Johann Ludwig Krebs (Composer)

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Johann Ludwig Krebs (Composer)
Born: October 12, 1713 - Buttelstädt, Germany Died: January 1, 1780 - Altenburg, Germany
Johann Ludwig Krebs was a composer whose career spanned the end of the Baroque and beginning of the Classical era. In many respects, it typifies the problems many musicians had in coping with the drastic change of style this implies. Since he was an exceptionally skilled writer of counterpoint, he might have ended up with considerably wider fame if he had been born 20 years earlier. Johann Ludwig was the son of Johann Tobias Krebs, the organist of Buttelstedt, near Weimar, who had studied with J.S. Bach. Father taught son organ, harmony, theory, and counterpoint. The lad was sent to enter the Thomasschule in Leipzig, where J.S. Bach was music director. Krebs general studies and lessons in singing, lute, violin, and keyboard. He remained a singer in J.S. Bach's choir until 1730. J.L. Krebs attended the University of Leipzig from 1735 to 1737, took part on an as-needed basis in J.S. Bach's choir at the Thomaskirche and was the harpsichord player in the university's collegium musicum, which was also directed by J.S. Bach. Krebs left Leipzig in 1737 to take a position as organist of the Marienkirche in Zwickau, an ill-paid job playing an equally ill-maintained organ. While there, he met and married Johanna Sophie Nackens, daughter of a civil servant there. Soon, they had the first of their children, Johann Gottfried Krebs (1741-1814), an organist who wrote a large number of cantatas in his long-standing tenure as Mittelorganist or Stadtkantor of Altenberg. In 1744, J.L. Krebs moved to Zeitz to become organist there for 12 years. He tried unsuccessfully to become J.S. Bach's successor. In 1755, he accepted a position as organist to the court of Prince Friedrich of Gotha-Altenberg in Altenburg. The organ was better, the court was more exalted, but the pay was little improvement. Still, he continued to get by and retained the post until death. Family finances were somewhat helped when Johann Gottfried became his assistant organist. J.L. Krebs had a very high reputation among his contemporaries. J.S. Bach held him in high regard, punning on both their names (Krebs [crab or crayfish] and Bach [brook or stream]) by saying "He is the only crayfish in my stream." It is not surprising that many of his works, especially his organ compositions, are very much like those of J.S. Bach. His harpsichord music is probably what was best-known of his work in his own time, published extensively, particularly in four volumes of Clavier Ubung. J.L. Krebs also wrote significant quantities of orchestral and choral music. His name and music contributed to one of the most delicious inside jokes in movie music history. To echo the on-screen motion of the giant crab in the film Mysterious Island, with its independently moving legs, Bernard Herrmann orchestrated a cancrizan (i.e. crab-motion) fugue by the "crab" composer, Krebs.
J.S. Bach Connection
From 1726 to 1735 Johann Ludwig Krebs was enrolled at the Thomasschule in Leipzig, where J.S. Bach was Kantor. While in Leipzig, J.L. Krebs was one of J.S. Bach's private keyboard pupils, and from 1729 to 1731 he copied performing parts for various church cantatas by J.S. Bach. (Like his father, J.L. Krebs also appears as a scribe in the manuscript complex P 801-3 mentioned above.) In a testimonial (1735) J.S. Bach praised J.L. Krebs not only as a performer on keyboard instruments, violin, and lute, but also as a composer. During his university years he assisted J.S. Bach at the Thomaskirche and played the harpsichord in the collegium musicum. Despite all his Leipzig connections, J.L. Krebs failed in his application to become J.S. Bach's successor. J.S. Bach allegedly referred to him as 'the only crayfish ["Krebs"] in my brook ["Bach"]'.

Source: All Music Guide Website (Author: Joseph Stevenson); Malcom Boyd, editor: Oxford Composer Companion J.S. Bach (Oxford University Press, 1999, Article author: Russell Stinson) Contributed by Aryeh Oron (December 2005, November 2008)
Works previously attributed to J.S. Bach
Christe eleison, BWV 242 [by J.S, Bach to Mass in C minor, BWV Anh 26 by Francesco Durante; not by J.L. Krebs] Prelude for organ in C major, BWV 567 Chorale Prelude for organ Wir glauben all' an einen Gott, Vater (IV), BWV 740 (?) Sanctus in F, BWV Anh 27 Fugue for keyboard in F sharp major, BWV Anh 97 Chorale Prelude for organ Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend, BWV Anh 172 Fugue for keyboard in A minor, BWV Anh 181
Use of Chorale Melodies in his works
Title	Chorale Melody	Year
Allein Gott in der Hösh Sei Her, Chorale Prelude for Organ	Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr
Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, chorale for organ	Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr
Es ist das Heil uns kommen her, Chorale Prelude for Organ	Es ist das Heil uns kommen her
Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele, Chorale Prelude for Organ	Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele
Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir, Chorale Prelude for Organ	Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir
Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir, Chorale for organ	Herr Gott, dich loben wir [The German Tedeum]
Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, Chorale Prelude for Organ	Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut
Herr Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht (Version unknown), Chorale Prelude for Organ	Herr Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht
Jesu, meine Freude, Chorale Prelude for Organ with obbligato oboe	Jesu, meine Freude	1743
Jesu, meine Freude, Cantata SATB, ob, str, bc, ed. N. Klose (Embühren, 1993)	Jesu, meine Freude
Jesu, meine Freude, Chorale Prelude for Organ	Jesu, meine Freude
Jesu, meine Freude, for Organ (Clavierübung)	Jesu, meine Freude
Preambulum sopra Jesu, mein Freude, for organ	Jesu, meine Freude
Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, Chorale Prelude for Organ and Oboe or Trumpet	Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott
Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn, Chorale Prelude for Organ with Oboe Fantasia on Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn, for organ & horn obbligato	Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn
Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt per Canonem, et quidem per Diminutionem, Chorale Prelude for Organ	Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt
2 Chorale Preludes for Organ on Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht	Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht
O Gott, du frommer Gott, 2 Chorale Preludes for Organ, one with an obbligato instrument	O Gott, du frommer Gott
In allen meinen Taten, Chorale Prelude for Organ (Trp.)	O Welt, ich muß dich lassen
Chorale for organ, Vater unser im Himmelreich [questionable authencity]	Vater unser im Himmelreich
Praeambulum supra Vater unser im Himmelreich [questionable authencity]	Vater unser im Himmelreich
Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, Chorale Prelude for Organ	Von Gott will ich nicht lassen
Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz, Chorale Prelude for Organ	Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz
Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, Chorale Prelude for Organ	Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
Was mein Gott will, das gscheh allzeit, Chorale Prelude for Organ	Was mein Gott will, das g�scheh allzeit
Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist, Chorale for Organ	Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist
Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten, Chorale Prelude for Organ	Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten
Wir Christenleut Chorale, Prelude for Organ	Wir Christenleut habn jetzund Freud
Wo soll ich fliehen hin, Chorale Prelude for Organ	Wo soll ich fliehen hin

Links to other Sites
Johann Ludwig Krebs (AMG) Krebs, Johann Ludwig (1713 - 1780) (Karadar) HOASM: Johann Ludwig Krebs	The Johann Ludwig Krebs Mp3 Page on Classic Cat Krebs, Johann Ludwig (MDR.DE) [German] Johann Ludwig Krebs (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Bibliography

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Last update: �December 29, 2008 �09:28:32