Johann Ludwig Krebs (Copyist, Composer, Bach's Pupil)

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Johann Ludwig Krebs (Copyist, Composer, Bach's Pupil)

Born: October 12, 1713 - Buttelstädt, Thuringia, Germany
Died: January 1, 1780 - Altenburg, Thuringia, Germany

Johann Ludwig Krebs was a composer whose career spanned the end of the Baroque and beginning of the Classical era. In many respects, it typifies the problems many musicians had in coping with the drastic change of style this implies. Since he was an exceptionally skilled writer of counterpoint, he might have ended up with considerably wider fame if he had been born 20 years earlier.

Johann Ludwig was the son of Johann Tobias Krebs, the organist of Buttelstedt, near Weimar, who had studied with J.S. Bach. Father taught son organ, harmony, theory, and counterpoint. The lad was sent to enter the Thomasschule in Leipzig, where J.S. Bach was music director. Krebs general studies and lessons in singing, lute, violin, and keyboard. He remained a singer in J.S. Bach's choir until 1730.

J.L. Krebs attended the University of Leipzig from 1735 to 1737, took part on an as-needed basis in J.S. Bach's choir at the Thomaskirche, copyist from 1729-1731,and was the harpsichord player in the university's collegium musicum, which was also directed by J.S. Bach. Krebs left Leipzig in 1737 to take a position as organist of the Marienkirche in Zwickau, an ill-paid job playing an equally ill-maintained organ. While there, he met and married Johanna Sophie Nackens, daughter of a civil servant there. Soon, they had the first of their children, Johann Gottfried Krebs (1741-1814), an organist who wrote a large number of cantatas in his long-standing tenure as Mittelorganist or Stadtkantor of Altenberg. In 1744, J.L. Krebs moved to Zeitz to become organist there for 12 years. He tried unsuccessfully to become J.S. Bach's successor. In 1755, he accepted a position as organist to the court of Prince Friedrich of Gotha-Altenberg in Altenburg. The organ was better, the court was more exalted, but the pay was little improvement. Still, he continued to get by and retained the post until death. Family finances were somewhat helped when Johann Gottfried became his assistant organist.

J.L. Krebs had a very high reputation among his contemporaries. J.S. Bach held him in high regard, punning on both their names (Krebs [crab or crayfish] and Bach [brook or stream]) by saying "He is the only crayfish in my stream." It is not surprising that many of his works, especially his organ compositions, are very much like those of J.S. Bach. His harpsichord music is probably what was best-known of his work in his own time, published extensively, particularly in four volumes of Clavier Ubung. J.L. Krebs also wrote significant quantities of orchestral and choral music. His name and music contributed to one of the most delicious inside jokes in movie music history. To echo the on-screen motion of the giant crab in the film Mysterious Island, with its independently moving legs, Bernard Herrmann orchestrated a cancrizan (i.e. crab-motion) fugue by the "crab" composer, Krebs.

J.S. Bach Connection

From 1726 to 1735 Johann Ludwig Krebs was enrolled at the Thomasschule in Leipzig, where J.S. Bach was Kantor. While in Leipzig, J.L. Krebs was one of J.S. Bach's private keyboard pupils, and from 1729 to 1731 he copied performing parts for various church cantatas by J.S. Bach. (Like his father, J.L. Krebs also appears as a scribe in the manuscript complex P 801-3 mentioned above.) In a testimonial (1735) J.S. Bach praised J.L. Krebs not only as a performer on keyboard instruments, violin, and lute, but also as a composer. During his university years he assisted J.S. Bach at the Thomaskirche and played the harpsichord in the collegium musicum. Despite all his Leipzig connections, J.L. Krebs failed in his application to become J.S. Bach's successor. J.S. Bach allegedly referred to him as 'the only crayfish ["Krebs"] in my brook ["Bach"]'.

References: Richter: 88; Koska: A-20; GND:123281954

Works of Bach he copied [Manuscript No. in Bach Digital / Work / Performance date]

Sources:
1. All Music Guide Website (Author: Joseph Stevenson)
2. Malcom Boyd, editor: Oxford Composer Companion J.S. Bach (Oxford University Press, 1999, Article author: Russell Stinson)
3. Bach Digital Website (May 2019)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (December 2005, November 2008, March 2020)

Works previously attributed to J.S. Bach

Christe eleison, BWV 242 [by J.S. Bach to Mass in C minor, BWV Anh 26 by Francesco Durante; not by J.L. Krebs]
Prelude for organ in C major, BWV 567
Chorale Prelude for organ Wir glauben all' an einen Gott, Vater (IV), BWV 740 (?)
Sanctus in F, BWV Anh 27
Fugue for keyboard in F sharp major, BWV Anh 97
Chorale Prelude for organ Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend, BWV Anh 172
Fugue for keyboard in A minor, BWV Anh 181

Use of Chorale Melodies in his works

Allein Gott in der Hösh Sei Her, Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr)

Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, chorale for organ (CM: Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr)

Es ist das Heil uns kommen her, Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Es ist das Heil uns kommen her)

Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele, Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele)

Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir, Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir)

Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir, Chorale for organ (CM: Herr Gott, dich loben wir [The German Tedeum])

Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut)

Herr Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht (Version unknown), Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Herr Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht)

Jesu, meine Freude, Chorale Prelude for Organ with obbligato oboe (CM: Jesu, meine Freude; 1743)

Jesu, meine Freude, Cantata SATB, ob, str, bc, ed. N. Klose (Embühren, 1993) (CM: Jesu, meine Freude)

Jesu, meine Freude, Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Jesu, meine Freude)

Jesu, meine Freude, for Organ (Clavierübung) (CM: Jesu, meine Freude)

Preambulum sopra Jesu, mein Freude, for organ (CM: Jesu, meine Freude)

Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, Chorale Prelude for Organ and Oboe or Trumpet (CM: Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott)

Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn, Chorale Prelude for Organ with Oboe (CM: Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn)

Fantasia on Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn, for organ & horn obbligato (CM: Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn)

Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt per Canonem, et quidem per Diminutionem, Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt)

2 Chorale Preludes for Organ on Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht (CM: Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht)

O Gott, du frommer Gott, 2 Chorale Preludes for Organ, one with an obbligato instrument (CM: O Gott, du frommer Gott)

In allen meinen Taten, Chorale Prelude for Organ (Trp.) (CM: O Welt, ich muß dich lassen)

Chorale for organ, Vater unser im Himmelreich [questionable authencity] (CM: Vater unser im Himmelreich)

Praeambulum supra Vater unser im Himmelreich [questionable authencity] (CM: Vater unser im Himmelreich)

Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Von Gott will ich nicht lassen)

Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz, Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz)

Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan)

Was mein Gott will, das gscheh allzei, Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit)

Chorale Prelude for trumpet & organ Was mein Gott will, das gescheh all (CM: Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit)

Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist, Chorale for Organ (CM: Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist)

Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten, Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten)

Wir Christenleut Chorale, Prelude for Organ (CM: Wir Christenleut habn jetzund Freud)

Wo soll ich fliehen hin, Chorale Prelude for Organ (CM: Wo soll ich fliehen hin)

Links to other Sites

Johann Ludwig Krebs (AMG)
Krebs, Johann Ludwig (1713 - 1780) (Karadar)
HOASM: Johann Ludwig Krebs
The Johann Ludwig Krebs Mp3 Page on Classic Cat
Krebs, Johann Ludwig (MDR.DE) [German]
Johann Ludwig Krebs (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Krebs, Johann Ludwig (Bach Digital)

Bibliography

Sources: EphA Borna, Superintendentur Borna, E.55.01 (Trautzschen. Kirch-Bau, Orgel-Bau, und Kirch-Stühle betr. 1744)
Literature: Richter 1907, Nr. 88; Vollhardt 1978, S. 362, 375 und 491; Friedrich 1988; Friedrich 2009; MGG2, Personenteil X, Sp. 643–647; NBA IX/3, Nr. 131
Dok I, Nr. 71; Dok II, Nr. 335, 397, 520; Dok VII, S. 55; Löffler 1929/31, Nr. 24; Löffler 1936, S. 114f.; Löffler 1953, Nr. 35; MGGo; NBA IX/3, Nr. 131; Johann Ludwig Krebs – Neue Perspektiven, hrsg. von C. Storch (Schriften der Academia Musicalis Thuringiae. 2.), [Sinzig] 2018
GND:123281954

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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Last update: Monday, January 02, 2023 15:30