# Johann Kuhnau



## Lukecash12

I ran the search function, and took a little safari through the threads in the composer guestbooks, and I don't think anyone has started an entry on Kuhnau so far. Which is funny, because he was a pretty significant composer, and he even pretty much invented the modern keyboard sonata.

Check out this cantata of his that has been improperly attributed as a composition of JS Bach's:






Definitely doesn't sound like Bach to me. Don't see why they attributed it to him in the first place. And now a jubilant piece, his magnificat in C major:






And of course what he's known for, the biblical sonatas:











Really, if you want to see what he's known for, you want to check out his biblical sonatas.


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## clavichorder

Kuhnau is one of those ingenious and eccentric sounding North German composers. I intend to work on a movement of the Biblical Sonatas some day. I have heard good things about the cantatas but have yet to even know J.S. Bach's, although lack of more mainstream knowledge has never stopped me from knowing more obscure things(I know Lyapunov's Transcendental Etudes better than Liszt's)

Also, thanks for posting that video of my teacher/friend on the clavichord. We've had that discussion before though.


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## Lukecash12

clavichorder said:


> Kuhnau is one of those ingenious and eccentric sounding North German composers. I intend to work on a movement of the Biblical Sonatas some day. I have heard good things about the cantatas but have yet to even know J.S. Bach's, although lack of more mainstream knowledge has never stopped me from knowing more obscure things(I know Lyapunov's Transcendental Etudes better than Liszt's)
> 
> Also, thanks for posting that video of my teacher/friend on the clavichord. We've had that discussion before though.


Dude, you haven't heard Bach's cantatas yet? That's pretty much the main chunk of his output. I know you like Bach, so I'd really suggest you try them. You could start with a popular one like _wachet auf uft runs die stimme_.


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## kfriegedank

clavichorder said:


> Kuhnau is one of those ingenious and eccentric sounding North German composers. I intend to work on a movement of the Biblical Sonatas some day. I have heard good things about the cantatas but have yet to even know J.S. Bach's, although lack of more mainstream knowledge has never stopped me from knowing more obscure things(I know Lyapunov's Transcendental Etudes better than Liszt's)
> 
> Also, thanks for posting that video of my teacher/friend on the clavichord. We've had that discussion before though.


I am sorry to be 9 years late - but if you are still not familiar with Johann Kuhnau's Cantatas, I have a playlist (ongoing) of the complete scores, and some original manuscripts of his cantatas.

J.S Bach certainly learned a thing or two from him, especially telling in his Magnificat setting.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLafpqg3vsKmdp9q9ALGzFXZXw6EWw6xCi


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