Johann Kuhnau (1660–1722) is often considered Johann Sebastian Bach's predecessor as Thomaskantor in Leipzig, but his influence on Bach's musical output should not be underestimated. Kuhnau, who worked at St. Thomas Church for almost four decades, significantly shaped Leipzig church music through the introduction of thematic cantata cycles and the establishment of figural Passion music for Good Friday, thus also influencing the development of the cantata towards the later "Bachian model" [5]. Bach not only took over Kuhnau's position but was also inspired by the title "Clavier-Übung" (Clavier Practice), which Kuhnau had chosen for his own keyboard collections [1]. The two musicians worked together on the organ inspection in Halle in 1716 [4]. Kuhnau was a versatile polymath: in addition to his work as a composer and musician, he was a lawyer, theorist, and writer. His satirical novel "Der musicalische Quacksalber" (The Musical Quack) humorously skewers the music of his time. In his works, Kuhnau demonstrates a remarkable ability to assimilate diverse musical influences and create new musical forms. His handling of text declamation and the interplay between polyphony and homophony are reminiscent of Handel, who benefited from Kuhnau's compositions as a student.[3] The importance of interpretation and emotional expression is reflected in Kuhnau's keyboard music. The mathematically structured "Clavier-Übungen" (Keyboard Exercises), for example, combine structure with expressiveness. Kuhnau was an important pioneer of the Italianate style in German keyboard music, although as Thomaskantor he later adopted a critical stance towards modern opera. His church music, including numerous cantatas from 1705 and 1717, is being rediscovered today and is in no way inferior in quality to Bach's Mühlhausen cantatas.[2][3] Kuhnau's versatility and creative energy refute the image of a dull predecessor and instead reveal him as an important link between Heinrich Schütz and Johann Sebastian Bach.
