Johann Christian Kittel
Johann Christian Kittel (18 February 1732 – 17 April 1809) was a German organist, composer, and teacher. He was one of the last students of Johann Sebastian Bach. His students included Michael Gotthard Fischer, Karl Gottlieb Umbreit, Johann Wilhelm Hässler and Christian Heinrich Rinck. See: List of music students by teacher: K to M#Johann Christian Kittel.
Biography
Kittel was born and died in
He refused many generous and more munificent offers, including one in 1790 from
Compositions
He considered himself to be "grounded in the principles of Bach" and aimed "to awaken, maintain and heighten feelings of devotion in the hearts of his hearers by means of music". His teaching and composition fulfilled this aim by a restriction to simple forms which were best suited to
Piano
- 6 Sonaten ... nebst einer Fantasie (Gera, 1789)
- 6 Veränderungen, über ... Nicht so traurig (Saint Petersburg, 1797)
Organ
- Der angehende praktische Organist, oder Anweisung zum zweckmässigen Gebrauch der Orgel bei Gottesverehrungen in Beispielen, textbook, 3 volumes (Erfurt, 1801–1808)
- Vierstimmige Choräle mit Vorspielen ... für die Schleswig-Hollsteinischen Kirchen, 2 volumes (Altona, 1803)
- 24 Choräle mit 8 verschiedenen Bässen über eine Melodie, ed. J. C. H. Rinck (Offenbach, 1811)
- Grosse Präludien, 2 volumes (Leipzig)
- 24 kurze Choralvorspiele (Offenbach)
- Variationen über 2 Choräle (Leipzig)
- 24 leichte Choral-Vorspiele (Bonn and Cologne)
Sources
- Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (accessed 13 June 2007).
Further reading
- A. Dreetz: Johann Christian Kittel, der letzte Bach-schüler (Berlin, 1932)
- J. P. Anthony: The Organ Works of Johann Christian Kittel (dissertation, Yale University, 1978)
- J. Burg: "Johann Christian Kittel (1732–1809), un grand pédagogue de l'orgue, maillon important dans la tradition de Jean-Sébastien Bach", in L’orgue: cahiers et mémoires, no. 228 (1993)
External links
- Free scores by Johann Christian Kittel at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
- Literature by and about Johann Christian Kittel in the German National Library catalogue
- Works by and about Johann Christian Kittel in the Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (German Digital Library)