Andreas Kneller
Encyclopedia
Andreas Kneller (23 April 1649 – 24 August 1724) was a German
composer
and organist
of the North German school.
, he was the younger brother of portrait
painter
Sir Godfrey Kneller
. Nothing certain is known about his musical education, though he may have learnt from Franz Tunder
(1614-1667), organist of St. Mary's Church, Lübeck, or his own uncle Matthias Weckmann
(c.1616-1674), organist of St. Jacob's Church, Hamburg
. In 1667, he became organist of the Marktkirche
in Hanover
, succeeding Melchior Schildt
(1592-1667). In 1685, he moved to Hamburg, where he became organist of the Petrikirche. It was there that he made the acquaintance of Johann Adam Reincken
; he went on to marry
his daughter Margaretha Maria in 1686. Kneller's son-in-law Johann Jacob Hencke became his assistant in 1717, and succeeded in him 1723. Kneller was well respected as a musician, and often acted as an examiner of organs and organists. He was part of the group that examined the candidates for organist at the Jacobikirche, Hamburg, in 1720, which included J.S. Bach (though he did not appear for an audition, was still chosen for the post but had to decline).
toccata
form: free passages alternating with fugal sections; this style was described as 'a free way of composition, not subject to any constraints' by Athanasius Kircher
(1601-1680), and is thus a sort of stylus phantasticus. These are preludes and fugues in D minor, G major and F minor, originally written in tablature
, at the church of Mylau
, Saxony
. They are published in an edition by K. Beckmann, Wiesbaden, 1987. He also wrote a partita with eight variations
on Nun komm der Heiden Heiland (Come now, saviour of heathens) (published in K. Straube: Choralvorspiele alter Meister, Leipzig, 1907). Three other fragments of preludes also survive. An organ Te Deum
attributed to 'A. Kniller' is believed to be the only known work by a different composer by the name of Anton Kniller.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and organist
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
of the North German school.
Biography
Born in LübeckLübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
, he was the younger brother of portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
Sir Godfrey Kneller
Godfrey Kneller
Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1st Baronet was the leading portrait painter in England during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and was court painter to British monarchs from Charles II to George I...
. Nothing certain is known about his musical education, though he may have learnt from Franz Tunder
Franz Tunder
Franz Tunder was a German composer and organist of the early to middle Baroque era. He was an important link between the early German Baroque style which was based on Venetian models, and the later Baroque style which culminated in the music of J.S...
(1614-1667), organist of St. Mary's Church, Lübeck, or his own uncle Matthias Weckmann
Matthias Weckmann
Matthias Weckmann was a German musician and composer of the Baroque period. He was born in Niederdorla and died in Hamburg.- Life :...
(c.1616-1674), organist of St. Jacob's Church, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. In 1667, he became organist of the Marktkirche
Marktkirche
The Marktkirche , officially Marktkirche S. Georgii et Jacobi, dedicated to St. George and St. James, is the main Lutheran church in Hanover. It was built in the 14th century and, together with the nearby Old Town Hall, is considered the southernmost example of the "North German brick gothic" ...
in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, succeeding Melchior Schildt
Melchior Schildt
Melchior Schildt was a German composer and organist of the North German Organ School. He came from a long line of church musicians who had served the town of Hanover for over 125 years...
(1592-1667). In 1685, he moved to Hamburg, where he became organist of the Petrikirche. It was there that he made the acquaintance of Johann Adam Reincken
Johann Adam Reincken
Johann Adam Reincken was a Dutch/German organist and composer...
; he went on to marry
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
his daughter Margaretha Maria in 1686. Kneller's son-in-law Johann Jacob Hencke became his assistant in 1717, and succeeded in him 1723. Kneller was well respected as a musician, and often acted as an examiner of organs and organists. He was part of the group that examined the candidates for organist at the Jacobikirche, Hamburg, in 1720, which included J.S. Bach (though he did not appear for an audition, was still chosen for the post but had to decline).
Works
His surviving compositions consist of a few works for organ, typical of the North German baroqueBaroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
toccata
Toccata
Toccata is a virtuoso piece of music typically for a keyboard or plucked string instrument featuring fast-moving, lightly fingered or otherwise virtuosic passages or sections, with or without imitative or fugal interludes, generally emphasizing the dexterity of the performer's fingers...
form: free passages alternating with fugal sections; this style was described as 'a free way of composition, not subject to any constraints' by Athanasius Kircher
Athanasius Kircher
Athanasius Kircher was a 17th century German Jesuit scholar who published around 40 works, most notably in the fields of oriental studies, geology, and medicine...
(1601-1680), and is thus a sort of stylus phantasticus. These are preludes and fugues in D minor, G major and F minor, originally written in tablature
Tablature
Tablature is a form of musical notation indicating instrument fingering rather than musical pitches....
, at the church of Mylau
Mylau
Mylau is a town in the Vogtlandkreis district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany with 2912 citizens. It is situated in the valleys of the Göltzsch river and the Raumbach, a stream flowing from Reichenbach im Vogtland that is locally known as the Soap Stream because of the textile painting...
, Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
. They are published in an edition by K. Beckmann, Wiesbaden, 1987. He also wrote a partita with eight variations
Variation (music)
In music, variation is a formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form. The changes may involve harmony, melody, counterpoint, rhythm, timbre, orchestration or any combination of these.-Variation form:...
on Nun komm der Heiden Heiland (Come now, saviour of heathens) (published in K. Straube: Choralvorspiele alter Meister, Leipzig, 1907). Three other fragments of preludes also survive. An organ Te Deum
Te Deum
The Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum laudamus, rendered literally as "Thee, O God, we praise"....
attributed to 'A. Kniller' is believed to be the only known work by a different composer by the name of Anton Kniller.
Further reading
- W. Apel: Geschichte der Orgel- und Klaviermusik bis 1700 (Kassel, 1967; English translation, 1972)
- G. Frotscher: Geschichte des Orgelspiels und der Orgelkomposition (Berlin, 1966)
- J.G. Walther: Musicalisches Lexicon, oder Musicalische Bibliothec
- J.R. Shannon: The Mylauer Tabulaturbuch: a Study of the Preludial and Fugal Forms in the Hands of Bach’s Middle-German Precursors (dissertation, University of North CarolinaUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, 1961) - A. Edler: Der nordelbische Organist (Kassel, 1982)
Sources
- Horace Fishback/Ulf Grapenthin: 'Kneller [Kniller, Knöller, Knüller], Andreas', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 2007-06-07), http://www.grovemusic.com/
- Friedhelm Flamme: notes to recording Organ Works of the North German Baroque III, cpo records 777 246-2