Johann Augustin Kobelius

Johann Augustin Kobelius (1674–1731) was a German opera composer at the court of Saxe-Weissenfels.

"In 1702 the reigning Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels secured Kobelius' appointment as organist at St. Jacobi in Sangerhausen, overruling the town's choice of J. S. Bach."[1] This was probably the only occasion in Bach's career that an upheld application on his part resulted in failure.

Since 1725, the position of "Landrentmeister" (chamberlain) placed him well above the status of "Hofkapellmeister".[2] "Kobelius was the last important composer to write operas during the brief but brilliant period of music at the Weissenfels court." Instead of the court conductor Johann Philipp Krieger from 1715 to 1729 Kobelius "served as the only regular composer of operas for performances in the royal palace, writing one score or more each year."[3]

Only one work of Kobelius has been preserved: his Cantata Ich fürchte keinen Tod auf Erden, which had its modern première as recently as 2010.[4]

References

  1. ↑ George J. Buelow, Johann Augustin Kobelius, in: The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd. edition 2001.
  2. ↑ Gerald Drebes, Wiederentdeckung eines Konkurrenten von J. S. Bach, 2010, online
  3. ↑ Buelow, see above.
  4. ↑ Drebes, see above.