Johann Christoph Altnickol, or Altnikol, (1720 -
1759)was a German pipe organ player, bass singer, and
composer. He was a son-in-law and copyist of Johann
Sebastian Bach. He was born in Berna bei Seidenberg,
Oberlausitz, and first educated at the Lauban Lyceum in
1733. He was employed as a singer and assistant
organist at St Maria Magdalena, Breslau, between 1740
and 1744. He began studying theology at the University
of Leipzig from March 1744, after being granted four
thalers as a viaticum in J...(+)
Johann Christoph Altnickol, or Altnikol, (1720 -
1759)was a German pipe organ player, bass singer, and
composer. He was a son-in-law and copyist of Johann
Sebastian Bach. He was born in Berna bei Seidenberg,
Oberlausitz, and first educated at the Lauban Lyceum in
1733. He was employed as a singer and assistant
organist at St Maria Magdalena, Breslau, between 1740
and 1744. He began studying theology at the University
of Leipzig from March 1744, after being granted four
thalers as a viaticum in January of that year. From
Michaelmas 1745 he sang as a bass in Johann Sebastian
Bach's choirs (asserted by Bach in May 1747 when
Altnickol claimed a grant of 12 thalers in April/May
1747 for the work), something he should not have been
allowed to do as a university student. He also served
as a scribe for Bach, copying for example The
Well-Tempered Clavier. He was recommended by W. F. Bach
as the successor to his post at Dresden in April 1746,
with the assertion that he had studied keyboard and
composition with his father, but was not awarded the
appointment.
He was appointed as organist and schoolmaster at
Niederwiesa, near Greiffenberg, Silesia, in January
1748, after Bach testified that he was a satisfactory
student. In September of that year, he moved to a post
at St Wenzel, Naumburg, after another recommendation
from Bach; the council unanimously agreed to appoint
him before they had received his formal application. He
married Bach's daughter Elisabeth Juliane Friederica in
January 1749; their first son was born in October of
the same year and named Johann Sebastian, but died in
infancy. Forkel wrote that Bach dictated his last
chorale prelude (Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit, BWV
668) to Altnickol on his deathbed, although this
manuscript did not survive.
He acted as a trustee after Bach died in 1750, and was
involved in distributing his estate. He took his
brother-in-law Gottfried Heinrich Bach, believed to
have been mentally handicapped, into his household, and
also took on the teaching of J.G. Müthel. He was
unsuccessful in an application for a post at the
Johanniskirche, Zittau, in 1753, along with W. F. Bach.
He taught trumpeter J. Ernst Altenburg in 1757, and is
known to have directed a pasticcio Passion cantata Wer
ist der, so von Edom kömmt, featuring music by C.H.
Graun, Bach and Telemann, as well as Bach's St. Matthew
Passion. He was succeeded by Johann Friedrich Gräbner
at Naumburg upon his death in 1759. His widow lived on
an allowance from C. P. E. Bach, her half-brother. She
is known to have remained in Naumburg until 1763, when
her brother Gottfried Heinrich died; she later moved
back to Leipzig, where her two daughters married; she
died on 24 August 1781.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Christoph_Altnick
ol).
Although originally written for Chorus (SATB), I
created this Interpretation of the Chorale Motet: "Nun
danket alle Gott" (Now thank ye all our God) for
Woodwind Quintet (Flute, Oboe, English Horn, French
Horn & Bassoon).
