The organists of Leipzig’s royal catholic chapel: 1719–1756

Abstract

In June 1719, shortly before an organ was commissioned for Leipzig’s Catholic Schlosskapelle, the first of five young organists arrived at the Jesuit house from Bohemia. Drawing upon surviving Jesuit records the identities of these musicians become known. Thus, the subsequent careers of Augustin Uhlig and Joseph Tiederle as violinists of Dresden’s renowned Hofkapelle, and Antonio Harnisch as schoolmaster to the Kapellknaben of Dresden’s Catholic court church, may be followed. Their biographies demonstrate that Leipzig’s Catholic chapel was the conduit into Saxony for these talented young Bohemians who later would become integrated into the musical networks of the Dresden court.