Johann Christoph Altnikol (1720 - 1759) was a German
organist and composer who is known mostly because of
his marriage to Elisabeth Bach, Johann Sebastian's
daughter. He often relied on his connection with the
Bach family to obtain appointments. Not many of his
works survive; in general, his compositions have not
attracted much attention. Bach praised his music, but
the great composer may have not been objective in his
assessment of Altnikol.
Many of his works, including a magnificat a...(+)
Johann Christoph Altnikol (1720 - 1759) was a German
organist and composer who is known mostly because of
his marriage to Elisabeth Bach, Johann Sebastian's
daughter. He often relied on his connection with the
Bach family to obtain appointments. Not many of his
works survive; in general, his compositions have not
attracted much attention. Bach praised his music, but
the great composer may have not been objective in his
assessment of Altnikol.
Many of his works, including a magnificat and two
cantatas, have been lost. His compositions are not
valued highly today; Bach spoke well of his
compositional ability, perhaps due to their personal
relationship.
"Gedenke, Herr, wie es uns gehet" ("Be mindful of our
condition, Lord"), BWV 217, is a church cantata,
formerly attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach.
Although this alto Aria: "Saget mir, beliebte Felder"
("Tell me then, beloved meadow") was originally written
for 4 solo voices, chorus, flute, strings & continuo, I
created this arrangement for Flutes (2) & String
Quartet (Violins (2), Viola & Cello).