Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg-Schwedt
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Christian Ludwig (14 March 1677 – 3 September 1734) was a margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt and a military officer of Brandenburg-Prussia's Hohenzollern dynasty. He is most famous for inspiring the name of Johann Sebastian Bach's famous Brandenburg concerto set.[1]
[edit] Biography
Christian Ludwig was the youngest son of Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, and his second wife, Sophie Dorothea of Holstein-Glücksburg. Born in Berlin, he was the half-brother of Frederick William's heir, the later Elector Frederick III, who ruled after his father's death in 1688. Because Christian Ludwig and his brothers were from Frederick William's second marriage and were not in the direct line of succession to the electoral throne, they received the town of Schwedt in the Uckermark and the titles of Margraves of Brandenburg-Schwedt. This cadet branch of the House of Hohenzollern turned the provincial town in a Baroque residency.[2]
Frederick III proclaimed himself King Frederick I of Prussia in 1701. The king patronized arts and culture in the Kingdom of Prussia, especially in the capital of Berlin. However, Frederick I's son and successor, Frederick William I, preferred the military over the arts and dismissed musicians from royal service. Christian Ludwig was allowed by his nephew the king to retain his own musical ensemble at the Berliner Stadtschloss, as well as granted him estates at Malchow and Heinersdorf.[1] Although the arts declined during the reign of Frederick William I, Christian Ludwig tried to continue some of the artistic cultivation begun during the reign of Frederick I.[3] He was able to do this out of his own considerable income, which amounted to 48,945 Thalers in 1734.[1]
Bach visited Berlin in 1719 to pay 130 Thalers for a harpsichord purchased by Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen. At some time during the visit the composer met with and impressed Christian Ludwig. In hopes of gaining patronage from the margrave, Bach presented him with a set of concertos on March 24, 1721. Frederick William I preferred the music of George Frideric Handel, however, and Christian Ludwig lacked enough musicians to perform Bach's concertos. Although the margrave was forced to decline Bach's offer[4] and the concertos were never performed in Berlin during the composer's lifetime, the compositions became known as the Brandenburg Concertos after they were found in Brandenburg's archives in the 19th century.[5]
In addition to his musical interests, Christian Ludwig served as the governor and cathedral provost of Halberstadt[6] and as an officer in the army of Prussia. In 1695 he became the Major General of the Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 7 (Regiment zu Fuß); he would later become the regiment's Lieutenant General.[7] The margrave was the fourth recipient of the Order of the Black Eagle.
Christian Ludwig died in Castle Malchow in 1734.[8] He is buried within the crypt of the Berliner Dom.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Malcolm Boyd. Bach: the Brandenburg Concertos. Cambridge University Press, 1993. ISBN 0-521-38276-9
- ^ Schwedt.de. "History". Accessed November 20, 2006.
- ^ Preußen-Chronik.de. "Christian Ludwig Markgraf von Brandenburg-Schwedt". Accessed November 20, 2006. (German)
- ^ Preußen-Chronik.de. "Die Brandenburgischen Konzerte und das Musikalische Opfer - Bach am Brandenburger Hof". Accessed November 20, 2006. (German)
- ^ Benjamin Chee. Inkpot.com. "The Brandenburg Concertos". Accessed November 20, 2006.
- ^ Geschichte-Online.de. Accessed November 20, 2006. (German)
- ^ Preußenweb.de. "Regimenter der preußischen Armee". Accessed November 20, 2006. (German)
- ^ WorldRoots.com. Accessed November 20, 2006.
- ^ Der Brandenburger Landstreicher. "Hohenzollern-Gruft im Berliner Dom". Accessed November 20, 2006. (German)
