Christoph Graupner 3172981 224537447 2008-07-09T08:46:44Z Leonard Vertighel 54195 /* External links */ IMSLP [[image:Graupner-1726.JPG|thumb|300px|Christoph Graupner's [[cantata]] for the birthday of [[Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt|Landgraf Ernst Ludwig]], December 1726.]] '''Christoph Graupner''' ([[January 13]] [[1683]] in [[Kirchberg, Saxony|Kirchberg]] &ndash; [[March 10]] [[1760]] in [[Darmstadt]]) was a [[Germany|German]] [[harpsichordist]] and [[composer]] of high [[Baroque]] music who lived and worked at the same time as [[Johann Sebastian Bach]], [[Georg Philipp Telemann]] and [[George Frideric Handel]]. ==Graupner's life== Born in [[Hartmannsdorf bei Kirchberg|Hartmannsdorf]] near [[Kirchberg, Saxony|Kirchberg]] in [[Saxony]], Graupner received his first musical instruction from his uncle, an [[organist]] named [[Nicolaus Kuester]]. Graupner went to the [[University of Leipzig]] where he studied [[law]] (as did many composers of the time), and then completed his musical studies with [[Johann Kuhnau]], the [[Cantor (church)|cantor]] of the [[Thomaskirche]] (St. Thomas Church). In 1705 Graupner left Leipzig to play the [[harpsichord]] in the orchestra of the [[Hamburg State Opera|Hamburg Opera]] under the direction of [[Reinhard Keiser]], alongside a young violinist named Handel. In addition to playing the harpsichord, Graupner composed three operas in Hamburg in collaboration with Keiser, a popular composer of operas in Germany. In 1709 Graupner accepted a post at the court of [[Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt|Hesse-Darmstadt]] and in 1711 became the court orchestra’s ''Hofkapellmeister'' (court chapel master). Graupner spent the rest of his career at the court in Hesse-Darmstadt, where his primary responsibilities were to provide music for the court chapel. He wrote music for nearly half a century, from 1709 to 1754, when he became [[Blindness|blind]]. He died six years later. ==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 1722 Graupner applied for the Kantorship in Leipzig. Telemann had been the first choice for this position, but withdrew after securing a salary increase in Hamburg. Graupner's "audition" ''[[Magnificat]],'' set in the style of his teacher and mentor Kuhnau, secured him the position. However, Graupner's patron (the [[Landgrave]] [[Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt|Ernst Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt]]) would not release him from his contract. 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 such favorable terms, Graupner remained in Darmstadt, thus clearing the way for Bach to become the cantor in Leipzig. After hearing that Bach was the choice for Leipzig, on [[May 4]], [[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." <ref>Christoph Wolff, ''Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician'', W.W. Norton & Company, New York & London, 2000, p. 224.</ref> ==Graupner's opus & modern editions== Graupner was hardworking and prolific. There are about 2,000 surviving works in his catalog, including 113 [[sinfonia]]s, 85 [[ouverture]]s (suites), 44 [[concerto]]s, 8 [[opera]]s, 1,418 religious and 24 secular [[cantata]]s, 66 [[sonata (music)|sonata]]s and 40 [[harpsichord]] [[partita]]s.<ref> [http://www.primalamusica.com/erol.html ''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.</ref> Nearly all of Graupner's manuscripts are housed in the ULB (Technical University Library) in Darmstadt, Germany. Graupner wrote for exotic combinations of instruments, including the [[oboe d'amore]], [[flute d'amore]], and [[viola d'amore]]. Over half of his sinfonias require [[brass]] and [[timpani]], with about 25 sinfonias requiring 3 to 4 timpani, and one sinfonia in G Major (GWV 596) was composed for 7 timpani. ==Obscurity== After he died, Graupner became an obscure composer for several reasons. His manuscripts became the source of a long legal battle between his heirs and the rulers of Hesse-Darmstadt. A final court decision denied the Graupner estate ownership of the music manuscripts. The heirs were unable to obtain permission to sell or publish his works, which remained inaccessible. Music styles had changed dramatically, reducing any interest in Graupner's music. On the positive side however, the Landgrave's seizure of Graupner's musical estate ensured its survival ''in toto''. Fate was not so kind to J. S. Bach's musical legacy, for example. Another factor that contributed to Graupner's posthumous obscurity was that, unlike Bach, Graupner had very few pupils other than [[Johann Friedrich Fasch]] to carry on his musical legacy. 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."<ref>David Vernier, [http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=6220 Review of L'Ensemble des Idées heureuses, Geneviève Soly: Christoph Graupner, Analekta 2-3162], ''Classics Today''</ref> [[image:Landgraf_Ernst_Ludwig_von_Hessen-Darmstadt.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Christoph Graupner's patron:[[Ernest Louis, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt|Landgraf Ernst Ludwig von Hessen-Darmstadt]].]] ==Rediscovery== Graupner's music is enjoying a revival, due in large part to the research efforts of many [[musicologist]]s, performers, and conductors. Beginning in the early 20th century, research began with Willibald Nagel's study of Graupner's sinfonias. In the 1920s, Friedrich Noack published his research on Graupner's cantatas. [[Baerenreiter]] published several sinfonias and an ouverture in the 1950s.<ref>e.g. Graupner, Christoph (1683-1760): Konzert für Oboe, Streicher und Basso continuo F major, ISBN/ISMN M-006-00921-3; Graupner, Christoph (1683-1760): Ouvertüre für Altblockflöte, Streicher und Basso continuo F major, ISBN/ISMN M-006-01111-7; Graupner, Christoph 1683-1760): Sonata C major, M-2021-0644-0. [https://www.baerenreiter.com/html/about/presentation.htm Bärenreiter Music Publishers]</ref>. In the early 1980s, Myron Rosenblum edited four sinfonias for the massive [[Barry Brook]] project ''The Symphony, 1720-1840: A Comprehensive Collection of Full Scores'' (New York: Garland, 1979-85), 60 vols. The year 1988 saw the publication of Oswald Bill's study of Graupner, with several articles by such Graupner experts as Peter Cahn (on the sinfonias), Joanna Cobb Biermann (musicians and salaries in Darmstadt), as well as source documents on court life in Darmstadt. Three wonderful dissertations were very important for Graupner research: H. Cutler Fall's study of the [[Passiontide]] cantatas, Rene Schmidt's study of the [[Christmas]] cantatas, and Vernon Wicker's study of solo bass cantatas. Christoph Grosspietsch published an extensive study of Graupner's ouvertures in 1994. Despite all this research, there were relatively few recordings available to the general public. This changed in 1998, when Hermann Max conducted a CD of Graupner works on the [[Classic Produktion Osnabrück|CPO]] label. Montreal harpsichordist [[Geneviève Soly]] came across a Graupner manuscript in the Beinecke Library at [[Yale University]] in the year 2000 and started performing and recording his works. Graupner was "always on the cutting edge for his time and very innovative in his ideas for harmony, notation, and the use of instruments," as Soly has noted. "You have to take into consideration his various styles in relation to the actual period and the ideas he was interested in developing at that moment. The size of the catalogue imposes added difficulties in this respect, because another composer might have written for just as long, but in one style only. [[Mozart]] comes to mind: although he composed over a shorter period, his style was always well defined."<ref>Réjean Beaucage, [http://www.scena.org/lsm/sm9-4/Genevi%C3%A8ve-Soly_en.htm Geneviève Soly - Love at First Note!], ''La Scena Musicale, December 6, 2003.</ref> In April 2005, a thematic catalog of Graupner's instrumental music (Oswald Bill and Christoph Grosspietsch, editors) was published by [[Carus Music]]. There are plans to catalog Graupner's vocal music. ==Works== * [[List of symphonies by Christoph Graupner]] * [[List of cantatas by Christoph Graupner]] * [[List of harpsichord pieces by Christoph Graupner]] * [[List of orchestral suites by Christoph Graupner]] * [[List of concertos by Christoph Graupner]] * [[List of chamber pieces by Christoph Graupner]] ==Selected discography== * Graupner: Orchestral Works. Nova Stravaganza. Siegbert Rampe conductor (MD+G Gold 34111212) * Graupner: Ouvertures and Cantata. Das kleine Konzert. Hermann Max conductor. (CPO 999592) * Graupner: Ouverture, Trio, Sinfonia. Nova Stravaganza. Siegbert Rampe conductor. (MD+G Gold 3411252) * Graupner: Partitas For Harpsichord, Vol 1. Performed by Geneviève Soly (Analekta 23109) * Graupner: Partitas For Harpsichord, Vol 2. Performed by Geneviève Soly (Analekta 23164) * Graupner: Partitas For Harpsichord, Vol 3. Performed by Geneviève Soly (Analekta 23181) * Graupner: Partitas For Harpsichord, Vol 4. Performed by Geneviève Soly (Analekta 29116) * Graupner: Partitas For Harpsichord, Vol 5. Performed by Geneviève Soly (Analekta 29118) * Graupner: Partitas For Harpsichord, Vol 6. Performed by Geneviève Soly (Analekta 29119) * 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: 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) *Virtuoso Timpani Concertos. Dresden Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. Alexander Peter conductor. (Naxos 8557610) ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.christoph-graupner-gesellschaft.de/ The Christoph Graupner Society Homepage] *[http://elib.tu-darmstadt.de/lhb/graupsite/Graupner06.html Extensive online bibliography for research on Christoph Graupner] *[http://www.goldbergweb.com/en/magazine/composers/2004/02/20204.php Christoph Graupner: The Life and Work of Christoph Graupner] on GoldbergWeb, the early-music portal *[http://www.ulb.tu-darmstadt.de/ulb/graupsite/Graupner01.html ULB Library] Graupner's music manuscripts and archives in Darmstadt, Germany *[http://www.christophgraupner.info Kim Patrick Clow's webpage] dedicated to promoting Graupner's work. * {{IMSLP|id=Graupner, Christoph}} *{{IckingArchive|idx=Graupner|name=Christoph Graupner}} {{BD|1683|1760|Graupner, Christoph}} [[Category:People from the Electorate of Saxony]] [[Category:Baroque composers]] [[Category:German composers]] [[Category:Opera composers]] [[Category:Blind musicians]] [[de:Christoph Graupner]] [[fa:کریستف گراپنر]] [[fr:Christoph Graupner]] [[nl:Christoph Graupner]] [[ja:クリストフ・グラウプナー]] [[fi:Christoph Graupner]] [[pl:Christoph Graupner]]