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Theodor Christian Gerlach (Organ, Bach Pupil?)

Born: December 1694 (baptised: December 14, 1694) - Rochlitz, Saxony, Germany
Died: November 10, 1768 - Rochlitz, Saxony, Germany

Theodor Christian Gerlach was a German church musician and organist active in Rochlitz. He was born the son of Christian Gerlach (Mayor, organist in Rochlitz). He attended the Gymnasium in Altenburg and was a pupil of court organist Gottfried Ernst Pestel. From 1716 he worked as organist at the Kunigundenkirche in Rochlitz (substituted from 1753).

Theodor Christian Gerlach implied on the occasion of a failed application for the Domorganistendienst (cathedral service organist) in Freiberg in 1731 that J.S. Bach had taught him by correspondence for 14 years, but his confused phraseology should not be taken literally. On the basis of a suspected remark by Schünemann from 1910, Löffler transformed in 1953 a lesson from J.S. Bach into "Unterricht durch Correspondenzen" (Lessons through Correspondences). An actual pupil relationship is of course unlikely, since T.C. Gerlach only mentioned his training in Altenburg and life stages in Weimar, Köthen or Leipzig are not known. However, similar to J.W. Koch (C-13), the correspondence mentioned probably included the exchange of music.

References: Koska: C-5

 

Sources:
1. Bits & pieces from various sources
2. Bernd Koska: Bachs Privatschüler in Bach-Jahrbuch 2019, English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2020)
Contributed by
Aryeh Oron (February 2020, May 2020)

Links to other Sites

 

Bibliography

Sources 2: Dok II, Nr. 289; G. Schünemann, Neue „Attestate“ Seb. Bachs, in: Festschrift zum 90. Geburtstage […] Rochus Freiherrn von Liliencron, Leipzig 1910, S. 290–296, speziell S. 293; Löffler 1929/31, Nr. 25; Löffler 1953, Nr. 37; R. Vollhardt, Geschichte der Cantoren und Organisten von den Städten im Königreich Sachsen, Berlin 1899, Reprint Leipzig 1978, S. 282f.

Bach's Pupils: List of Bach's Pupils | Actual and Potential Non-Thomaner Singers and Players who participated in Bach’s Figural Music in Leipzig | Alumni of the Thomasschule in Leipzig during Bach's Tenure | List of Bach's Private Pupils | List of Bach's Copyists
Thomanerchor Leipzig: Short History | Members: 1729 | 1730 | 1731 | 1740-1741 | 1744-1745 | Modern Times
Bach’s Pupils Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2
Articles: Organizional Structure of the Thomasschule in Leipzig | The Rules Established for the Thomasschule by a Noble and Very Wise Leipzig City Council - Printed by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf Leipzig, 1733 | Homage Works for Thomas School Rectors


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