# Johann David Heinichen (1681 - 1729)



## Taggart

Johann David Heinichen was born in the small village of Krössuln. His father Michael Heinichen had studied music at the celebrated Thomasschule Leipzig associated with the Thomaskirche, served as Kantor in Pegau and was pastor of the village church in Krössuln. In 1695, Johann David also attended Thomasschule Leipzig. There he studied music with Johann Schelle and later received organ and harpsichord lessons with Johann Kuhnau.

In 1702, he began to study law at the University of Leipzig, qualifying in 1706. In the early 18th century the law was a favoured route for composers; J. Kuhnau, C. Graupner and Georg Philipp Telemann were also lawyers. Johann David practised law for three years. He began composing occasional music for Duke Johann Georg's court and in 1709 moved back to Leipzig to write for the opera house. In 1710, he published the first edition of his major treatise on the thorough-bass.

Heinichen has been described as the "Rameau of Germany" by both Matheson and Burney. This reflects the importance of his writings on theoretical composition. These are now studied today by those seeking an insight into performing methods.

In 1710, Heinichen decided to leave for Venice to improve his understanding of opera and music. Heinichen's success was compared with that of Handel in that the public demanded more repetitions of his operas than for almost any other composer. He was considered on the three great H's of German music with Handel and Hasse.

In 1712, while in Rome, he became tutor to Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cothen. In 1716 the Prince-Elector of Saxony was in Italy on the Grand Tour and met Heinichen. He was impressed by his music and hired him as Kapellmeister to the Dresden Court. Heinichen moved to Dresden with the Prince in 1717. Heinichen married in 1721 but from 1723 his health was poor and he died of Tuberculosis in 1729.

Augustus II's court was an ideal situation for a composer. It boasted the greatest orchestra in Europe, for which scores of composers (including A. Vivaldi, G.P. Telemann, and Tomaso Albinoni) spontaneously wrote concerti; it employed numerous other eminent composers, like Johann Joachim Quantz, Francesco Veracini, and Jan Dismas Zelenka; and it had a patron who was determined to keep the music playing. Heinichen's compositions for the Dresden court capture the spirit of their time and place, they mirror the legendary vitality, superabundance and self-confidence of his patron Augustus the Strong and never lose sight of their duty to represent the King-Elector to the world. His music revels in the instrumental colours the Dresden orchestra could create, and moves along with splendid rhythmic spring and vigour. If his music is occasionally too extroverted, it is a forgivable excess.

While he was at Dresden, Heinichen also had the opportunity to rewrite his treatise _Der General-Bass in der Composition_, which provides much more than its title would indicate; it is a manual for composition, a discussion of the proper expression of the affections in music, and a compendium of footnotes and asides which sound like an eager professor instructing his students. It was one of the most respected texts of its day.

Heinichen's music has recently been revived by scholar/conductor Reinhard Goebel and and Musica Antiqua Köln. Their performances of his work are marked by an imagination and virtuosic gusto that belies the large amount of research and deep insight needed to bring these works to our attention.

Sources: Bach Cantata Classical Net


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## Taggart

Couple of his church works

A Te Deum






A Magnificat


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## vesteel

A collection of his concertos:










And my favorite piece by him:


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## vesteel

The picture you posted above is not Heinichen, but of Johann Adolph Hasse, another Dresden composer. As far as I know, no portrait of Heinichen survives.


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## Ingélou

*Johann David Heinichen - Flavio Crispo - Il Gusto Barocco
*





Delightful songs from *Flavio Crispo*, the lone opera composed for Dresden by Heinichen - the reason for its being the lone one told below by Wiki - 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavio_Crispo

It must have been upsetting for him, but is entertaining to read about.


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## Rogerx

One of my favorites, going to spin it later ....


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## Ingélou

Rogerx said:


> One of my favorites, going to spin it later ....


I just listened to your YouTube Video - Heinichen's Missa No 12 in D major - and it's :angel: celestial. 
Thank you. :tiphat:


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