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Rudolf Straube (Composer, Lute, Harpsichord, Copyist, Bach's Pupil) |
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Born: December 5, 1717 - Trebnitz an der Elster (Elstertrebnitz), Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Died: 17855 6 (or 1782 or c17807) - London, England |
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Rudolf [Rudolph] Straube was a German lutenist, harpsichordist and composer. He was born the son of a Christian Straube (Kantor in Trebnitz an der Elster). He enrolled at the Thomasschule in Leipzig on June 23, 1733; and studied there from 1733 to 1740, since January 14, 1733 already as external. He sang in the choir under J.S. Bach and also took private instruction from J.S. Bach. Like others, among J.S. Bach's better pupils, he was entrusted with music-copying, identified in the manuscripts as Hauptkopist G; Anon. Vk; Anon. 15. His hand has been identified in the performance parts over the following three years (1734-1735) for several cantatas, including sections in Weihnachts-Oratorium (BWV 248). He entered the University at Leipzig on February 27, 1740, and soon afterwards may have worked for Carl Heinrich von Dieskau, J.S. Bach's patron for the Peasant Cantata (BWV 212), to whom Straube dedicated his Due sonate in 1746. In the following year he was engaged as Cammer-musicus (lute player) at the Köthen court.
Early in 1754 Rudolf Straube visited Erfurt and presented various compositions to Jakob Adlung, who described him as a good lutenist, a well-trained keyboard student of J.S. Bach, and one who at that time was interested only in travel. In the 1750's (c1759), Straube, like many other German musicians, moved to London. He struggled at first in his new country, but soon led an increasigly precarious existence as harpsichordist and lutenist. According to Coggin he also became known as a player and teacher of the fashionable "English" (actually German) guitar, for which he published some music in his adopted city. He was one of the eminent musicians whom the artist Thomas Gainsborough persuaded to give him lessons; William Jackson of Exeter tells an amusing anecdote about their encounter. He was later on appointed as the music master for Queen Charlotte of England, whom he dedicated his work Gavotte. C.F. Pohl included Straube among a list of musicians active there in 1759.
Rudolf Straube’s works reflect most of the prevailing elements of the Baroque style: binary design, a fairly consistent and conservative extension of opening figuration, all usually enhanced by a pronounced rhythmic vitality. His compositions for lute and guitar are thoroughly idiomatic, often accompanied by a violin or keyboard instrument. A dialogue between Straube and Thomas Gainsborough on the latter’s manner of purchasing a lute and lute music, and a diagram of a fingerboard and tuning system by Straube, are in the British Library (Add.31698).
Rudoilf Straube described himself as J.S. Bach's organ student in two unsuccessful applications for organist service in Zeitz in 1739 and 1743. According to Adlung (1758) he was er "auf dem Claviere ein wohlgerathener Schüler des Kapellmeister Bachs" (on the keboard a well-advised student of the Capellmeister Bach). On the other hand, Gerber (1790) only spoke of composition lessons.
References: Richter: 157; Koska: A-34; GND: 134691962; Bach Digital: 00004983 |
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Works of Bach he copied [Manuscript No. in Bach Digital / Work / Performance date] |
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D-B Mus.ms. Bach St 54, Faszikel 3: BWV 82 (version 3 in C minor): 1st violin part [c1735]
D-B Mus.ms. Bach St 77: BWV 215 [5.10.1734]
D-B Mus.ms. Bach St 80, Faszikel 1: BWV 206 [October 1736/]
D-B Mus.ms. Bach St 112 I, Faszikel 1: BWV 248/1 [25.12.1734]
D-B Mus.ms. Bach St 112 II, Faszikel 1: BWV 248/2 [26.12.1734]
D-B Mus.ms. Bach St 112 III, Faszikel 1: BWV 248/3 [27.12.1734]
D-B Mus.ms. Bach St 112 IV, Faszikel 1: BWV 248/4 1.1.1735]
|D-B Mus.ms. Bach St 112 V, Faszikel 1: BWV 248/5 [2.1.1735]
D-B Mus.ms. Bach St 112 VI, Faszikel 1: BWV 248/6 [6.1.1735]
D-B Mus.ms. Bach St 347: BWV 207a [3.8.1735]
PL-Kj Mus.ms. Bach St 356: BWV 11 / 249b-> [19.5.1735]
US-NYpm B 1184. E753 [Morgan Collection, BWV 9]: BWV 9 [1732-1735]
[Kantate BWV 9: Es ist das Heil uns kommen her] Originalstimmensatz: BWV 9 [Original source]
[Kantate BWV 9: Es ist das Heil uns kommen her] Stimmensatz W. F. Bach: BWV 9, BR-WFB N 140 |
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Works |
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2 lute sonatas Leipzig, 1746/R)
Lessons, 2 English guitars bc (London, c1765)
5 sonatas, English guitar, 3 with keyboard, violoncello, 2 with violin (London, 1768)
The Mecklenburg Gavotte with variations, harpsichord/pianoforte (London, 1768)
2 keyboard sonatas, D-Mbs; 3 pieces, theorbo lute, GB-Lbl, attrib. Straube |
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Sources:
1. Grove Music Online (Author: Douglas A. Lee; Accessed: June 18, 2014) Copyright © Oxford University Press 2007-2014;
2. Oxford Composer Companions J.S. Bach (Tim Crawford; Author: Editor: Malcolm Boyd; OUP, 1999)
3. fine-print footnotes in the Bach-Dokumente;
4. EBSCO Host Connection Website
5. 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)
6. Bach Digital Website (June 2019)
7. 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, June 2014) |
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Links to other Sites |
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Rudolf Straube (EBSCO Host Connection)
Straube, Rudolf (Bach Digital) |
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Bibliography |
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SchillingE
DBok, ii, 372-373, 408; iii, 123, 479, 721
Tim Crawford: Introduction to Rudolf Straube due sonate a liuto solo ( Leipzig, 1746), facsimile (Monaco, 1981)
Jakob Adlung: Anleitung zu der musikalischen Gelahrtheit (Erfurt, 1758/R, 2/1783)
William Jackson: The Four Ages of Man, together with Essays on Various Subjects (London, 1798), 151-152
Philipp Spitta: Johann Sebastian Bach (Leipzig, 1873-1880, 5/1962; Eng. trans., 1884, 2/1899/R)
A. Schering: J.S. Bach und das Musikleben in Leipzig im 18. Jahrhundert (Leipzig, 1941)
Hans-Joachim Schulze: Studien zur Bach-Überlieferung im 18 Jaahrhundert (Leipzig, 1984), 120, 212-213
P. Coggin: ‘“This easy and agreable Instrument”: a History of the English Guittar’, EMc, xv (1987), 204-218
Literature 5: Richter 1907, Nr. 157; Dok II, Nr. 461, 518, 520 und 521; Dok III, Nr. 694 und 950; Schulze 1984, S. 120f.; NBA IX/3, Nr. 187
GND: 134691962
Sources 7: Dok II, Nr. 461, 518; J. Adlung, Anleitung zu der musikalischen Gelahrtheit, Erfurt 1758, S. 722 (= Dok III, Nr. 694); Gerber ATL, Bd. II, S. 599 (= Dok III, Nr. 950); Löffler 1929/31, Nr. 32; Löffler 1936, S. 119; Löffler 1953, Nr. 47; MGGo; Schulze Bach-Überlieferung, S. 120f.; NBA IX/3, Nr. 187 |
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