Johann Christoph Graupner

German harpsichordist and composer Johann Christoph Graupner was born in Hartmannsdorf on 13 January 1683. He studied law and then completed his music studies at the Thomasschule with the cantor, Johann Kuhnau.

Graupner moved to Hamburg in 1705 to play harpsichord in the opera orchestra. Whilst there he wrote six operas.

From 1709, for the rest of his career, he worked at the court of Hesse-Darmstadt and was Hofkapellmeister there from 1711. His main responsibility was to write music for the court chapel, which he did for decades, until he became blind in 1754.

Graupner died in Darmstadt on 10 May 1760, and his music fell into neglect until being rediscovered early in the twentieth century.

 

A selection of articles about Johann Christoph Graupner

CD Spotlight. Natural Talents - Gerald Fenech listens to Easter cantatas by Baroque German composer Christoph Graupner. 'Christian Bonath and his team give these baroque choral gems the ideal exposure, and reveal them to be the masterpieces they truly are in performances of inspirational nobility and incomparable beauty.'

CD Spotlight. An Outstanding Selection - Music by Christoph Graupner, strongly recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'Exquisitely beautiful music, superbly performed, sumptuously recorded and splendidly packaged.'