Christian Friedrich Schemelli (Kantor, Organ, Bach's Pupil)

Born: October 30¹ or 21^{3 4}, 1713 - Treunbrietzen, about 30 km south-west of Berlin, Brandenburg, Germany
Died: October 27, 1761 - Zeitz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Christian Friedrich Schemelli was a German Kantor and organist, born the son of the court Kantor, music editor and poet Georg Christian Schemelli Treunbrietzen. He attendeD the Stiftsschulen (colleges) in Zeitz und Naumburg. He enrolled at the Thomasschule in Leipzig on May 5, 1731; studied there from 1731 to 1734; and at Universität Leipzig from 1735 (enrolled on May 21, 1735), but by all accounts he was a ne'er-do-well. Yet J.S. Bach wrote a favoruable testimonial for him on February 24, 1740, possibly at the insistence of the father. After completing his studies in Leipzig, he may have taken up a position (substitute) in the court Kapella at Zeitz in 1744, where he succeeded his father as organist and Schlosskantor (castle cantor) in 1758.

In response to an unsuccessful application for the Zeitz Castle Service Organist in 1756, C.F. Schemelli reported that he had placed his "Fundamenta in der Music bey den seelig verstorbnen Capell Meister Bach in Leipzig" “Fundamentals in Music with the soul-defunct Capell Meister Bach in Leipzig” and with Gottfried August Homilius (C-20). In 1740 J.S. Bach only mentioned in a certificate for C.F. Schemelli only his stay at the Thomasschule and his assignment as a soprano. The period of C.F. Schemelli's private lessons at J.S. Bach cannot be further limited beyond the dates of the Thomasschule and Universität Leipzig.

References: Richter: 131; Koska: A-29

Sources:
1. Oxford Composer Companions J.S. Bach (Editor: Malcolm Boyd, OUP, 1999)
2. fine-print footnotes in the Bach-Dokumente
3. Bernd Koska: Dissertation "Bachs Thomaner als Kantoren in Mitteldeutschland" (Beeskow 2018), Anhang VII.1 Die Alumnen der Thomasschule 1710-1760, English translation by Aryeh Oron (April 2020)
4. Bernd Koska: Bachs Privatschüler in Bach-Jahrbuch 2019, English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2020)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (June 2014, April-May 2020); Thomas Braatz (January 2011)

Links to other Sites

Bibliography

Sources 3: LA Wernigerode, A 29d, I Nr. 22 (Acta Consistorialia Die Bestellung des Schloß- und Stadt-Organisten Diensts betr.) und 25 (Consistorial-Acta die Bestellung des Schloß-Cantorats zu Zeitz betr. de anno 1683–1807)
Literature 3: Richter 1907, Nr. 131; Dok I, Nr. 77; Dok III, Nr. 684–686; MGG2, Personenteil XIV, Sp. 1277
Sources 4: Dok I, Nr. 77; Dok III, Nr. 686; Löffler 1929/31, Nr. 34; Löffler 1936, S. 119; Löffler 1953, Nr. 49; A. Werner, Städtische und fürstliche Musikpflege in Zeitz bis zum Anfang des 19. Jahrhunderts, Bückeburg und Leipzig 1922, S. 12f., 15f.; BJ 1924, S. 105–124 (A. Schering); H. John, Der Dresdner Kreuzkantor und Bach-Schüler Gottfried August Homilius. Ein Beitrag zur Musikgeschichte Dresdens im 18. Jahrhundert, Tutzing 1980, S. 12

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