Johann Graf (Composer)

Born: (baptized) March 26, 1684 - Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany
Died: February 2, 1750 - Rudolstadt, Thuringia, Germany

The German composer and violinist, Johann Graf (also Graaf or Graff), was a musician at the Deutschhauskirche in Nürenberg in his youth, and then studied violin and composition in Vienna. He initially worked as an orchestral musician before joining Löffelholtz's Regiment in Hungary as an oboist. In 1718, he entered the service of the Elector of Mainz as a treble and violinist, and later of the Bishop of Bamberg. In 1722/1723, he became Konzertmeister and in 1739 Kapellmeister to the Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (about 40 Km from Arnstadt). The German composer, organ, violinist and Bach's Pupil, Johann Schneider (1702-1788) studied the violin under Johann Graf in Rudolstadt.

Johann Graf composed twelve melodically appealing violin sonatas, several string quartets and other smaller, mostly unpublished pieces. His nine-part motet In convertendo also survives.

Two of his six sons, Christian Ernst Graf (1723-1804) and Friedrich Hartmann Graf (1727-1795), also distinguished themselves as composers.

Bach Connection

Two long-lost organ pieces written by a teenage J.S. Bach were unveiled in Germany on November 17, 2025 in a discovery described as a "great moment for the world of music." The two solo organ works, written while J.S. Bach was working as an organ teacher in the town of Arnstadt in Thuringia early in his career, first caught the attention of researchers over 30 years ago. But it is only now that experts have been able to prove they were written by J.S. Bach after finally confirming the identity of the person who penned the manuscripts.

The Chaconne and Fuga in D minor BWV 1178 and Chaconne in G minor BWV 1179 have been preserved in only one source (B-Br Ms II 3911 Mus (Fétis 2013)). The writer of this source was identified by Peter Wollny as Salomon Günther John (b 1695), a Bach's Pupil in Arnstadt. In 1727, S.G. John stated in an application in Schleiz that he had received his training “from the former organist in Arnstadt” and had subsequently worked “in the Grand Ducal Chapel in Weimar” (B. Koska, “Bach-Schüler bei der Organistenwahl zu Schleiz 1727/1728,” in: Bach-Jahrbuch 2012, pp. 228-230; and idem, “Bachs Privatschüler,” in: Bach-Jahrbuch 2019, p. 49). S.G. John probably copied his teacher's early work during his time in Arnstadt as his student.

Both works have been added to the official catalog of J.S. Bach's works as of November 17, 2025. They were also performed for the first time in 320 years at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. Both works had long been attributed to Johann Graf.

Works

Ciacona in D minor, IJG 1 (now BWV 1178)
Ciacona in F major, IJG 2
Ciacona in G minor, IJG 3 (now BWV 1179)

Sources:
Bits & pieces from various sources (see links below)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (July 2025)

Links to other Sites

Graff, Johann Christoph (IMSLP)
Johann Graf (Komponist) (Wikipedia) [German]
Graf (Encyclopedia)
Ciacona and Fuga in d minor BWV 1178 [Nachtrag/Addendum 2025]
Ciacona in g minor BWV 1179 [Nachtrag/Addendum 2025]

Bibliography