Today we remember Friederich Wilhelm Zachow who was born this day in 1663. Zachow probably received his training from his father, the piper Heinrich Zachow, one of Leipzigs town musicians in the Alta capella, and maybe from Johann Schelle, a leading German composer, when the family moved to Eilenburg.[1] As Kantor and organist of Halles Market Church in 1684 he succeeded Samuel Ebart. During his time at Halle he became particularly renowned as a composer of dramatic cantatas. In 1695 he was criticized by the pietists because of his excessive long and elaborate music, that could be only appreciated by cantors and organists.[2] Zachow was influenced by Johann Theile in Merseburg and the poetry of Erdmann Neumeister, pastor in the nearby Weissenfels, and his criticism on pietism. Zachow was the teacher of Gottfried Kirchhoff, Johann Philipp Krieger and Johann Gotthilf Ziegler,[1] but is best remembered as George Frideric Handels first music teacher. He taught Handel how to play the violin, organ, harpsichord, and oboe as well as counterpoint. Zachows teaching was so effective, that in 1702 at the age of seventeen, Handel accepted a position as organist at the former Dom in Halle. It is said that after Zachow died in 1712, Handel became a benefactor to his widow and children in gratitude for his teachers instruction.[3] In 1713 J.S. Bach was invited as Zachows successor. Handel continued to use Zachows compositions in his own works, not simply quoting, but also in terms of instrumental colour; for example the cantata Herr, wenn ich nur dich habe, which is unique in having a harp solo in the German cantata repertoire, was copied by Handel, taken to London, and may have influenced the instrumentation of Saul and Esther. youtube/watch?v=MoDYNuV63Tk
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 20:46:07 +0000
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