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Johann Christoph Oley (Composer, Organ, Copyist, Bach's Pupil? ) |
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Born: May/June 1738 (baptised: June 3, 1738) - Bernburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Died: January 20, 1789 - Aschersleben, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany |
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Johann Christoph Oley was a German organist and composer. He was born the son of Joachim Ernst Oley (slate and tiler in Bernburg). There is some evidence that he studied with J.S. Bach for a short time in 1749, but none connecting him with the Thomasschule. In 1755 he became organist of the church in Bernburg, but moved to the Reformierten Kirche of St Stephan in neighbouring Aschersleben in January 1762 because of its superior organ. To augment his salary he assumed the duties of assistant schoolmaster as well.
Contemporaries praised Johann Christoph Oley’s skill on the keyboard and organ, and his compositions attracted some interest. His organ writing reminded Johann Friedrich Agricola, another J.S. Bach pupil, of the glories of an earlier age. J. Beckmann, in a review of 1778, criticized carelessness in his harmony, giving credence perhaps to Gerber’s statement that in the main Oley was self-taught. J.S. Bach’s personal influence was probably insignificant: Emery has suggested that certain details in the copies of J.S. Bach’s music that Oley made on his return to Bernburg, and later, reveal an unfamiliarity with his practice. Sietz mentioned some manuscript works by Oley in a private collection in Dessau, but only a set of 14 keyboard variations (published in Nuremberg, n.d) and the four-volume Variirte Choräle (Quedlinburg, 1773-1792) seem to be extant. The latter work contains 77 settings for organ solo (10 ed. W. Emery, London, 1958 and 1964; others ed. W. Syré, Locarno, 1987), two for solo oboe and organ, and six for organ and instrumental ensemble of flute, oboe, bassoon, horn, two violins, viola and cello (2 ed. F. Haselböck, Stuttgart, 1976). The most interesting combine his fondness for strict canon with passages in the more expressive style. Oley owned one of the four extant copies of the Schübler chorales (in A-Wn, with J.S. Bach’s corrections), but in spite of speculation to the contrary he probably did not have access to J.S. Bach’s estate.
In 1890, Wilhelm Hosäus called Johann Christoph Oley a "Schüler und zeitlebens begeisterte[n] Verehrer J. S. Bach's" (pupil and enthusiastic admirer of J. S. Bach) for no reason. Löffler and subsequently some NBA authors also assumed a student relationship. However, doubts were also expressed within the NBA about J.C. Oley's actual studies with J.S. Bach (Löhlein 1987). J.C. Oley's numerous J.S. Bach transcripts spoke in favour of a pupil relationship, but they should hardly have been written before 1750 - J.C. Oley was only twelve years old at the time. On the other hand, J.C. Oley's contacts with J.S. Bach's sons or with Bernhard Christian Kayser (A-10), whose pupils he might have been in Köthen (Anhalt) in the 1750's, are well conceivable.
References: Koska: C-32; GND: 123877628; Bach Digital: 00003923 |
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Works |
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Chorale Preludes for Organ:
Ach lieber Herre Jesu Christ, der du ein Kindlein worden bist
Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir
Herr, für dein Wort sei hoch gepreist
Mach's mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güte
Nun freud euch lieben Christen gemein
Weg mit allem was da scheinet
Werde munter, mein Gemüte
Wie schöne leucht der Morgenstern |
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Works of Bach he copied [Manuscript No. in Bach Digital / Work / Performance/Copying date] |
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A-GÖ Mus. Ms. 4518: BWV 1079/3
A-Wn Mus. Hs. 15528: BWV 525, 526, 527, 528, 529, 530 [after 1762]
A-Wn SH J. S. Bach 40 [Originaldruck BWV 645-650]: BWV 645, 646, 647, 648, 649, 650 [1747/1748; handwritten corrections: before August 1749]
D-B N.Mus.ms. 10813: BWV 582 [possibly 1750s (early lettering Oleys, see P 1073)]
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 809: BWV 831
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 947: BWV 1079/2 [1763]
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 1064: BWV 1079/1+4g, 2+4i,4k; 4h, 4a-e [1763]
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 1073: BWV 814 [1762]
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 1097: BWV 535
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 1100: BWV 542/2
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 1113: BWV 618, 633, 626, 625, 638, 636 [after 1762]
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 1114: BWV 635, 630, 621 [after 1762]
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 1160: BWV 716, 377, 601, 431
D-B Mus.ms. Bach St 326: BWV 1079/4f [c1760]
US-Bp M.200.12 (2): BWV 971 (early version) [before February 1762]
US-CAh bMS Mus 62.8: BR-WFB A 4; Fk 3; Wq 117.7 [c1755-1762] |
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Sources:
1. Answers.com Website (from Keith Johnson, All Music Guide)
2. Various other websites
3. Grove Music Online, © Oxford University Press 2006, acc. 5/24/06 (Author: Hugh J. McLean)
4. Bernd Koska: Bachs Privatschüler in Bach-Jahrbuch 2019, English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2020)
5. Bach Digital Website (May 2019)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2006, May 2020); Thomas Braatz (May 2006) |
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Use of Chorale Melodies in his works |
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Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, Chorale Prelude for organ (CM: Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir) |
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Mach's mir Gott nach deim Deiner, Chorale Prelude for organ (CM: Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt) |
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Werde munter, mein Gemüte, Chorale Prelude for organ (CM: Werde munter, mein Gemüthe) |
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Links to other Sites |
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Johann Christoph Oley (Answers.com)
Oley, Johann Christoph (Bach Digital) |
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Bibliography |
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FrotscherG | GerberL
R. Sietz: Die Orgelkompositionen des Schülerkreises um Johann Sebastian Bach, BJb 1935, 33-96
H. Löffler: Die Schüler Johann Sebastian Bachs, BJb 1953, 5-28, esp. 26
H.-J. Schulze, ed.: Dokumente zum Nachwirken Johann Sebestian Bachs 1750-1800, Bach-Dokumente, iii (Leipzig, 1972)
Sources 4: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, Bd. XXX, Leipzig 1890 (Artikel F. W. Rust von W. Hosäus); Löffler 1929/31, Anh. Nr. 14; BJ 1935, S. 67–72 (R. Sietz); Löffler 1953, Nr. 73; NBA IV/1 Krit. Bericht, S. 135; NBA IV/2 Krit. Bericht, S. 62; NBA IV/3 Krit. Bericht, S. 13; NBA IV/5–6.2 Krit. Bericht, S. 444; NBA IV/7 Krit. Bericht, S. 95; NBA V/2 Krit. Bericht, S. 40; NBA V/7 Krit. Bericht, S. 195; MGGo; BJ 2015, S. 177–192 (G. B. Stauffer)
Reference 5: NBA III/2.2; IV/1–7, 10, 11; V/1, 2, 6.1, 7, 8; VIII/1; BR II; Dok III |
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