Johann Christoph Pepusch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Johann Christoph Pepusch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Johann Christoph Pepusch (1667 20 July 1752), also known as

John Christopher Pepusch and Dr Pepusch, was a German-born
composer who spent most of his working life in England.
Pepusch was born in Berlin. At the age of 14, he was appointed to
the Prussian court. About 1700, he settled in England where he
was one of the founders, in 1726, of The Academy of Vocal Music,
which around 1730/1 was renamed The Academy of Ancient
Music. In Joseph Doane's Musical directory for the year 1794, the
founding of the Academy is discussed; on page 76, Doane states
that:[1]
In the year 1710 (memorable for Handels first
appearance among us) a number of the most eminent
composers and performers in London [agreed] to
concert a plan of an Academy for the study and practice
of Vocal and Instrumental Music, which was no sooner
announced than it met the countenance and support of
the principal persons of rank. Among the foremost in
this undertaking were Mr. John Christopher Pepusch,
Mr. John Earnest Galleard, an excellent composer and
performer on the Oboe, Mr. Bernard Gates of the
Queens Chapel, Henry Niedler, etc.

Johann Christoph Pepusch

Pepusch remained Director of the Academy until his death in 1752, whereupon he was succeeded
by Benjamin Cooke. Pepusch died in London.
During a period of twenty years, Pepusch directed the musical establishment at Cannons, a large
house northwest of London. For a couple of years he worked alongside George Frideric Handel - in
1717/18 both men were employed there by James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos. (For more see
Baker and Baker, ref. below)
Although Pepusch is now best known for his arrangement of the music for The Beggar's Opera
(1728) -- to the libretto of John Gayhe composed many other works including stage and church
music as well as concertos and continuo sonatas.

References

10/4/2016 4:35 PM

Johann Christoph Pepusch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2 of 2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Christoph_Pepusch

1. A musical directory for the year 1794 (https://openlibrary.org/b/OL21788685M/musical_directory)

Royal College of Music (London), Published in 1993 by Joseph Doane (https://openlibrary.org
/a/OL6344631A/Joseph_Doane).

Notes
Doane, Joseph (1794) A Musical Directory for the Year 1794 London: printed for the editor; published
by R. H. Westley; and sold by the following music-sellers: Messrs. Longman & Broaderip; Smart;
Bland; Betts; Fentum
Baker, C. H. Collins and Baker, Muriel I. (1949) The Life and Circumstances of James Brydges, First
Duke of Chandos Oxford : Clarendon Press

External links
Free scores by Johann Christoph Pepusch at the
International Music Score Library Project
Digitized images of Old English Songs
(http://exploreuk.uky.edu/catalog/xt702v2c9n72_1)
containing works by Pepusch, housed at the University of
Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center

Wikimedia Commons
has media related to
Johann Christoph
Pepusch.

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Categories: 1667 births 1752 deaths German classical composers
German male classical composers German opera composers Baroque composers
Burials at Brompton Cemetery Members of the Royal Society of Musicians
Members of the Academy of Ancient Music Fellows of the Royal Society
German music theorists 18th-century classical composers German composer stubs
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10/4/2016 4:35 PM