Johann Ernst Altenburg
Encyclopedia
Johann Ernst Altenburg was a German
composer
, organist
and trumpeter.
and from 1711 as head trumpeter for the duke's brother, Duke Christian von Sachsen-Weissenfels
at his residence, Castle Neu-Augustusburg in Weissenfels. Here, Johann Ernst Altenburg was born on 15 June 1734. After the death of Duke Christian in 1736, influenced by this event, the elder Altenburg began giving his young son lessons. At age 18 the young Altenburg had received a formal acquittal as trumpeter. He could not find a post. After studying organ for at most two years with Johann Theodor Roemhildt
and Johann Christoph Altnikol, he went "nine years abroad."
Unofficial biographies of the time proport that the Seven Years War offered momentary work for professional trumpeters; this was probably the case for Altenburg. In 1766 he turned back to Weissenfels. From Merseburg
and Landsberg
near Halle
, where he worked for a brief time as an organist, he went to Bitterfeld
in 1767 and received his lifetime post as an organist. He stayed at this post until his death on 14 May 1801, although the post was hardly sufficient. During this time he acquired a scandalous reputation as the "wild organist," whose disreputable behaviour earned him repeated lawsuits, which accumulated in an accusation of high treason in 1792. All of these accusations were subsequently dropped.
Altenburg drew together the entire "knowledge" of the art of the trumpet of his time—certainly a concern considering his embossed, interpretive ways. He uses at least 108 works from at least 104 notably well-known authors, as well as new, further, anonymous authors. However, the literature he quotes mainly covers topics in general history, law, and religion. Altenburg's work is associated with contemporary instrumental technique. The examples cover a broad scope of trumpet history, which emerge with thorough analysis as back projection of Altenburg's ideal picture of trumpet practice in his society. Altenburg constructs an unbroken tradition of trumpet practice from Old Testament times (Aron's son) to his own time and lifts from that the claim of an even higher societal reputation for the trumpeter.
In this work some small compositions of mostly unclear authorship are offered. For example, there is a tiny duet for two clarion
, a bourée for two clarion, a trio in the form of a polonaise
, and a chorale for three clarion, principal trumpet, and drum, among others. Furthermore, he offers an addendum containing a concerto for seven clarion with drums. A small fugue
for two clarion lifted from work by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber nearly a century earlier also appears.
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...
, organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
and trumpeter.
Life
His father, Johann Kaspar Altenburg (1688–1761), worked from 1709 as a field trumpeter under Johann Adolf II, Duke of Saxe-WeissenfelsJohann Adolf II, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels
Johann Adolf II, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels , was the last duke of Saxe-Weissenfels-Querfurt and a member of the House of Wettin. He was also a commander in the Saxon army....
and from 1711 as head trumpeter for the duke's brother, Duke Christian von Sachsen-Weissenfels
Christian, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels
Christian, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels , was a duke of Saxe-Weissenfels-Querfurt and member of the House of Wettin....
at his residence, Castle Neu-Augustusburg in Weissenfels. Here, Johann Ernst Altenburg was born on 15 June 1734. After the death of Duke Christian in 1736, influenced by this event, the elder Altenburg began giving his young son lessons. At age 18 the young Altenburg had received a formal acquittal as trumpeter. He could not find a post. After studying organ for at most two years with Johann Theodor Roemhildt
Johann Theodor Roemhildt
Johann Theodor Roemhildt was a German baroque composer.He studied in Ruhla as a child with Johann Jacob Bach, then from the age of thirteen at St. Thomas' School, Leipzig under Johann Schelle and Johann Kuhnau...
and Johann Christoph Altnikol, he went "nine years abroad."
Unofficial biographies of the time proport that the Seven Years War offered momentary work for professional trumpeters; this was probably the case for Altenburg. In 1766 he turned back to Weissenfels. From Merseburg
Merseburg
Merseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....
and Landsberg
Landsberg, Saxony-Anhalt
Landsberg is a town in the Saalekreis in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in Germany with about 12,000 inhabitants. Landsberg lies in the Greater Halle area....
near Halle
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
, where he worked for a brief time as an organist, he went to Bitterfeld
Bitterfeld
Bitterfeld is a town in the district Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2007 it has been part of the town Bitterfeld-Wolfen. It is situated approx. 25 km south of Dessau, and 30 km northeast of Halle...
in 1767 and received his lifetime post as an organist. He stayed at this post until his death on 14 May 1801, although the post was hardly sufficient. During this time he acquired a scandalous reputation as the "wild organist," whose disreputable behaviour earned him repeated lawsuits, which accumulated in an accusation of high treason in 1792. All of these accusations were subsequently dropped.
Work
As a composer he is most well known for his six harpsichord sonatas. Altenburg achieved musicological importance through his publication Versuch einer Anleitung zur heroisch-musikalischen Trompeter- und Paukerkunst (An Essay on the Introduction to Heroic and Musical Trumpeters' and Kettledrummers' Art) (Halle, 1795). These can be considered the oldest printed German trumpet studies and are thus the most meaningful resource of old trumpet technique. At the time of the printing, the greater part of the text had been in development for about 25 years. An advertisement for the publication appears in Johann Adam Hiller's "Musikalischen Nachrichten" in 1770. The earliest known reference to the manuscript is found in a letter of Altenburg's from February 1767.Altenburg drew together the entire "knowledge" of the art of the trumpet of his time—certainly a concern considering his embossed, interpretive ways. He uses at least 108 works from at least 104 notably well-known authors, as well as new, further, anonymous authors. However, the literature he quotes mainly covers topics in general history, law, and religion. Altenburg's work is associated with contemporary instrumental technique. The examples cover a broad scope of trumpet history, which emerge with thorough analysis as back projection of Altenburg's ideal picture of trumpet practice in his society. Altenburg constructs an unbroken tradition of trumpet practice from Old Testament times (Aron's son) to his own time and lifts from that the claim of an even higher societal reputation for the trumpeter.
In this work some small compositions of mostly unclear authorship are offered. For example, there is a tiny duet for two clarion
Clarion (instrument)
Clarion is a common name for a trumpet in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It also is used as a name for a 4' organ reed stop. There is wide confusion over whether clarion invariably refers to a type of trumpet or simply the upper register of the standard trumpet....
, a bourée for two clarion, a trio in the form of a polonaise
Polonaise
The polonaise is a slow dance of Polish origin, in 3/4 time. Its name is French for "Polish."The polonaise had a rhythm quite close to that of the Swedish semiquaver or sixteenth-note polska, and the two dances have a common origin....
, and a chorale for three clarion, principal trumpet, and drum, among others. Furthermore, he offers an addendum containing a concerto for seven clarion with drums. A small fugue
Fugue
In music, a fugue is a compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject that is introduced at the beginning in imitation and recurs frequently in the course of the composition....
for two clarion lifted from work by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber nearly a century earlier also appears.
External links
- Versuch einer Anleitung zur heroisch-musikalischen Trompeter- und Paukerkunst (Google Books, German text)