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Cornelius Heinrich Dretzel (Composer, Organ, Bach's Pupil) |
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Born: September 1697 ((baptised: September 18, 1697) - Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany
Died: May 7, 1755 - Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany |
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The German composer, organist and musicographer, Cornelius Heinrich Dretzel [Drexel], was born the son of Georg Heinrich Dretzel (organist in Nuremberg). was a grandson of Georg Dretzel (c1610-after 1676; organist of St Michael, Schwäbisch Hall) and nephew of Valentin, the most important member of the family. A possible student of Johann Pachelbel's eldest son, C.H. Dretzel may have studied with J.S. Bach in Weimar in 1716-1717. He appears to have spent his whole life in Nuremberg, his hometown, in various organists' posts: from about 1711 at the Liebfrauenkirche; from 1719 to 1743 at the Egidienkirche; from 1743 to 1764 at the Lorenzkirche; from 1764 at the Sebalduskirche (substituted in 17724 or 17755).
Cornelius Heinrich Dretzel's keyboard counterpoints and fugues were his forte having thoroughly emersed himself in the works of J.S. Bach. His reputation as a virtuoso player and contrapuntist is supported by his solo harpsichord concerto, Harmonische Ergötzung, influenced by J.S. Bach's Italian Concerto (BWV 971). Indeed Harmonische Ergötzung was long thought to be composed by J.S. Bach. An early version of the slow movement was entered into Schmeider as BWV 897:1. C.H. Dretzel's own "divertimenti" were thought to be lost until they were found in a collection that had belonged to Haydn. Of hymnological importance is his collection and commentary Des evangelishen Zions musicalische Harmonie (1731), which contains over 900 melodies, suspended over a continuous bass, most appealing in print for the first time in their local versions; the preface discusses the origin and development of the chorale.
Cornelius Heinrich Dretzel was first mentioned as a J.S. Bach's pupil by Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart in 1779 after his death. In 1784/1785 Schubart wrote in more detail: "Drexel, ein Schüler des großen Sebastian Bachs, und zwar einer seiner besten. Er spielte die Orgel mit vieler Gewalt, verstand besonders die Register ausnehmend, und setzte mit Geist für dieses sein Instrument" (Drexel, a student of the great Sebastian Bach, one of his best. He played the organ with a lot of force, especially understood the registers, and set his instrument for it with spirit). The sources do not indicate when J.S. Bach was supposed to give the lessons. Löffler's dating to J.S. Bach's Weimar period around 1716-1717 seems to be a pure conjecture. In principle, a later stay in Köthen (Anhalt) or Leipzig would also be conceivable in terms of further training, as evidenced by the J.S. Bach's pupils Georg Heinrich Ludwig Schwanberg (A-22) and Johann Gottfried Müthel (A-61). After all, it cannot be confirmed with absolute certainty that Schubart meant “Drexel” to the Nuremberg organist C.H. Dretzel mentioned here.
Referencese: Koska: B-5; GND: 100462073; Bach Digital: 00001927 |
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Works (from WorldCat Libraries) |
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Choralbuch , org - BSB Mus.ms. 4824 (244 Sacred songs):
Veni sancte spiritus reple, org, 7.Ton (mixolydisch): [p.98, with black ink pagination and title:] Veni sancte [at right, with pencil: "Dretzel"].
Komm Heiliger Geist erfüll die Herzen, org, F-Dur: [p.100, with black ink pagination and title:] Kom̄, heiliger Geist, erfüll p. [at right, with pencil: "aus Dretzel"].
Seele laß die Speise stehen, org, 1.Ton (dorisch): [p.152, with black ink pagination and title:] Seele! laß die Speise stehen pp. [added with pencil: "aus Dretzel 1te 4te Art"].
Traute Seelen euer Ordnung, org, E-Dur: [p.178, with black ink pagination and title, but crossed out:] Singen wir aus Herzens=Grund p. [corrected with: "Traute Seelen! Euer Ordnung."] [at right with pencil: "von Dretzel // componirt."].
Danket dem Herrn denn er ist freundlich, org, g-Moll: [p.176, with black ink pagination and title:] Danket dem Herrn pp.
Lobet den Herrn, org, 1.Ton (dorisch): [p.177, with black ink pagination and title:] Lobet den Herrn pp.
Wie selig ist der Mann, org, 1.Ton (dorisch): [p.175, with black ink pagination and title, but crossed out: "Wer ist der Herr pp." and not crossed out:] Wie seelig ist der Mann.
Des Evangelischen Zions musicalische Harmonie, oder: Evangelisches Choral-Buch : worinnen die wahre Melodien derer ... Kirchen-Lieder ... und mit einem signirten Bass versehen zufinden ... nebst einem Anhang und historischen Vorrede von Ursprung, Alterthum, und sondern Merkwürdigkeiten des Chorals ..., For voice and continuo; textual incipits only (Preface dated Nürnburg, 3 April 3, 1731)
[Mozart Nachlass, manuscript MN 104 : organ and harpsichord music]:
Fuga N. 3 [BWV Anh. III 177] by Cornelius Heinrich Dretzel, according to Schmieder catalog.
Original housed in the Archiv des Domchores, Salzburg, as Mozart Nachlass MN 104. |
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Sources:
1. Answers.com Website (from Music Encyclopedia)
2. Barnes & Noble Website (Author: Keith Johnson)
3. Malcom Boyd, editor: Oxford Composer Companion J.S. Bach (Oxford University Press, 1999), p 142
4. Bernd Koska: Bachs Privatschüler in Bach-Jahrbuch 2019, English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2020)
5. Wikipedia Website (March 2020)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (November 2008) |
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Works previously attributed to J.S. Bach |
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Prelude & Fugue for keyboard in A minor, BWV 897: Prelude |
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Links to other Sites |
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Cornelius Heinrich Dretzel (Answers.com)
Cornelius Heinrich Dretzel Biography (Barnes & Noble)
Dretzel, Cornelius Heinrich (Bach digital)
Cornelius Heinrich Dretzel (Wikipedia) |
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Bibliography |
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Sources 4: Dok III, Nr. 837, 903a; Löffler 1929/31, Anh. Nr. 5; Löffler 1953, Nr. 19; MGGo
Sources 5: Ahlgrimm, Isolde (1969). "Cornelius Heinrich Dretzel, der Autor des J. S. Bach zugeschriebenen Klavierwerkes BWV 897" [Cornelius Heinrich Dretzel, the composer of the keyboard piece BWV 897, ascribed to J. S. Bach]. In Dürr, Alfred; Neumann, Werner (eds.). Bach-Jahrbuch 1969 [Bach Yearbook 1969]. Bach-Jahrbuch (in German). 55. Neue Bachgesellschaft. Berlin: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt [de]. pp. 67–77. doi:10.13141/bjb.v1969. |
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