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David Nicolai (Organ, Bach's Pupil) |
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Born: February 22, 1702 - Görlitz, about 90 km east of Dresden, Saxony, Germany
Died: November 25, 1764 - Görlitz, Saxony, Germany |
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David Nicolai was a German organist. He studied with the organist Christian Ludwig Boxberg (1670-1729) in Görlitz from c1713; and at the University of Leipzig from 1727 to 1729 (enrollment on May 13, 1727); and studied privately with J.S. Bach in Leipzig during this time. In 1729 he approached J.S. Bach for testimonial in support of his application to succeed C.L. Boxberg as organist at the Petrikirche in Görlitz, and was appointed there in 1730 (adjoint in 1755).
In his application to Görlitz in 1729, David Nicolai spoke of the "fidelen Unterweisung" (jolly instruction) he enjoyed and the "nützlichen Umgang" (useful handling) of J.S. Bach. A letter from J.S. Bach to Nicolai from 1729 contained in the Görlitz files shows a particularly warm tone and promises a testimony. However, this was probably never issued, or at least not in time, because otherwise Nicolai would surely have enclosed his letter to the Görlitz Council instead of J.S. Bach's private letter. A planned education for the son David Traugott Nicolai (1733-1799) apparently also did not come about because of J.S. Bach death.
References: Koska: A-23; GND: 141420162; Bach Digital: 00003876 |
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His son, David Traugott Nicolai [Nikolai] (1733-1799) was an organist and composer. He studied music under his father, went to the Görlitz Gymnasium and from 1753 to 1755 read law, physics and mathematics at the University of Leipzig. From 1758 he assisted his father and in 1764 succeeded him as organist of the Hauptkirche; in 1775 he became electoral court organist. In his time he was considered ‘one of the greatest living organ players’ (GerberL), and was respected as an improviser as well as an expert in organ building. He constructed several models of a keyboard musical glasses that attracted attention when he demonstrated it in 1784. From 1796 he was assisted as organist by his eldest son, Carl Samuel Traugott Nicolai, who succeeded him. Among Nicolai’s few compositions are a Fantasie und Fuge for organ (Dresden and Leipzig, 1789), other organ fugues and piano sonatas, mostly published in collections, and cantatas.
References: GND: 104163062, 00003877; Bach Digital: GND: 104163062 |
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Sources:
1. Grove Music Online (Author: Gunter Hempel; Accessed: June 22, 2014) Copyright © Oxford University Press 2007-2014;
2. Oxford Composer Companions J.S. Bach (Editor: Malcolm Boyd, OUP, 1999)
3. fine-print footnotes in the Bach-Dokumente
4. Bernd Koska: Bachs Privatschüler in Bach-Jahrbuch 2019, English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2020)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (June 2014, May 2020); Thomas Braatz (January 2011, June 2014) |
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Links to other Sites |
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Nicolai, David (Bach Digital)
Nicolai, David Traugott (Bach Digital) |
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Bibliography |
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MGG1 (R. Eller) | GerberL | SchillingE
M. Gondolatsch: Görlitzer Musikleben in vergangenen Zeiten (Görlitz, 1914)
Sources: Dok I, Nr. 21; Dok II, Nr. 267, 1042; M. Gondolatsch, Görlitzer Musikleben in vergangenen Zeiten, Görlitz 1914; Löffler 1929/31, Nr. 21; Löffler 1953, Nr. 31 |
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