J.L. Krebs (1713-1780)

[robnewman]

Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713-1780)

Composer and organist, eldest of three sons of JT Krebs and probably the most talented of the pupils of Johann Sebastian Bach. He received his first musical instruction from his father including organ lessons as early as his 12th year. An improvement in family fortunes enabled him to enter the Thomasschule in Leipzig in July 1726. He learned  lute and violin, continuing keyboard studies, and as late as 1730 was still singing treble in the choir. Realising his eight years of study at the Thomasschule would end in 1734 he competed for the position of organist at St Wenzel, Naumburg in August of 1733 along with his father (who later withdrew), C.P.E. Bach and five others; neither he nor C.P.E. Bach was successful. The Thomasschule extended Krebs's term and a year later Johann Sebastian Bach wrote him a testimonial he had  'distinguished himself' on the clavier, violin and lute, as well as in composition'. During the next two years (1735–7) Krebs occasionally assisted Bach at the Thomaskirche and played harpsichord in Bach's collegium musicum.

During his life Krebs held only 3 appointments. From 1737 to 1743 as organist at St Marien, Zwickau. Neither the organ nor the salary was attractive, and in 1744 he moved to Zeitz as organist of the castle. During his 12 years there his beloved teacher died and Krebs applied for the position. He was unsuccessful: in organ playing he was almost unsurpassed, but the Thomaskirche wanted a Kantor, not a Kapellmeister. Finally in 1755 he went to the castle in nearby Altenburg to become organist for Prince Friedrich of Gotha-Altenburg. The organ was better there, but the salary was poor so Georg Benda, who auditioned him for the post, wrote to the consistory of the castle:

In view of the rumour that the salary of the organist at Altenburg is hardly greater than what he receives in his present position as organist in Zeitz, [Krebs] lives in the respectful hope, taking into account his wife and seven children, that he might also receive some grain or some other remuneration in kind.

Despite these economic uncertainties, Krebs's third and last appointment marked the happiest years in his career.

Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713-1780)
Organ Chorale with Trumpet
Herzlich lieb hab ich dich,o Herr, (c.1755)
From Krebs Choralbearbeitung

http://www.mediafire.com/?nqjoihmkjnw

[JBS]

Bumping this thread to post this set, which I am now half way through.
[asin]B07GJ1GKTS[/asin]

Works of all genres are mixed together on each CD. This is not the only complete set, but I have never heard the others, which all seem to be OOP and priced accordingly.

There is definite JSB influence here, possibly more than one might hear in the music of the actual sons of Bach.  But the music can stand on its own.

The Amazon blurb

Johann Ludwig Krebs (Buttelstedt, 12 October 1713 Altenburg, 1 January 1780) was a favourite pupil of the great J.S. Bach (who regarded him particularly highly, punning on their two surnames declaring Krebs was the only crayfish in his stream) and a supremely talented inheritor of the composerorganist tradition of the Northern European Baroque. As a member of the last generation of these musicians, he lived in a time of marked shifts in taste, during the rise of the empfindsamer (sensitive) style, with its preference for balance and grace over the high baroques interwoven contrapuntal lines and chromatic harmony. For this reason his genius met with little acceptance during his long career, yet despite never securing a prestigious position and salary and never being commissioned to write he composed a significant body of music, particularly for the organ at which he excelled, his skill almost rivalling that of his mentor, J.S. Bach. Today, long after the stylistic trends of his day have faded, Krebs is appreciated for his exceptionally refined music. For the organ this includes a variety of pieces in several improvisatory and contrapuntal forms, including a great many chorale settings. Thirteen of these come from his Clavier-Übung (keyboard method), the first volume of which was composed for the organ. Manuel Tomadin has selected three instruments of the Northern European Baroque School, lesser-known than others in their native Germany and Holland and yet of very high quality, plus a modern instrument for the recording of the Clavier-Übung. The latter, built in 2007 by the Giovanni Pradella Workshop in the Italian alpine province of Sondrio, is nevertheless constructed according to ancient techniques in handcrafted hardwood and painstakingly cast and rolled pipes.

[calyptorhynchus]

There's a Krebs guitar concerto on YouTube. Does anyone know if this work was originally written for guitar, or was it a lute concerto?

[JBS]

There's a Krebs guitar concerto on YouTube. Does anyone know if this work was originally written for guitar, or was it a lute concerto?

Wikipedia lists two concertos for lute and strings, one in C and the other in F.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Johann_Ludwig_Krebs

How well known was the guitar at that period in Central Europe?

[calyptorhynchus]

I've been very impressed with the organ works I have heard on YouTube (keyboard and other pieces not so much). So I have downloaded the Brilliant Classics complete organ works! 

[Mandryka]

This is something by Krebs which I like

https://www.youtube.com/v/igv0qC7XnzA