Johann Peter Kellner (Composer, Kantor, Copyist, Bach's Pupi?l)

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Johann Peter Kellner (Composer, Kantor, Copyist, Bach's Pupil?)

Born: September 28¹ ³ or 29², 1705 - Gräfenroda, Thuringia, Germany
Died: April 19, 1772 (buried: April 22, 1772) - Gräfenroda, Thuringia, Germany

Johann Peter Kellner [Keller, Kelner] was a German organist and composer, father of Johann Christoph Kellner (1736-1803). His parents wished him to become a lamp-black merchant like his father, Peter Kellner, but he was determined to study music. He probably received his first training at the village school in Gräfenroda, where he sang under the Kantor Johann Peter Nagel; his first keyboard teacher was Nagel's son Johann Heinrich. around 1718-1720 he was a pupil of the now schoolmaster Heinrich Nagel in Dietendorf. He next studied for a year in Zella (presumably 1720-1721) with the organist Johann Schmidt (C-3) and then for a year in Suhl (presumably 1721-1722) with the organist Hieronymous Florentius Quehl, who gave him his first composition lessons. Kellner next returned to Gräfenroda and served for three years as a tutor with the Pastor Jeremias Schneider (1723-1725). On October 21, 1725 he successfully auditioned for the post of Kantor in neighbouring Frankenhain, where he remained for over two years. In December 1727 he was back in Gräfenroda, first as assistant Kantor under J.P. Nagel and later, after Nagel's death in 1732, as Kantor. He remained in this post until his death.

Johann Peter Kellner was famous throughout Thuringia as an organist and teacher. According to his autobiography, published in F.W. Marpurg's Historische-kritische Beyträge zur Aufnahme der Musik (Berlin, 1754-1778/R, i, 439-45) he performed for the dukes of Coburg and Weimar and the Prince of Sondershausen. Among his many pupils were Johann Philipp Kirnberger, J.E. Rembt and Johannes Ringk. Kellner also played a critical role in the dissemination of the music of J.S. Bach, evinced by the many manuscript copies of J.S. Bach's compositions - primarily keyboard and organ works - that stem from his circle. These manuscripts, many of which are in Kellner's hand, often represent the earliest or only source of a work, and they shed light on the chronology, compositional history and authenticity of the music. Kellner appears also to have transcribed for keyboard certain chamber works by J.S. Bach, such as the sonatas BWV 1027 and BWV 1039. Whether he was a pupil of J.S. Bach is unclear, but the two knew one another personally. Another of Kellner's acquaintances was George Frideric Handel.

On the whole, Johann Peter Kellner's keyboard music typifies the galant idiom of the post-J.S. Bach generation, despite the obvious influence of J.S. Bach's Das wohltemperierte Clavier on certain movements of the Certamen musicum. Although his organ works incline more toward late Baroque style, the setting of Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan achieves a thoroughly Rococo texture. The D minor organ fugue (BWV Anh.180) is a double fugue featuring separate expositions for the two subjects. Rather pedestrian by comparison is the C minor organ fugue, which is merely a transposition of a movement from the Certamen musicum and was published in 1947 as a work by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (ed. E. Power Biggs). The Prelude and Fugue in D minor is noteworthy for its brilliant pedal solo, which reflects Kellner's virtuosity as an organist. His ornamental setting of Herzlich tut mich verlangen (BWV Anh. 47) is still regularly played.

Johann Peter Kellner mentioned in his autobiography published by Marpurg in 1755 his acquaintance with J.S. Bach, who was preceded by knowledge of his works. The remark made by Kellner's son Johann Christoph Kellner (1803) that his father was "ein guter Freund von S. Bach" (a good friend of S. Bach) seems somewhat exaggerated. The perhaps only one-time encounter with J.S. Bach could have taken place in Leipzig in 1729, in connection with a journey by J.P. Kellner to Halle (Saale), where he met George Frideric Handel. However, actual training with J.S. Bach, as suggested by Spitta (1880) and more recently by Peter Harder (2012), cannot be proven.

References: Koska: C-14; GND: 118951319; Bach Digital: 00003065

Works

printed works published in Arnstadt unless otherwise stated; MSS in B-Bc, D-Bsb, Dl, LEm, NL-DHgm

Organ:
Fugue, d, Prelude and Fugue, d, 2 trios, D, G, all ed. G. Feder, Die Orgel, ii/7 (Lippstadt, 1958); Prelude in C, ed. R. Wilhelm, Orgelmusik um Johann Sebastian Bach (Wiesbaden, 1985); 2 fugues, c, D; 3 preludes, C, C, g; 2 preludes and fugues, both G; chorale settings: Herzlich tut mich verlangen (Leipzig, 1907); Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan (Leipzig, 1907); Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten (Wiesbaden, 1985); Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich; Nun danket alle Gott; Allein Gott in der Höh sei Her

Other Keyboard:
Certamen musicum, bestehend aus Präludien, Fugen, Allemanden, Couranten, Sarabanden, Giguen, wie auch Menuetten, 6 suites (1739–49); 3 Sonates (1752); Manipulus musices, oder Eine Hand voll kurzweiliger Zeitvertreib, 4 suites (1752–6); Concerto, F (Leipzig, 1956); 2 fugues, a, C; Menuet, a; 3 preludes and fugues, a, C, G; 2 sonatas; 12 Variationes

Vocal:
36 church cants., D-F; annual cycle of church cants. with obbl org, 1753 (lost)

Other works listed in Fechner and MGG1 may be by Kellner's son, Johann Christoph Kellner

Fuge, d-Moll BWV Anh. 180
Fuge, G-Dur BWV Anh. 44 / Anh. III 181->
Fuge c-Moll BR-WFB YA 148; BR-JCFB YA 2; Wf XX/4
Fughetta d-Moll BWV deest (NBA Serie V:14)
Herzlich tut mich verlangen / Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder BWV Anh. 47 / Anh. III 172->; Emans 12
Praeludium F-Dur BWV deest (NBA Serie IV:9)
Trio, G-dur BWV 1027 / Anh. II 46->

Works of Bach he copied [Manuscript No. in Bach Digital / Work / Performance/Copy date]

Sources:
1. Grove Music Online, © Oxford University Press 2006, acc. 3/5-06 (Author: Russell Stinson)
2. Bernd Koska: Bachs Privatschüler in Bach-Jahr 2019, English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2020)
3. Bach Digital Website (May 2019)
Contributed by Thomas Braatz (April 2006), Aryeh Oron (May 2020)

Works previously attributed to J.S. Bach

Fugue for organ in G major, BWV Anh 44 (or by Johann Christoph Kellner)
Chorale Prelude for organ Herzlich tut mich verlangen, BWV Anh 47
Fugue for keyboard in D minor, BWV Anh 180

Use of Chorale Melodies in his works

3 Chorale Variations for 2 Manuals & Pedal Organ Allein Gott in der Höh sei Her (CM: Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr)

Chorale Prelude for organ Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich (CM: Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich)

Chorale Prelude for organ Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan (CM: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan)

Chorale Prelude for organ Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten (CM: Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten)

Links to other Sites

Kellner, Johann Peter (Bach Digital)

Bibliography

FrotscherG | MGG1 (L. Hoffman-Erbrecht)
W. Kahl, ed.: Selbstbiographien deutscher Musiker des XVIII. Jahrhunderts (Cologne, 1948/R)
Gedenkschrift anlässlich der Johann-Peter-Kellner-Festwoche in Gräfenroda (Gräfenroda, 1955)
M. Fechner: Die Klavier- und Orgelwerke Johann Peter Kellners (Diplomarbeit, U. of Leipzig, 1965)
H.-J. Schulze: Bach-Dokumente, iii (Kassel and Leipzig, 1972)
R. Stinson: The Bach Manuscripts of Johann Peter Kellner and his Circle: a Case Study in Reception History (Durham, NC, 1989)
R. Stinson: ‘“Ein Sammelband aus Johann Peter Kellners Besitz”: neue Forschungen zur Berliner Bach-Handschrift P804’, BJb 1992, 45-64
R. Stinson: Preface to Keyboard Transcriptions from the Bach Circle (Madison, WI, 1992)
Sources 2: F. W. Marpurg, Historisch-Kritische Beyträge zur Aufnahme der Musik, Bd. I, Berlin 1755, S. 440 (= Dok III, Nr. 663); Dok III, Nr. 921; Spitta II, S. 729; Löffler 1929/31, Nr. 22; Löffler 1936, S. 112f.; Löffler 1953, Nr. 32; MGGo; P. Harder, Kellner-Kantaten. Zur Problematik der Zuweisung. Versuch einer Rekonstruktion der Kantaten-Jahrgänge, Manuskript Gräfenroda 2012; Landeskirchenarchiv Eisenach, Superintendentur Ichtershausen, Nr. 280 (Schuldienermatrikel mit Lebensläufen 1758 bis 1861)
References 3: NBA I/40; IV/1–3, 5–11; V/1, 3–6.2, 8–12; VI/1–3, 5; VII/4, 5; VIII/1; IX/2; BR II; IV; VI; Dok II, III, V, VI

Bach's Pupils: List of Bach's Pupils | Actual and Potential Non-Thomaner Singers and Players who participated in Bach’s Figural Music in Leipzig | Alumni of the Thomasschule in Leipzig during Bach's Tenure | List of Bach's Private Pupils | List of Bach's Copyists
Thomanerchor Leipzig: Short History | Members: 1729 | 1730 | 1731 | 1740-1741 | 1744-1745 | Modern Times
Bach’s Pupils Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2
Articles: Organizional Structure of the Thomasschule in Leipzig | The Rules Established for the Thomasschule by a Noble and Very Wise Leipzig City Council - Printed by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf Leipzig, 1733 | Homage Works for Thomas School Rectors

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