Johann Adam Reincken facts for kids
Johann Adam Reincken was a famous Dutch-German organist and composer who lived from 1643 to 1722. He was a very important musician of his time and even influenced the great Johann Sebastian Bach. Reincken was also friends with another famous composer, Dieterich Buxtehude. Sadly, not many of his musical pieces still exist today.
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Life Story
For a long time, people thought Reincken lived an incredibly long life. This idea came from a writer named Johann Mattheson, who said Reincken was born in 1623. However, Reincken himself said he was born in Deventer, a city in the Netherlands. Records from Deventer show a "Jan Reinse" was baptized on December 10, 1643. Most experts now believe this is his correct birth date.
Reincken started learning music in Deventer between 1650 and 1654. His first teacher was Lucas van Lennick, who was the organist at the Grote Kerk. In 1654, Reincken moved to Hamburg, Germany. There, he studied with Heinrich Scheidemann, another famous organist at St. Katharine's Church. Scheidemann had been a student of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, a very important Dutch composer.
In 1657, Reincken went back to Deventer and became the organist at the Bergkerk. But he only stayed for about a year. In 1658, he returned to Hamburg to become Scheidemann's helper. When Scheidemann passed away in 1663, Reincken took over his job as the main organist at St. Katharine's Church. In 1665, he married one of Scheidemann's daughters, and they had a daughter named Margaretha-Maria three years later.
Reincken kept his job at St. Katharine's Church until he died in 1722. Unlike many musicians of his time, he became quite wealthy. During his life, he was known as one of the best organists in Germany. He was close friends with Dieterich Buxtehude and had a big impact on other composers like Vincent Lübeck and Johann Sebastian Bach.
There's a famous story about Bach visiting Hamburg in 1720. Bach played a long, amazing piece on the organ. It was based on a church song called "An Wasserflüssen Babylon", which was a tribute to Reincken's own large piece on the same song. After hearing Bach play, Reincken reportedly said, "I thought that this art was dead, but I see that it lives in you." This shows how impressed Reincken was with Bach's talent.
Experts also say that Bach might have played his organ fugue BWV 542 for Reincken. The tune for this piece came from a Dutch folk song, which could have been a special nod to Reincken's Dutch background. It's clear that the young Bach was very impressed by Reincken's music. Bach even copied some of Reincken's works to learn from them. In 2006, the oldest known piece of music written by Bach himself was found. It was a copy of Reincken's "An Wasserflüssen Babylon," which Bach made for his teacher in 1700.
Musical Works
Reincken wrote many pieces, especially for keyboard instruments like the organ and harpsichord.
Keyboard Music
- Chorale fantasia An Wasserflüssen Babylon
- Chorale fantasia Was kann uns kommen an für Not
- Variations on Schweiget mir von Weibernehmen (la Meyerin)
- Variations on Holländische Nachtigahl
- Ballett with Variations
- Toccata in G major
- 8 harpsichord suites
- Musicalischer Clavierschatz del J.A. Reincken (This collection is now lost.)
Other Instrumental Music
- Hortus Musicus (1688): This collection includes 6 sonatas and suites for two violins, a viola da gamba (an old string instrument), and basso continuo (a bass line with chords).
- Sonaten, Concertaten, Allemanden, Correnten, Sarabanden und Chiguen (1704): This collection for two violins and harpsichord is now lost.
Canons
- Was Gott thut, das ist wohl getan
- Canon a 3 voci in Hypodiapason per Augmentationem
Images for kids
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Detail of a painting of Hamburg from around 1700. St. Catherine's Church, where Reincken worked, is visible in the background.
See also
In Spanish: Johann Adam Reincken para niños
