Christoph Graupner's heirs fortunately disobeyed his will to destroy his compositions after his death, leading to his posthumous papers being acquired by the court chapel library in 1819 after a lawsuit.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Christoph Graupner believed the most important task of a composer was to bring the meaning and emphasis of a text to life through music with 'well-considered and choice expression'.
Composition History
Over 1400 sacred cantatas by Christoph Graupner have survived from his 45 years of court service, compared to only about 200 church cantatas by J.S. Bach.
Historical Context
At the Darmstadt court, Christoph Graupner had an exceptionally skilled soprano, Johanna Elisabeth Döbricht, at his disposal for sacred music, as the prince could override the ban on female performers in church.
Composition History
The texts for these cantatas were written by Christoph Graupner's brother-in-law, Johann Conrad Lichtenberg, a Darmstadt pastor who produced about 1500 cantata texts between 1719 and 1743.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Christoph Graupner frequently used instruments with unique timbres, such as the chalumeau, flauto d'amore, oboe d'amore, and viola d'amore, demonstrating his open-mindedness and inventiveness.
Composer Biography
Christoph Graupner, a contemporary of J.S. Bach and G.P. Telemann, was the Leipzig town council's preferred candidate for the St. Thomas cantorate in 1722, but his employer forbade him to leave.
