Johann Wilhelm Hertel (9 October 1727 – 14 June 1789) was a German

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

, harpsichord and violin player. He was born in

Eisenach Eisenach () is a Town#Germany, town in Thuringia, Germany with 42,000 inhabitants, west of Erfurt, southeast of Kassel and northeast of Frankfurt. It is the main urban centre of western Thuringia, and bordering northeastern Hesse, Hessian re ...

, into a family of musicians. His father, Johann Christian Hertel (1697–1754) was ''Konzertmeister'' (from 1733) and director of music at the Eisenach court, while his grandfather, Jakob Christian Hertel (c. 1667-c. 1726), had been ''Kapellmeister'' in Oettingen and later Merseburg. At an early age Johann Wilhelm accompanied his father, an accomplished

viola da gamba The viola da gamba (), or viol, or informally gamba, is a bowed and fretted string instrument that is played (i.e. "on the leg"). It is distinct from the later violin family, violin, or ; and it is any one of the earlier viol family of bow (m ...

player, on tour at the harpsichord. He also learned the violin, which he studied with

Franz Benda Franz Benda (; baptised 22 November 1709 – 7 March 1786) was a Bohemian violinist and composer, who worked for much of his life at the court of Frederick the Great. Life Benda was born in Old Benatek in Bohemia, the son of Jan Jiří Benda ...

. In 1742 he came with his father to Mecklenburg-Strelitz where he was active playing both instruments. Among his pupils there was

Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch (1736–1800) was a German composer and harpsichordist. Born in Zerbst, he was the son of the composer Johann Friedrich Fasch. He was initially taught by his father. In 1756 he began service at the court of Frederic ...

(1736–1800). After further music studies in Zerbst and Berlin, Hertel moved to the

Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin () was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1701, when Frederick William and Adolphus Frederick II divided the Duchy of Mecklenburg between Schwerin and Strelitz. Ruled by the successors of the Nikloting H ...

, where he made a successful career, initially as principal and later becoming court composer, and likewise undertaking teaching. During the reign of Duke Christian Ludwig II, Hertel wrote primarily representative instrumental music, while during the reign of his successor, Frederick II (called 'the pious') he focused on sacred music. In 1770 he was appointed court counsellor and served also as private secretary to princess Ulrike. He died in

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch dialect, Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch Low German: ''Swerin''; Polabian language, Polabian: ''Zwierzyn''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germ ...

. Hertel wrote a great number of symphonies, solo concertos, harpsichord sonatas, songs, hymns, cantatas, and oratorios. Much of his work is in the

galant style The galant style was an 18th-century movement in music, visual arts and literature. In Germany a closely related style was called the '' empfindsamer Stil'' (sensitive style). Another close relative is rococo style. The galant style was drawn in ...

, transitional between Baroque and Classical, and he is considered an important representative of the 'emotional style' (

empfindsamer Stil Empfindsamkeit () or Empfindsamer Stil is a style of musical composition and poetry developed in 18th-century Germany, intended to express "true and natural" feelings, and featuring sudden contrasts of mood. It was developed as a contrast to the B ...

) of the German pre-Classical era.

Works

*''Sei Sonate per Cembalo'', Op. 1, Nürnberg, 1756 *Concerto for

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

and

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, ...

(double concerto) in E flat major *Bassoon Concerto in A minor *Oboe Concerto in G minor *Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major *Sonata a Quattro for two horns and two bassoons (in E flat) *Concerto for 8 kettledrums, wind and strings *Concerto a cinque in D for trumpet, two oboes and two bassoons *Christmas oratorio "Die Geburt Jesu Christi" recorded by Die Kölner Akademie, conducted by Michael Alexander Willens on CPO * Easter Passion cantata "Der sterbende Heiland" recorded by Die Kölner Akademie, conducted by Michael Alexander Willens on CPO *Concerto per la Harpa ó Cembalo F-Major *Concerto per la Harpa ó Cembalo D-Major *Concerto per la Harpa ó Cembalo G-Major *Cello Concerto in A major (1755), recorded by ''Musica Viva'' and Alexander Rudin on CHANDOS *Cello Concerto in A minor (1759), recorded by ''Musica Viva'' and Alexander Rudin on CHANDOS

External links

* *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJxGXyF3QT4 1727 births 1789 deaths German Baroque composers German Classical-period composers 18th-century German classical composers German male classical composers 18th-century German male musicians {{Germany-composer-stub

Works

See also

External links