German composer. He had learned several instruments by the age of 10 and composed an opera by the age of 12, but his family discouraged him from pursuing a musical profession.

 

During his law studies at the University of Leipzig, he organized student music groups and became Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Opera (1702), organist at the New Church (1704) and Counts Kapellmeister (1705). Moved to Eisenach (around 1708), where he met Johann Sebastian Bach, where he composed instrumental music for French and German church music.

 

He moved to Gotha (1717) and then to Hamburg (1721), where he served as musical director of the opera (1722–38), for which he wrote several dozen Italian-influenced works.

 

He wrote about 600 cantatas and a total of about 2,000 pieces, many of them of high quality.