor. (MD+G Gold 3411252)
- Graupner: Partitas For Harpsichord, Vol 1–6. Performed by Geneviève Soly (Analekta 23109, 23164 23181, 29116, 29118, 29119)
- Various: Virtuoso Timpani Concertos. Dresden Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. Alexander Peter conductor. (Naxos 8557610)
Mixed programs
- Graupner: Instrumental And Vocal Music. Performed by Ingrid Schmithüsen, Mathieu Lussier, Hélène Plouffe, Geneviève Soly and L'Ensemble des Idées Heureuses conducted by Geneviève Soly (Analekta 23162)
- Graupner: Ouvertures and cantata. Das kleine Konzert. Hermann Max conductor. (CPO 999592)
Vocal music
Cantatas
- Graupner: Christmas cantatas. Das Kleine Konzert, Hermann Max CPO
- Graupner: Ein Weihnachtsoratorium, 9 Christmas Cantatas (2 CD, Ricercar 307,[9] 2010), Florian Heyerick, Ex Tempore, Mannheimer Hofkapelle
- Graupner: Epiphany Cantatas Was Gott thut, das ist wohl gethan, er ist mein Licht, GWV 1114/43; Erwacht, ihr Heyden, GWV 1111/34; Die Waßer Wogen im Meer sind groß, GWV 1115/35; Was Gott thut, das ist wohl gethan, es bleibt gerecht sein Wille, GWV 1114/30; Gott, der Herr, ist Sonne und Schild, GWV 1114/54. (bass), Kirchheimer BachConsort, Sirkka-Liisa Kaakinen-Pilch (conductor) (CPO 555 146–2, 2017).
- Graupner: Passion cantatas. "Wo gehet Jesus hin" Anton-Webern-Chor Freiburg, Ensemble Concerto grosso, Hans Michael Beuerle. Carus Verlag.
- Graupner: Solo- und Dialog Cantatas Jesus ist und bleibt mein Leben GWV 1107/12; Gott ist für uns gestorben GWV 1152/16; Siehe, selig ist der Mensch, den Gott strafet GWV 1162/09; Diese Zeit ist ein Spiel der Eitelkeit GWV 1165/09; Süßes Ende aller Schmerzen GWV 1166/20 . Mit Marie-Luise Werneburg (soprano), Dominik Wörner (bass), Kirchheimer BachConsort, Rudolf Lutz (conductor). (CPO 555-215-2, 2018).
Operas
- Graupner: Antiochus und Stratonica. Christian Immler (Antiochus), Hana Blažíková (Stratonica), Harry van der Kamp (Seleucus), Sunhae Im (Mirtenia), Sherezade Panthaki (Ellenia), Aaron Sheehan (Demetrius), Jesse Blumberg (Hesychius/Ober-Priester), Jan Kobow (Negrodorus). Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra, Paul O'Dette and Stephen Stubbs, directors (CPO 555369–2, released 2021).
References
- ^ )
- ^ Christoph Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, W. W. Norton & Company, New York & London, 2000, p. 224.
- ^ Prima la musica! began publishing a series of modern scores for some of Graupner's, ouvertures, sinfonias, and annual cantata cycles of cantatas in 2007.
- ^ "Graupner Choraldatenbank / Chorale Database".
- ^ David Vernier, Review of L'Ensemble des Idées heureuses, Geneviève Soly: Christoph Graupner, Analekta 2-3162 Archived 5 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Classics Today
- ^ e.g. Graupner, Christoph (1683-1760): Konzert für Oboe, Streicher und Basso continuo F major, ISMN M-006-00921-3; Graupner, Christoph (1683-1760): Ouvertüre für Altblockflöte, Streicher und Basso continuo F major, ISMN M-006-01111-7; Graupner, Christoph 1683-1760): Sonata C major, M-2021-0644-0. Bärenreiter Music Publishers Archived 22 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Réjean Beaucage, Geneviève Soly - Love at First Note!, La Scena Musicale, 6 December 2003.
- ^ GWV-online
- ^ Bureau347 & Snowcap. "Ein Weihnachts Oratorium Outhere Music". outhere-music.com. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
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External links
- Graupner GWV-online a digital Graupner Werkverzeichnis with integrated search interface
- The Christoph Graupner Society Homepage
- Extensive online bibliography for research on Christoph Graupner
- Christoph Graupner: The Life and Work of Christoph Graupner on GoldbergWeb, the early-music portal
- ULB Library Graupner's music manuscripts and archives in Darmstadt, Germany
- Christoph Graupner's works at La Sinfonie d'Orphée
- Kim Patrick Clow's webpage dedicated to promoting Graupner's work.
- Free scores by Christoph Graupner at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)