Christian Ludwig (14 March 1677 – 3 September 1734) was a margrave of Brandenburg and a military officer of Brandenburg-Prussia's Hohenzollern dynasty. The title of Margrave of Brandenburg was given to princes of the Prussian royal house and did not express a territorial or allodial status. He is best known as the recipient of Johann Sebastian Bach's Brandenburg concertos.[1]
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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 their mother ensured, mostly by purchase, that they had a suitable landed inheritance. Ludwig's eldest brother, Philip William, received the town of Schwedt in the Uckermark and both brothers were allowed the title of Margrave of Brandenburg.
Frederick III proclaimed himself King in 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 being granted 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.[2] 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 Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen. At some time during the visit, the composer met with Christian Ludwig and impressed him. 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. Hence the margrave was obliged to decline Bach's offer[3] and the concertos were never performed in Berlin during the composer's lifetime. Nevertheless, the compositions became known as the Brandenburg Concertos after they were found in Brandenburg's archives in the 19th century.[4]
In addition to his musical interests, Christian Ludwig served as the governor and cathedral provost of Halberstadt[5] 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.[6] The margrave was the fourth recipient of the Order of the Black Eagle.
Christian Ludwig died in Malchow Castle in 1734.[7] He is buried within the crypt of the Berliner Dom.[8]