Adam Falckenhagen (26 April 1697 – 6 October 1754) was a German lutenist and composer of the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

period. He was born in Groß-Dölzig, near Leipzig in Saxony, but spent the later part of his life in Bayreuth. He wrote tuneful music which is still played today on

lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck (music), neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lu ...

and

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

. Much of this music survives in the

Bavarian State Library The Bavarian State Library (, abbreviated BSB, called ''Bibliotheca Regia Monacensis'' before 1919) in Munich is the central " Landesbibliothek", i. e. the state library of the Free State of Bavaria, the biggest universal and research libra ...

, Munich. He received his first musical instruction in the village of Knauthain, the native home of Johann Christian Weyrauch. Weyrauch was a pupil of

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

and transcriber of works by Bach for the lute. In 1713 Falckenhagen is mentioned as "gifted in literature and music," and in 1715 as "Musician and footman of the young Lord of Dieskau." The Dieskaus were a family for whom J.S. Bach later wrote the ''Bauernkantate'' in Merseburg. Falckenhagen stayed in Merseburg with the Dieskaus from about 1715, until in 1719 he succeeded Johann Graf in the position of Saxe Court lutenist. Falckenhagen attended

Leipzig University Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...

from 1719 to 1720. It has been suggested that Falckenhagen also studied with Johann Graf, a pupil of

Sylvius Leopold Weiss Sylvius Leopold Weiss (12 October 168716 October 1750) was a German composer and lutenist. Born in Grottkau near Breslau, the son of Johann Jacob Weiss, also a lutenist, Weiss was one of the most important and most prolific composers of lute m ...

(1686-1750), and later with Weiss himself. Like many of his contemporaries, Falckenhagen travelled from court to court most of his life (Weissenfels, 1720–1727; Jena and Weimar (1729-1732)), eventually settling in Bayreuth, where he won the favour of Wilhelmine of Prussia, Margravine of Bayreuth, in 1734. Wilhelmine was a lutenist and sister of

Frederick the Great Frederick II (; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled ''King in Prussia'', declaring himself ''King of Prussia'' after annexing Royal Prussia ...

; she invited him to be the court lutenist at Bayreuth. Falckenhagen held this position until his death in 1754. Falckenhagen's music is representative of the final flowering of 18th-century lute music in Germany.

Works

*''6 Sonatas for Lute'', Op. 1 (Nuremberg, circa 1740) *''6 Partitas for Lute'', Op. 2 (Nuremberg, circa 1742) *''6 Concertos for Lute and Flute'' Op. 3 (Nuremberg, circa 1743) *''Preludio Nel quale Sono contenuti tutti i Tuoni Musicali'' (1750)

References

*''Oxford Composer Companions, J.S. Bach,'' 1999, p. 167 {{DEFAULTSORT:Falckenhagen, Adam 1697 births 1754 deaths 18th-century German classical composers 18th-century German male musicians German Baroque composers German male classical composers Lutenists from the Holy Roman Empire Leipzig University alumni