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BPA1795
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first ed.
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The much-praised Christoph Schaffrath was one of the leading exponents of the Berlin school, along with Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Gottlieb Janitsch and Carl H. Graun. As a harpsichordist 'known to all', he was admired by his contemporaries for 'the beauty and popularity of his works', which they placed on an equal footing with those of Bach, Telemann and Handel. As one of the 'most worthy contrapuntists', he was adept at providing the drawing-rooms of Berlin with melodious and imaginative compositions in the 'galant', sensitive style of Northern Germany. His 70 harpsichord concertos, which feature artfully embellished slow movements, made him one of the main representatives of this genre, still in its infancy. A characteristic of his works is that the subjects are mostly two bars long; their lovely sequences, often emotional or capricious, prefigure early classical forms. Schaffrath's estate went to J. P. Kirnberger, and when he died, to the Princess Amalie's library, with parts of it going to the archives of the Sing-Akademie and other Berlin collections. Most of the manuscripts now lie in the Berlin State Library. Christoph Schaffrath's almost exclusively instrumental output comprises, apart from the 'celebrated' harpsichord concertos and over 40 sonatas and single pieces for harpsichord, some 30 symphonies and ouvertures for strings, concertos for 2 harpsichords, for violin, oboe, flute, bassoon and viola da gamba. Where chamber music with thorough bass is concerned, he left several quartets, well over 30 trios and more than 40 solo sonatas for various instruments. We have edited the present quartet from a copyist's manuscript in four parts belonging to the Thulemeier- Bibliothek. Its separate title reads: 'SONATA in Cn: / a / Quatuor. Strom: / colla Fuga: [Incipit] Flauto: Traav: / Violino / Viola. / e / Basso Continuo: Dell. Sigr. Schaffrath.' The basso part is richly figured. Schaffrath's origins are unknown. Born probably in 1709 (1710?) in Hohenstein near Dresden, he is thought to have received his first harpsichord and organ lessons aged nine. After 1730 he probably played the harpsichord in Warsaw in August II's Polish orchestra. When this was disbanded in 1733, he went to Dresden, where he applied for the post of organist at the Sophienkirche, but lost out to Wilhelm Friedemann Bach at the audition on 22 June 1733. In March 1734 he joined the court orchestra of Frederick II in Ruppin, probably upon the recommendation of J. J. Quantz, whom he knew from his Dresden days. Via Rheinsberg (from 1736), the orchestra moved in 1740 to Berlin and Potsdam, where he shared the post of harpsichordist, worth 400 Taler per year, with C. P. E. Bach. In 1744 Schaffrath was appointed Harpsichordist and Chamber Musician of Her Royal Highness Princess Amalie of Prussia, remaining in her service until he died. Most of his works date from this period, often commissioned by various Berlin concert societies of music loving citizens, such as the celebrated 'Friday Academies' and 'Monday Assemblies'. He died in Berlin on 17 February 1763 (or 5 November, according to another source).
Composer(s):
Publisher(s):
Publishernumber:
BPA1795
Instrument(s):
ISBN:
Number:
205674
Overige informatie:
first ed.
