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Carl August Thieme (Classical philologist, Teacher, Librarian, Kantor, Copyist, Bach's Pupil) |
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Born: April 3, 1721 - Teuchern, near Weißenfels, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Died: October 25, 1795 - Leipzig, Saxony, Germany |
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Carl August Thieme was born the son of Johann Adam Thieme (excise inspector in Teuchern). He was officially enrolled at the Thomasschule in Leipzig on October 14, 1735; and studied there from 1735 to 1745, where he was a pupil of J.S. Bach. He enrolled at Universität Leipzig May 29, 1745; and studied there from 1745 to 1752, obtaining his Magister degree in 1752. Like other J.S. Bach's pupils, he helped him in copying. After completing his studies at the University of Leipzig, he was at first the Kantor at the Nikolaischule in Leipzig from 1752; after that held the position of Tertius from 1756; and finally became the Konrektor (vice principal) at the Thomasschule in Leipzig in 1767.
Believed to have been dictated by J.S. Bach to one of his students at the Leipzig Thomasschule, the Precepts and Principles for Playing the Thorough Bass or Accompanying in Four Parts is the most important teaching document of J.S. Bach's to have survived, providing insights into his teaching of harmony and fugue, and perhaps on his compositional process as well. Heinrich Schenker made use of Precepts (which he called J.S. Bach's Generalbassibuchlein) in the formulation of his analytical system. The 48-leaved manuscript, in which the hand of J.S. Bach's pupil Carl August Thieme has been identified, consists of thorough basses, studies in fugue writing, as well as figured basses and cadence patterns suitable for keyboard practice. His elder brother, Christian Adolph Thieme (1716-1735), was also a Thomaner (1734-1735).
Hans-Joachim Schulze suspected that Carl August Thieme was also J.S. Bach's private pupil during his time as a Thomaner or university student after finding out that he was involved in transcripts of J.S. Bach's general bass theory and Pedal-Exercitium BWV 598. More recently, however, Peter Wollny has identified the scribe with C.A. Thieme and thus indirectly questioned the pupil relationship.
References: Richter: 178; Koska: B-28; GND: 118061305; Bach Digital: 00005069 |
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Works of Bach he copied [Manuscript No. in Bach Digital / Work / Performance date] |
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B-Bc 27224 MSM: J.S. Bach: Generalbaßlehre
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 491: BWV 224 / Anh. I 19-> (Fragment), 598; BR-CPEB F-Inc 8 [c1734] |
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Sources:
1. Article by Thomas Braatz on the BCW (2012)
2. 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); Bach Digital Website (July 2019)
3. Bernd Koska: Bachs Privatschüler in Bach-Jahrbuch 2019, English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2020)
4. Bach Digital Website (July 2019)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (February 2020, April-May 2020) |
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Links to other Sites |
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The Problematical Origins of the “Generalbaßlehre of 1738” by Thomas Braatz (BCW) [PDF]
Thieme, Carl August (Bach digital) |
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Bibliography |
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Sources 1: StaatsA Leipzig, Konsistorium Leipzig, Nr. 151 (Subscriptio derer Visitations-Articul), 1752
Literature: Forbiger II, S. 24; Richter 1907, Nr. 178; Schulze 1984, S. 126; Dok V, Nr. N I (433)
Sources 3: Dok V, N II (433); BJ 1978, S. 40f. (H.-J. Schulze); Schulze Bach-Überlieferung, S. 126f.; NBA Supplement (Wollny 2011), S. 28 |
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