A contemporary of J.S. Bach, Christoph Graupner (Kirchberg, Saxony, January 13th, 1683-Darmstadt in Hesse, May 1st, 1760) was a composer highly thought of in his day, much like Handel or Telemann, with whom he maintained a lifetime friendship. Composers Heinichen and Fasch were also close friends of his.
After studying at Leipzig with Kuhnau, J.S. Bach's predecessor as Cantor of St. Thomas's in Leipzig, Graupner left the city in 1704 to assume the function of harpsichordist at the Hamburg Opera Orchestra, under Reinhard Keiser. Handel, then 21, was a violinist in the same orchestra. At that time, Graupner composed several operas that received great public acclaim. He also took part in the composition of three operas in collaboration with Keiser, a key figure in the world of German opera....
A contemporary of J.S. Bach, Christoph Graupner (Kirchberg, Saxony, January 13th, 1683-Darmstadt in Hesse, May 1st, 1760) was a composer highly thought of in his day, much like Handel or Telemann, with whom he maintained a lifetime friendship. Composers Heinichen and Fasch were also close friends of his.
After studying at Leipzig with Kuhnau, J.S. Bach's predecessor as Cantor of St. Thomas's in Leipzig, Graupner left the city in 1704 to assume the function of harpsichordist at the Hamburg Opera Orchestra, under Reinhard Keiser. Handel, then 21, was a violinist in the same orchestra. At that time, Graupner composed several operas that received great public acclaim. He also took part in the composition of three operas in collaboration with Keiser, a key figure in the world of German opera.
In 1709, Graupner was offered a post at the court in Hesse-Darmstadt, where he became conductor and composer (Hofkapellmeister) in 1712. On May 4th 1722, at the request of the Landgrave, who had hired him, he turned down a prestigious position: Cantor at St. Thomas's in Leipzig. His rejection allowed Johann Sebastian Bach to be given the post on May 5th. In his letter of non-acceptance, Graupner spontaneously mentions Bach in a very positive manner. This, while being highly unusual at the time, is the mark of an individual possessing deep modesty and rigor.
The thirty-eight remaining years of his life were spent at the court at Darmstadt. Graupner was a man of such humility that he requested all his music be destroyed after his death. The inevitable legal fight that ensued, placing in opposition his heirs and the court at Darmstadt, was resolved in 1819 when the court was declared sole proprietor of the composer's works. Thus Graupner's manuscripts and autographs remained at the castle in Darmstadt and are now the property of the Hessische Landes und Hochschulbibliothek at the town's university.
A prolific and tireless composer, Graupner also gained notoriety for the meticulous calligraphy of his autographs and scores, the writing of which he completed with great care. On that matter, Mattheson wrote in 1740, "His manuscript scores are so beautifully written one might think they are engravings." In addition to a large number of autographs, there are copies in his own hand of works by some of his contemporaries: Vivaldi, Telemann, Fasch, Stamitz, Richter and others.
One will find the same extraordinary attention to detail in his re-writing by hand of pieces for the harpsichord or the orchestra, which he undoubtedly meant to perform or conduct for the court. In this way, Graupner has provided a first-rate source for works of the Baroque era. We know that Bach copied the music of his predecessors as well as that of his contemporaries, but from a strictly personal and didactic perspective.
Like J.S. Bach, and in accordance with the social function assigned to composers in the heighteenth century, Graupner worked in a humble and tireless manner, without much concern for posterity.
Works and Style
In his compositions, Graupner writes for practically all instruments, with the exception of the organ, his preferred tool for improvisation. In his works for orchestra and chamber ensembles, he reserves his best writing for the wind instruments (such as the chalumeau and the flauto d'amore). The music is undeniably brilliant and original. In his study on J.S. Bach (1884-1899), Spitta states the importance of Graupner and his resourceful use of counterpoint. The body of work is imposing, not only for the sheer number of compositions (over two thousand), but also for its richness of imagination and consummate musical technique.
Graupner succeeded in bringing together the different national styles from the Baroque era, in addition to exploring new musical currents, such as those from Mannheim. This diversity of musical styles is impressive in itself: he appears to have successfully integrated these musical currents. For instance, a number of his first works for harpsichord (1718) are written in the French style associated with the second half of the seventeenth century, recalling Louis Couperin. Others that were composed in the 1740's already evoke C.P.E. Bach or Haydn. A catalogue of Graupner's instrumental works (GWV - Graupner Werke Verzeichnis) will soon be published.
This project was initiated in January 2000, at the library in Darmstadt, under the supervision of Drs Oswald Bill and Christoph Grosspietsch.
© Geneviève Soly, 30 novembre 2001
