Johann Schicht

Johann Gottfried Schicht was a German conductor, organist, violinist, and composer born on September 29, 1753, in Reichena, now Bogatynia in Poland. He received his early education at the gymnasium in Zittau, where he also studied organ with Johann Trier. These formative years laid the foundations for his later accomplishments as both a performer and a musical scholar, equipping him with strong technical skills and a deep understanding of church and instrumental music.

In 1776 Schicht moved to Leipzig to study law, but music quickly became the dominant force in his life. While pursuing his academic studies, he performed as a violinist and harpsichordist in Johann Adam Hiller’s Große Konzert. When this ensemble evolved into the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Schicht dedicated himself fully to music. His leadership abilities soon became evident, and in 1785 he succeeded Hiller as director of the orchestra, serving in that influential position until 1810.

Following his tenure with the Gewandhaus Orchestra, Schicht was appointed Thomaskantor at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, becoming the musical and artistic leader of the renowned Thomanerchor. His work at St. Thomas placed him among the successors of Johann Sebastian Bach and gave him significant influence over sacred musical life in Leipzig. In addition to this role, he founded the Leipzig Singing Academy in 1802 and served as its first director until 1807, contributing to the city’s growing culture of amateur and professional choral singing.

Schicht’s compositional output includes a wide range of vocal and instrumental works, with his 1819 Allgemeine Choralbuch standing as his most recognized contribution. He wrote numerous choral compositions, including settings of the Te Deum, as well as a piano concerto and other clavier pieces. His 1812 treatise Grundregeln der Harmonie reflects his interest in pedagogy and music theory. As an editor, he played an important role in disseminating major works by preparing editions of Bach’s motets in 1803, Haydn’s Stabat Mater, and several compositions by Mozart.

Beyond his own compositions and editorial projects, Schicht contributed to musical education by publishing German translations of pedagogical texts, including Anna Maria Pellegrini-Celloni’s singing manual and piano methods by Ignaz Pleyel and Muzio Clementi. His personal life was closely tied to music as well; he was married to the singer Costanze Waldesturla, and one of their four daughters, Henriette Wilhelmine, also became a singer. Schicht remained a central figure in Leipzig’s musical culture until his death in the city on February 16, 1823.

After his death, Schicht’s life and work were documented in the 1824 volume of the Neuer Nekrolog der Deutschen, reflecting the esteem in which he was held by contemporaries. His compositions and editions have continued to circulate, with many later preserved and made accessible through modern score collections.

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