Christoph Schaffrath

Christoph Schaffrath (* 1709 or 1710/11 in Hohenstein in Dresden, † February 17, 1763 or after 5 November 1763 in Berlin) was a German composer, harpsichordist and music theorist.

Life

About the creators Raths family background is not known. Despite repeated perusal of the Hohnsteiner church book a baptism record for Christoph Schaffrath has so far not been found. As birth year is given in early lexicons 1709, according to the " Berlinischen news " from February 22, 1763 Schaffrath died in 1763 at the age of 52 years, indicating a birth in the years 1710/11.

Coincidentally ( a district mockery stone today ) was incorporated on January 15, 1709 in Hohn stone neighboring community Ehrenberg a Christoph Schaffrath was born, who died as a " farmer alhier " 1783 in Ehrenberg, has nothing to do with the composer.

According to information received Christoph Schaffrath harpsichord and organ lessons since the age of 9. His teachers are not known.

Probably had Schaffrath from 1730 in Warsaw as a harpsichordist in the court orchestra of the Polish -Saxon Elector and Polish King August II A formal employment is likely to have Schaffrath but not attained, at least he is not detectable in the payroll. In Warsaw he met Franz Benda know who went to the in spring 1733 resolution of the Polish Chapel in Dresden. Schaffrath himself found, whether before or after the dissolution of the Polish chapel is not known for some time appointment as court composer and harpsichordist in the chapel of the Lithuanian princes Paweł Karol Sanguszko (1680-1750), whose headquarters was Saslaw in today's Ukraine.

By the end of May 1733 was Schaffrath in Dresden and applied in a letter dated June 2, 1733 on the vacant become by Christian Death Pezold post of organist at the Dresden Church of St. Sophia. However, in the sample audition on June 22, 1733 he lost to Wilhelm Friedemann Bach.

In March 1734 he is documented as a harpsichordist of the court chapel of the Prussian Crown Prince Frederick II in Ruppin. He probably owes his job to the intercessions Franz Benda and of Frederick II highly esteemed flute virtuoso Johann Joachim Quantz.

While Frederick Rhine campaign sent this his chapel at the court of the sister Wilhelmine of Bayreuth. On June 22, 1734 Carl Heinrich Graun, Franz Benda and Schaffrath left for Erlangen. On the outward journey Schaffrath likely to have visited the very revered Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig. Schaffrath and Franz Benda remained until September 1734 in Erlangen and swept over Dresden back to Ruppin.

1736 referred Frederick II Castle Rheinberg, where it naturally followed the chapel. In a report of this time Schaffrath is mentioned as a harpsichordist, the " known to everyone " was. After his coronation on May 31, 1740 King of Prussia Friedrich resided alternately in Berlin and Potsdam. His band then comprising 40 musicians ( among them were Franz Benda, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Gottlieb Graun, Carl Heinrich Graun, Johann Gottlieb Janitsch ). Schaffrath was active as a harpsichordist and chamber musician. From 1740/41 he shared the office with Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach; both took turns in the residences of Potsdam and Berlin. Schaffrath received 400 dollars a year.

About Schaff Raths life as Hofcembalist Friedrichs very little is known. In July and September 1742, he was reimbursed from the private purse of the king travel expenses for travel to Potsdam, in March 1744 he was commissioned by Friedrich " before 2 Clavecien Concerts" at 33 dollars.

With the end of the Trinity quarter 1744 Schaffrath appeared as chamber musician in the service of the Anna Amalia of Prussia, sister of Frederick II, her he dedicated his 1746 printed in Nuremberg Opus 1 to creators Raths tasks included it probably also to arrange the extensive music library of the Princess.

During this time, many compositions creators Raths for various Berlin concert associations and associations music-loving citizens and nobles likely originated (for example, for the " Musikübende society ", the " Friday academies ", the " Monday - Assembleen " and the " Sonnabend concerts "). Alongside Schaffrath worked as a music and composition teacher. Among his most famous students include the castrato Felice Salimbeni (taught 1742-1744 ), Chr W. Hempel, the violinist August Kohn, the flutist Friedrich Wilhelm Riedt (taught probably 1740/41 ) and the Amateurviolonist and composer Johann Otto Uhde. Probably in connection with this teaching came a fragmentary preserved or unfinished textbook of music and analytical explanations of three -part string joints.

Christoph Schaffrath died on 17 February 1763 in Berlin. In the " Berlinischen News " of 22 February 1763, is a short obituary of the composer:

" The 17th of this Monaths died alhier Mr. Christoph Schaffrath, first Cammer Musicus = Ihro royally. Highness the Princess Amalia of Prussia, to a plug-in = and = Mean flux in the 52nd year of his age. The early loss of that sent in the music and thoroughly experienced man will be regretted by all connoisseurs of Musick; and every so appreciate merit and virtue knows him the praise of a righteous man is let go again. "

The newspaper reports seem to contradict 603 autograph datings creators Raths in the handwriting of AmB: therefore he was still alive on November 5, 1763.

Schaff council estate fell to Johann Philipp KirnBerger, which in turn bequeathed it to the library of Princess Amalie. Other parts of the estate or copies schaffrath shear compositions came to the archive of the Sing- Akademie zu Berlin and several other Berlin collections, particularly in the collection Thule Meyer. For this reason, today is the vast majority of manuscripts creators Raths in the Berlin State Library.

Works

• About 20 overtures and symphonies for strings and basso continuo
• 72 Cembalokonzerte
• 3 Concertos for 2 Harpsichords
• 3 Violin Concertos
• 1 Oboe Concerto
• 1 Flute Concerto
• Lost several concertos for flute, oboe, bassoon, viola da gamba
• A quintet ( lost )
• Several quartets
• 30 Trios
• Over 40 solo sonatas for various instruments
• About 40 sonatas and single pieces for harpsichord

A chronology of the works of creators council has yet to be worked out. Only in exceptional cases is from a work professionals Raths the date of composition known as creators Raths first draft has been preserved. This is the case for an E-flat major Symphony (June 13, 1738), at various harpsichord sonatas fragmentary ( August 1755 ) and some two -part fugues ( November 1761 ).

Appreciation

Christoph Schaffrath is one of the main representatives of the first Berlin songs school. His imaginative and melodic, baroque counterpoint with the gallant style of northern German sensibility -mixing works were very popular in the salons of Berlin music lovers. Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg writes in 1754: Schaffrath "is the world 's most enviable and everywhere popular compositions, which have various well known for the wing by the pressure known enough." 1746 called him the floor castle, the rector of the Joachimsthalerstrasse school, even in the same breath as George Frederick Handel, Georg Philipp Telemann and Johann Sebastian Bach.

Main feature of many compositions creators Raths is a two-bar theme that is repeated at the octave, and a motivic work, which is clearly distinguishable from the Baroque Fort spin -drying technique. Frequently motivic relationships between sets of a work has been made. Schaffrath was famous for the elaborate ornamentation ( " arbitrary change " ) slower rates. An impression of his art give written down by Schaffrath embellishments of the harpsichord parts for at least 20 harpsichord concertos.

So far, 72 harpsichord concertos by Schaffrath are detected, more than from any other composers in northern Germany, and this makes him an important representatives of the then young genre. All concerts creators Raths show the Vivaldi ritornello. The fast movements usually have 4 tutti and solo 3, the slow movements 3 tutti and solo 2 episodes. Proven wrote Schaffrath already in his Rheinberger time harpsichord concertos.

The fact that the compositional work of Christoph Rath professionals exclusively of instrumental works is likely to have limited the spread of compositions. Posterity chose alongside Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Carl Heinrich Graun to the main representatives of the Berlin Classics; but characteristically latter not his numerous operas and instrumental works, but the oratorio " The Death of Jesus " because that was listed until after 1800 regularly. Schaffrath has been largely forgotten. Only recently we have become aware of him again.