Johann Philipp Krieger

He was apparently a gifted student, displaying absolute pitch and a feeling for keyboard music: according to Mattheson, already after a year of studies he was able to impress large audiences and was composing attractive arias.

During his stay, whenever it occurred, Johann Philipp was offered an invitation to become organist in Christiania (now Oslo, Norway), which he declined.

Johann Philipp was still employed in Bayreuth in 1673, when Margrave Christian Ernst left to fight in the Franco-Dutch War.

In 1675 Johann Philipp went to Vienna, then one of the most important musical capitals of Europe, where he played for Emperor Leopold I.

The Emperor was a well-known patron of the arts and a composer; upon hearing Krieger's performance, he was sufficiently impressed to ennoble him and all his brothers and sisters.

Duke August died in 1680 and was succeeded by his brother, Johann Adolf I, who moved the court to Weißenfels.

Johann Philipp was a prolific composer and supplied the Weißenfels court with countless sacred and secular works, including some 2,000 cantatas, at least 18 operas, trio-sonatas, etc.

A 1650 engraving of Nuremberg, home of the Krieger family.
Johann Adolf I, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels, under whom Krieger was promoted to Kapellmeister, and with whom the composer moved to Weißenfels.