# Underrated gem II: Johann Kunau's Magnificat in C Major (Bach's predecessor.}



## kfriegedank

Johann Kuhnau - the Thomaskantor of the Leipzig Church before Johann Sebastian Bach stepped in, this was the style of music people of the city would listen to at the time, remarkably similar in every aspect to Bach's Cantata's - this proves Kuhnau to be Bach's greatest influence.


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## Ariasexta

I do feel significant influences of Kuhnau on Bachs vocal and instrumental works, it is sad that many of Kuhnaus works are presumed lost. Judging from surviving works, he was a talented one. Being reserved in scale and virtuosic expressions, but achieved a high level of melodic innovativity and harmonic fineness. Judging from the surviving cantatas by him, I doubt that he ever really composed large scale vocal music and that he composed a lot. Because the clarity and the translucent fineness of his vocal works speak to limited resources made best for use, it is said at Kuhnaus tenure, the Leipzig St Thomas church had very poor financial support. He must have to adapt to the situation and recycle many works, so he might have spent a lot of time on literature. He might not have composed as much as Bach, but his works still show an outstanding ability in forging the coming expressive trend to be led by Bach and Telemann. His Te Deum was among the lost works known, but I would say he never composed it, probably planned.


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## Ariasexta

In my mind, the most prominant influences on Bach:

1-Dietrich Buxtehude and Johann J Froberger 
2-Johann Christoph Bach(1642-1703) and Johann Michael Bach(1648-1694)
3-Johann Kuhnau
4-Johann Pachelbel 
5-Franssois Couperin and Antonio Vivaldi and other foreign composers. 

There is on outstanding Bach pupil worthy to listen to Gottfried August Homilius (1714 1785), he left a significant number of cantatas which are also well-written, shows the clear imprint of Bach: lengthy, melodic brisk arias, powerfully contrapuntal chorals, smooth recitatives.


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