Johann Jakob Walther (1650 – 2 November 1717) was a
German violinist and composer.
Life
All the known facts of his life and activity are from
the Musikalischen Lexikon by Johann Gottfried Walther
(Johann Sebastian Bach's cousin), a dictionary which
first appeared in 1732. J.J. Walther was born in
Witterda bei Erfurt. Between 1670 and 1674 he is said
to have remained a violinist in the orchestra of Cosimo
III of the Medicis in Florence. From 1674 he was
concertmaster at the court of Dre...(+)
Johann Jakob Walther (1650 – 2 November 1717) was a
German violinist and composer.
Life
All the known facts of his life and activity are from
the Musikalischen Lexikon by Johann Gottfried Walther
(Johann Sebastian Bach's cousin), a dictionary which
first appeared in 1732. J.J. Walther was born in
Witterda bei Erfurt. Between 1670 and 1674 he is said
to have remained a violinist in the orchestra of Cosimo
III of the Medicis in Florence. From 1674 he was
concertmaster at the court of Dresden. After the death
of his patron in 1680 he became the Italian secretary
at the elector's court in Mainz and was ordained a
canon. He died in Mainz.
A long side Biber and Westhoff, J.J. Walther is one of
the most significant German violinists of the 17th
century. Besides a virtuoso technique including
doublestops and arpeggios, his works display a wealth
of formal devices, especially in the treatment of
ostinato variations.
Works
40 compositions are known, contained in two
volumes:
Scherzi da Violino solo con il basso continuo,
published in 1676. This cycle anticipates Paganini's
technique in that it contains pizzicato harp imitations
while the bow imitates nightingale song.
Hortulus chelicus published in 1688 (in the second
printing of 1694 with the new title Wohlgepflanzter
Violinischer Lustgarten). In the foreword, Walther
expresses his confidence that this self-published
volume will enjoy the same success as its predecessor.
It contains 28 pieces and is more varied than the other
collection. (source: Wikipedia).
SHEET MUSIC