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Born: January 4, 1720 - Dobitz, near Altenburg, Saxony, Germany
Died: December 1, 1774 - Berlin, Germany |
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Johann Friedrich Agricola was a German organist and composer of church music and of operas. His father was a judge, and his mother, Maria Magdalen Manke, a friend of Georg Frideric Handel, He began to learn music in his 5th year under a certain Martini. In 1738 he entered the University of Leipzig when Johann Christoph Gottsched was Professor of Rhetoric. But though he went through the regular course of 'humanities' he also studied music under J.S. Bach, with whom he worked hard for three years. After this he resided at Dresden and Berlin, at the latter from 1741 onwards, and studied the dramatic style under Graun and Hasse.
In 1749 Johann Friedrich Agricola published two pamphlets on French and Italian taste in music under the pseudonym of Flavio Anicio Olibrio. In the following year a cantata of his, Il Filosofo convinto in amore, was performed before Frederick the Great, who conferred on Agricola the post of Hofkomponist (1751). He had an equal success with a second cantata, La Ricamatrice. Agricola then married Signora Molteni, prima donna of the Berlin opera, and composed various operas for Dresden and Berlin, as well as much music for the Church and many arrangements of the King's melodies. After the death of Graun (August 8, 1759) he was made director of the Royal Chapel, but without the title of Roy. Hofkapellmeister, which the King withheld on account of his disapproval of Agricola's marriage. There he remained till his death (obituary in Vossische Zeitung).
Johann Friedrich Agricola's compositions had no permanent success, nor were any printed excepting two psalms and some chorales. He had the reputation of being the best organ-player in Berlin, and a good teacher of singing. He translated with much skill Tosi's Opinioni de' cantori, and made some additions to Adlung's Musica mechanica organœdi. |
