Johann Christoph Kellner (Composer)

Born: August 15, 1736 - Gräfenroda, Thuringia, Germany
Died: 1803

Johann Christoph Kellner was a German organist and composer. He was the son of Johann Peter Kellner (1705-1772). He was born in Gräfenroda, Thuringia, where he studied music with his father, moving to Gotha to study with Georg Benda in 1754, returning home in 1755. He went on to live in Amsterdam and The Hague between 1762 and 1763, eventually settling in Kassel in 1764, where he was appointed court organist and Kantor in the Lutheran church in 1772.

Johann Christoph Kellner wrote a treatise on music theory entitled Grundriss des Generalbasses, Op.16 pt.1 (Kassel, 1783, 1796), which was very successful. Most of his compositions are keyboard works in a similar galant style to his father's, with homophonic textures and clear song-like melodies. His concertos for harpsichord or piano anticipate the Viennese classical concerto, and share common features with his contemporary Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Many of his works were popular in their own time, as demonstrated by their inclusion in several 18^th century collections.

Compositions

Concertos for piano or harpsichord:
Published in Frankfurt.
Op.4: 1 concerto
Op.5: 3 concertos
Op.7: 3 concertos
Op.11: 1 concerto
Several more have been lost.

Organ and piano:
3 Vor- oder vielmehr Nachspiele, 3 Fugen, 3 Choral-Vorspiele, im Trio mit dem Canto-firmo, Op.14 pt 1, for organ (Kassel)
Orgel-Stücke von verschiedener Art, Op.14 pt 2, for organ (Kassel)
Mein trautes Röschen, rondo for piano (Speyer, 1782)
31 neue Orgelstücke, Op.17 pt 1 (Speyer, 1789): 12 preludes, 14 chorale preludes, fantasia, fugue, quartet for 4 hands and pedals, 2 trio chorales for 2 keyboards and pedals
Menuett, Fantasie, Fuge, Marche, Quartetto, for piano (Speyer, 1789)
Sinfonia, for piano (Speyer, 1789)
Neue Orgelstücke, op.17 pt 2, for organ (Darmstadt, 1793)
14 Orgelstücke, bestehend in leichten Vor- und Nachspielen, zwischen neuen Choral-Vorspielen, Op.20 pt 1, for organ (Brunswick)
Six fugues pour les Orgues ou le Clavecin, (Amsterdam, 1802)
Serenade, for piano, 2 violins, flute, 2 horns, bass; 2 sonatas, for piano with violin; concerto, for piano with 2 violins, op.13 (Kassel)
Sonata, for piano with violin and viola ad libitum, op.18 (Offenbach)

Vocal:
Empfindsamkeit is apparent in his vocal writing. Some cantatas attributed to Johann Peter Kellner may have been composed by him.
Die Schadenfreude, Op.10: Singspiel, C.F. Weisse (Kassel, 1782)
Herr Bachus ist ein braver Mann, song, G.A. Burger (Berlin, 1914)

Source: Wikipedia Website (from Karl Gustav Fellerer: 'Kellner, Johann Christoph', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy, accessed June 13, 2007)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (November 2008)

Works previously attributed to J.S. Bach

Fugue for organ in G major, BWV Anh 44 (or by Johann Peter Kellner)
Fugue for keyboard in C major, BWV Anh 88 (Anh III 181)

Links to other Sites

Johann Christoph Kellner (Wikipedia)

Bibliography