Johann Christian Kittel
Encyclopedia
Johann Christian Kittel was a German
organist
, composer
, and teacher. He was one of the last students of Johann Sebastian Bach
.
He was born in Erfurt
, and first studied with Jakob Adlung
. He moved to Leipzig
in 1748 and was a favourite pupil of Johann Sebastian Bach
until his death two years later. He was appointed organist and teacher in Langensalza in 1751, following which he returned to Erfurt as organist of the Barfüsserkirche, in 1756, moving to the Predigerkirche
in 1762. His students included M.G. Fischer, J.K. Eintract, K.G. Umbreit, J.W. Hässler and J.C.H. Rinck. He refused many generous and more munificent offers, including one in 1790 from Duchess Anna Amalia of Saxe-Weimar
to travel to Italy
, remaining in Erfurt for the rest of his life. He played many evening recitals there and was famous as a virtuoso organist; Goethe, Herder
, and Wieland
all went to hear him play, and he made a concert tour to Hamburg
in 1800, remaining there for a year while preparing a book of chorale
s for Schleswig-Holstein
.
based on Bach's examples, though he was influenced by the contemporary galant
style, with a strong emphasis on melody
. His piano sonata
s of 1789 have features in common with the Viennese classical school.
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...
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...
, 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 teacher. He was one of the last students of Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
.
Biography
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
, and first studied with Jakob Adlung
Jakob Adlung
Jakob Adlung, or Adelung, was a German organist, teacher, instrument maker, music historian, and music theorist.-Biography:...
. He moved to Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
in 1748 and was a favourite pupil of Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
until his death two years later. He was appointed organist and teacher in Langensalza in 1751, following which he returned to Erfurt as organist of the Barfüsserkirche, in 1756, moving to the Predigerkirche
Predigerkirche (Erfurt)
Predigerkirche is a Protestant church in Erfurt, Germany. It is a monastic church to the Dominican friary, Predigerkloster, adjacent to the church. Predigerkirche was originally built by the Dominican Order in the 13th century, when the mystic Meister Eckhart was prior here. The church only became...
in 1762. His students included M.G. Fischer, J.K. Eintract, K.G. Umbreit, J.W. Hässler and J.C.H. Rinck. He refused many generous and more munificent offers, including one in 1790 from Duchess Anna Amalia of Saxe-Weimar
Saxe-Weimar
Saxe-Weimar was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty in present-day Thuringia. The chief town and capital was Weimar.-Division of Leipzig:...
to travel to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, remaining in Erfurt for the rest of his life. He played many evening recitals there and was famous as a virtuoso organist; Goethe, Herder
Johann Gottfried Herder
Johann Gottfried von Herder was a German philosopher, theologian, poet, and literary critic. He is associated with the periods of Enlightenment, Sturm und Drang, and Weimar Classicism.-Biography:...
, and Wieland
Wieland
Wieland is a Germanic name, from wela "battle" and, nand "brave". The English form is Wayland.*Weyland, a smith in Germanic mythologyas a first name:*Wieland Wagner, grandson of Richard Wagneras a surname name:...
all went to hear him play, and he made a concert tour to 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 1800, remaining there for a year while preparing a book of chorale
Chorale
A chorale was originally a hymn sung by a Christian congregation. In certain modern usage, this term may also include classical settings of such hymns and works of a similar character....
s for Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
.
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 liturgical use. He wrote some large-scale organ works such as double chorale variationsVariation (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:...
based on Bach's examples, though he was influenced by the contemporary galant
Galante music
A new style of classical music, fashionable from the 1720s to the 1770s, was called Galante music. It consciously simplified contrapuntal texture and intense composing techniques that realized a pattern on the page and substituted a clear leading voice with a transparent accompaniment....
style, with a strong emphasis on melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
. His piano sonata
Piano sonata
A piano sonata is a sonata written for a solo piano. Piano sonatas are usually written in three or four movements, although some piano sonatas have been written with a single movement , two movements , five or even more movements...
s of 1789 have features in common with the Viennese classical school.
Piano
- 6 Sonaten ... nebst einer Fantasie (GeraGeraGera, the third-largest city in the German state of Thuringia , lies in east Thuringia on the river Weiße Elster, approximately 60 kilometres to the south of the city of Leipzig and 80 kilometres to the east of Erfurt...
, 1789) - 6 Veränderungen, über ... Nicht so traurig (St Petersburg, 1797)
Organ
- Der angehende praktische Organist, oder Anweisung zum zweckmässigen Gebrauch der Orgel bei Gottesverehrungen in Beispielen, textbookTextbookA textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...
, 3 volumes (ErfurtErfurtErfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
, 1801–1808) - Vierstimmige Choräle mit Vorspielen ... für die Schleswig-Hollsteinischen Kirchen, 2 volumes (AltonaAltona, HamburgAltona is the westernmost urban borough of the German city state of Hamburg, on the right bank of the Elbe river. From 1640 to 1864 Altona was under the administration of the Danish monarchy. Altona was an independent city until 1937...
, 1803) - 24 Choräle mit 8 verschiedenen Bässen über eine Melodie, ed. J.C.H. Rinck (Offenbach, 1811)
- Grosse Präludien, 2 volumes (LeipzigLeipzigLeipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
) - 24 kurze Choralvorspiele (Offenbach)
- Variationen über 2 Choräle (Leipzig)
- 24 leichte Choral-Vorspiele (BonnBonnBonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
and CologneCologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
)
Further reading
- A. Dreetz: Johann Christian Kittel, der letzte Bach-schüler (BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, 1932) - J.P. Anthony: The Organ Works of Johann Christian Kittel (dissertation, Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, 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)
Sources
- Karl Gustav Fellerer: 'Kittel, Johann Christian', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 2007-06-13), http://www.grovemusic.com/