The son of a prosperous tax collector, Mattheson received a broad liberal education and, aside from general musical training, took lessons in keyboard instruments, violin, composition and singing. By age nine he was singing and playing organ in church and was a member of the chorus of the Hamburg opera. He made his solo debut with the Hamburg opera in 1696 in female roles and, after his voice changed, sang tenor at the opera, conducted rehearsals and composed operas himself. He was cantor at St. Mary's Cathedral from 1718 until increasing deafness led to his retirement from that post in 1728.[citation needed]
Mattheson's chief occupation from 1706 was as a professional diplomat. He had studied English in school and spoke it fluently. He became tutor to the son of the English ambassador Sir John Wich and then secretary to the ambassador. He went on diplomatic missions abroad representing the ambassador. In 1709 he married Catharina Jennings, the daughter of an English clergyman; their marriage was without issue.[citation needed]
Friendship with Handel
Mattheson was a close friend of George Frideric Handel, although he nearly killed Handel in a sudden quarrel, during a performance of Mattheson's opera Cleopatra in 1704. Handel was saved only by a large button which turned aside Mattheson's sword. The two were afterwards reconciled and remained in correspondence for life: shortly after his friend's death, Mattheson translated John Mainwaring's biography of Handel into German and had it published in Hamburg at his own expense ("auf Kosten des Übersetzers") in 1761.[2]
Mattheson is mainly famous as a music theorist. He was the most abundant writer on performance practice, theatrical style, and harmony of the German Baroque.[3] He is particularly important for his work on the relationship of the disciplines of rhetoric and music, for example in Das neu-eröffnete Orchestre[4] and Der vollkommene Capellmeister.[5] However his books raise more and more attention and suspicion because Mattheson was a brilliant polemist and his theories on music are often full of pedantry and pseudo-erudition.[6]
The bulk of his compositional output was vocal, including eight operas, and numerous oratorios and cantatas. He also wrote a few sonatas and some keyboard music, including pieces meant for keyboard instruction. All of his music, except for one opera, one oratorio, and a few collections of instrumental music, went missing after World War II, but was given back to Hamburg from Yerevan, Armenia, in 1998. This includes four operas and most of the oratorios. The manuscripts are now located at the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg, the former Hamburg Stadtbibliothek (City Library).[citation needed]
^Ruth Tatlow; Ruth Mary Tatlow (21 February 1991). Bach and the Riddle of the Number Alphabet. Cambridge University Press. p. 116. ISBN978-0-521-36191-0.
^Georg Friderich Händels Lebensbeschreibung, nebst einem Verzeichnisse seiner Ausübungswerke und deren Beurtheilung; übersetzet, auch mit einigen Anmerkungen, absonderlich über den hamburgischen Artikel, versehen vom Legations-Rath Mattheson, Hamburgh, auf Kosten des Übersetzers, 1761 (accessible for free online as a Google ebook).
^Gary, Fred B. (Spring 1962). "Some Publications of Johann Matteson". University of Rochester Library Bulletin. XVII (3).
^Agathe Sueur, Le Frein et l'Aiguillon. Eloquence musicale et nombre oratoire (XVIe-XVIIIe siècle), Paris, Classiques Garnier, 2014. "Johann Mattheson et le pédantisme: des usages de l'érudition dans la théorie musicale allemande au XVIIIe siècle", Revue de musicologie, 2014, 100/1, pp.3-36.
Stubbs, Stephen. "Johann Mattheson—the Russian Connection: The Rediscovery of Boris Goudenow and His Other Lost Operas". Early Music 33, no. 2 (May 2005): 283–92.
johann, mattheson, september, 1681, april, 1764, german, composer, singer, writer, lexicographer, diplomat, music, theorist, born, 1681, september, 1681hamburgdied17, april, 1764, 1764, aged, hamburgoccupation, german, composer, theorist, contents, early, life. Johann Mattheson 28 September 1681 17 April 1764 1 was a German composer singer writer lexicographer diplomat and music theorist Johann MatthesonJohann MatthesonBorn 1681 09 28 28 September 1681HamburgDied17 April 1764 1764 04 17 aged 82 HamburgOccupation s German composer and theorist Contents 1 Early life and career 2 Friendship with Handel 3 Literary and musical legacy 4 Selected works 4 1 Operas 4 2 Oratorios 5 Death 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External linksEarly life and career EditThe son of a prosperous tax collector Mattheson received a broad liberal education and aside from general musical training took lessons in keyboard instruments violin composition and singing By age nine he was singing and playing organ in church and was a member of the chorus of the Hamburg opera He made his solo debut with the Hamburg opera in 1696 in female roles and after his voice changed sang tenor at the opera conducted rehearsals and composed operas himself He was cantor at St Mary s Cathedral from 1718 until increasing deafness led to his retirement from that post in 1728 citation needed Mattheson s chief occupation from 1706 was as a professional diplomat He had studied English in school and spoke it fluently He became tutor to the son of the English ambassador Sir John Wich and then secretary to the ambassador He went on diplomatic missions abroad representing the ambassador In 1709 he married Catharina Jennings the daughter of an English clergyman their marriage was without issue citation needed Friendship with Handel EditMattheson was a close friend of George Frideric Handel although he nearly killed Handel in a sudden quarrel during a performance of Mattheson s opera Cleopatra in 1704 Handel was saved only by a large button which turned aside Mattheson s sword The two were afterwards reconciled and remained in correspondence for life shortly after his friend s death Mattheson translated John Mainwaring s biography of Handel into German and had it published in Hamburg at his own expense auf Kosten des Ubersetzers in 1761 2 Literary and musical legacy Edit Der vollkommene Capellmeister Hamburg 1739 Mattheson is mainly famous as a music theorist He was the most abundant writer on performance practice theatrical style and harmony of the German Baroque 3 He is particularly important for his work on the relationship of the disciplines of rhetoric and music for example in Das neu eroffnete Orchestre 4 and Der vollkommene Capellmeister 5 However his books raise more and more attention and suspicion because Mattheson was a brilliant polemist and his theories on music are often full of pedantry and pseudo erudition 6 The bulk of his compositional output was vocal including eight operas and numerous oratorios and cantatas He also wrote a few sonatas and some keyboard music including pieces meant for keyboard instruction All of his music except for one opera one oratorio and a few collections of instrumental music went missing after World War II but was given back to Hamburg from Yerevan Armenia in 1998 This includes four operas and most of the oratorios The manuscripts are now located at the Staats und Universitatsbibliothek Hamburg the former Hamburg Stadtbibliothek City Library citation needed Selected works EditOperas Edit Cleopatra Boris GoudenowOratorios Edit Das grosste Kind Weihnachtsoratorium Die heilsame Geburt Weihnachtsoratorium Joseph Oratorium 1727 Der liebreiche und geduldige DavidDeath EditAfter his death in 1764 Johann Mattheson was buried in the vault of Hamburg s St Michaelis Church where his grave can be visited citation needed See also EditDoctrine of the affections Letters and writings of George Frideric HandelNotes Edit Ruth Tatlow Ruth Mary Tatlow 21 February 1991 Bach and the Riddle of the Number Alphabet Cambridge University Press p 116 ISBN 978 0 521 36191 0 Georg Friderich Handels Lebensbeschreibung nebst einem Verzeichnisse seiner Ausubungswerke und deren Beurtheilung ubersetzet auch mit einigen Anmerkungen absonderlich uber den hamburgischen Artikel versehen vom Legations Rath Mattheson Hamburgh auf Kosten des Ubersetzers 1761 accessible for free online as a Google ebook Gary Fred B Spring 1962 Some Publications of Johann Matteson University of Rochester Library Bulletin XVII 3 Hamburg 1713 cf Extracts at koelnklavier de Hamburg 1739 cf Extracts at koelnklavier de Agathe Sueur Le Frein et l Aiguillon Eloquence musicale et nombre oratoire XVIe XVIIIe siecle Paris Classiques Garnier 2014 Johann Mattheson et le pedantisme des usages de l erudition dans la theorie musicale allemande au XVIIIe siecle Revue de musicologie 2014 100 1 pp 3 36 References Edit Johann Mattheson Rhetoric and music from The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ed Stanley Sadie 20 vol London Macmillan Publishers Ltd 1980 ISBN 1 56159 174 2 Manfred Bukofzer Music in the Baroque Era New York W W Norton amp Co 1947 ISBN 0 393 09745 5Further reading EditStubbs Stephen Johann Mattheson the Russian Connection The Rediscovery of Boris Goudenow and His Other Lost Operas Early Music 33 no 2 May 2005 283 92 External links EditFree scores by Johann Mattheson at the International Music Score Library Project IMSLP music and books Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Johann Mattheson amp oldid 1133974934, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
