Georg Melchior Hoffmann (c. 1679 – 6 October 1715) was a Baroque composer who was influential as the leader at the
Collegium Musicum in Leipzig. Some of his compositions have been mistaken for those of
Johann Sebastian Bach.
Biography
Hoffman was born sometime around 1679 (or 1685 according to some sources) in
Bärenstein (now part of
Altenberg),
Saxony, Germany.[2] His first musical service was as a choirboy in Dresden, under the tutelage of Johann Christoph Schmidt.[2] In 1702 he moved to Leipzig to study law. Simultaneously he joined
Georg Philipp Telemann at the Collegium Musicum in
Leipzig[2] and acted as the organization's copyist.[3] Hoffmann succeeded Telemann as director of the Collegium Musicum in 1705, a position that did not end until Hoffman's death ten years later.[4] In this position he became an educator,[5] and his students included
Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel.[4] He was noted for expanding the orchestra at the Collegium to more than 40 musicians.[6] Other responsibilities included being the organist at the
Neukirche, and director of the Leipzig civic opera, for which he composed several works. He is known to have journeyed to England sometime around the years 1709-1710. In 1713 he began to suffer from the malady which would eventually prove fatal.[2] He accepted a position as the organist at the Liebfrauenkirche at
Halle in the spring of 1714, but resigned July 12 of that year having never served in that capacity.[2] He married Margaretha Elisabeth Philipp on 9 September 1714.[2] He succumbed to illness, in otherwise prosperous circumstances, on 6 October 1715.[2]
Compositions
Hoffmann's compositions have been mistaken for the work of
J. S. Bach. Research has indicated that an
aria for
alto,
Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde, BWV 53, and the solo cantata for
tenor,
Meine Seele rühmt und preist, BWV 189,[7] are likely works by Hoffmann, and of more positive identification is a
Magnificat in A minor for solo soprano and small group, which during the 19th century was assigned a
BWV number of BWV Anh. 21.[4] He has been sometimes confused with composer
Johann Georg Hoffmann [], although there is no relation.[2] None of his operas survive, but contemporary reviews indicate they were well received.[6] He has been identified as the first composer to use bells in a serious manner.[8]
German Magnificat in A minor (
c. 1707), Meine Seele erhebt den Herren, previously attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach (BWV Anh. 21) and to Telemann (
TWV 1:1748).[27][28][29]
Aria "Schönste Lippen eure Liebe betet mit entzücktem Triebe"[32]
From Banise or Die asiatische Banise (III) or L'Idaspe fedele (libretto by/after
Heinrich Anselm von Ziegler und Kliphausen [
de]: Die Asiatische Banise Oder, Das blutig- doch muthige Pegu, Leipzig 1689):[33]
Glöckner, Andreas. Die Musikpflege an der Leipziger Neukirche zur Zeit Johann Sebastian Bachs. Beiträge zur Bach-Forschung, Vol. 8 (in German). Leipzig: 1990
Georg Melchior Hoffmann (c. 1679 – 6 October 1715) was a Baroque composer who was influential as the leader at the
Collegium Musicum in Leipzig. Some of his compositions have been mistaken for those of
Johann Sebastian Bach.
Biography
Hoffman was born sometime around 1679 (or 1685 according to some sources) in
Bärenstein (now part of
Altenberg),
Saxony, Germany.[2] His first musical service was as a choirboy in Dresden, under the tutelage of Johann Christoph Schmidt.[2] In 1702 he moved to Leipzig to study law. Simultaneously he joined
Georg Philipp Telemann at the Collegium Musicum in
Leipzig[2] and acted as the organization's copyist.[3] Hoffmann succeeded Telemann as director of the Collegium Musicum in 1705, a position that did not end until Hoffman's death ten years later.[4] In this position he became an educator,[5] and his students included
Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel.[4] He was noted for expanding the orchestra at the Collegium to more than 40 musicians.[6] Other responsibilities included being the organist at the
Neukirche, and director of the Leipzig civic opera, for which he composed several works. He is known to have journeyed to England sometime around the years 1709-1710. In 1713 he began to suffer from the malady which would eventually prove fatal.[2] He accepted a position as the organist at the Liebfrauenkirche at
Halle in the spring of 1714, but resigned July 12 of that year having never served in that capacity.[2] He married Margaretha Elisabeth Philipp on 9 September 1714.[2] He succumbed to illness, in otherwise prosperous circumstances, on 6 October 1715.[2]
Compositions
Hoffmann's compositions have been mistaken for the work of
J. S. Bach. Research has indicated that an
aria for
alto,
Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde, BWV 53, and the solo cantata for
tenor,
Meine Seele rühmt und preist, BWV 189,[7] are likely works by Hoffmann, and of more positive identification is a
Magnificat in A minor for solo soprano and small group, which during the 19th century was assigned a
BWV number of BWV Anh. 21.[4] He has been sometimes confused with composer
Johann Georg Hoffmann [], although there is no relation.[2] None of his operas survive, but contemporary reviews indicate they were well received.[6] He has been identified as the first composer to use bells in a serious manner.[8]
German Magnificat in A minor (
c. 1707), Meine Seele erhebt den Herren, previously attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach (BWV Anh. 21) and to Telemann (
TWV 1:1748).[27][28][29]
Aria "Schönste Lippen eure Liebe betet mit entzücktem Triebe"[32]
From Banise or Die asiatische Banise (III) or L'Idaspe fedele (libretto by/after
Heinrich Anselm von Ziegler und Kliphausen [
de]: Die Asiatische Banise Oder, Das blutig- doch muthige Pegu, Leipzig 1689):[33]
Glöckner, Andreas. Die Musikpflege an der Leipziger Neukirche zur Zeit Johann Sebastian Bachs. Beiträge zur Bach-Forschung, Vol. 8 (in German). Leipzig: 1990