Johann Christoph Pepusch

Johann Christoph Pepusch (* 1667 in Berlin, † July 20, 1752 in London) was an internationally active composer, musician, teacher and musicologist.

Life and work

Johann Christoph Pepusch was born in 1667 as the son of a pastor in Berlin. Here he received his first musical training before he took up a position at court at the age of 14 years, which he announced in 1698. The reasons for this lie in the dark. Pepusch first went to Amsterdam. In 1704 he established himself in London, but still published to about 1718 in Holland.

In London Pepusch worked as a violist, soon as a composer, theater director, music theorist and organist. In 1710 he co-founded the " Academy of Ancient Music" and the Madrigal Society, which the research and performance of the music of bygone eras, especially the Elizabethan age devoted himself. Between 1710 and 1730 Pepusch were a large number of his own works in print. In 1713 he became a Doctor of Music at the University of Oxford. His catalog includes compositions of all genres, from chamber sonata for a variety of instruments on songs, cantatas, symphonies to opera. The last two decades of his life he devoted himself to his studies of early music.

The English musicology called Johann Christoph Pepusch as an important teacher. Among his friends and students (including William Boyce, John Travers, Johan Helmich Roman and Benjamin Cooke ) were among the most outstanding musicians of his time. Not least because of his initiatives, England developed into a research center for early music, and that was played at a time when the continent exclusively music of the late 18th and early 19th century.

The Beggar's Opera

It is rumored, The Beggar's Opera ( "The Beggar's Opera ", music by Pepusch, text by John Gay) was the operatic Handel the death blow in 1728, which is probably too simplistic, since more than one reason comes into question. But you also have to remember that Handel's opera operation was a purely private company. Handel has nevertheless produced until 1741 operas, but in a much more modest scale, before he completely specialized in oratorio, got along well as The Beggar's Opera without expensive scenes, but the opera composers gave sufficient opportunity to fulfill themselves.

There must be other factors in play have been, the more difficult Handel opera business. However, it remains true that in the musical comedy that stands between musicals, cabaret and the farce with songs, not the heroes of old or shepherds and nymphs acted, but ordinary people from the street. In itself it involves a proven method of satire, and the audience recognized here quite its politicians again. The exactly 200 years later, written by Bertolt Brecht 's Threepenny Opera based on the text by John Gay, the music of Kurt Weill, with one exception ( the morning hymn of Peachum was taken from The Beggar's Opera), a new creation.

Pepusch comes out with simple musical means. The overture is only a four-part set. In place of the arias usually find folk songs with an unknown amount of bass.

The Chamber Music

Also in the chamber music Pepusch often suggests the folk style of, especially in the Gigues, which usually form the end of a sonata. It dances are not labeled as such, but only characterized by specifying the timing and pace. In Pepusch chamber music by the composer ( publisher) specified cast is not always consistent with the actual usable instruments correspond, in the Concerti Op 4, shown for 2 recorders, 2 flutes and basso continuo. The recorder plays a very important role in Pepusch work.

Also noteworthy are the English Cantatas on texts frühauf enlighten -driven English poet. They are conceptually a real antidote to Handel's " German Arias".