Johann Adam Reincken (also known as Jan Adams, Jean Adam, Reinken, Reinkinck, Reincke, Reinicke, Reinike; born December 10, 1643 – died November 24, 1722) was a Dutch and German organist and composer. He was one of the most important composers of the 17th century, a friend of Dieterich Buxtehude, and had a major influence on Johann Sebastian Bach. However, very few of his works have survived to the present day.

Life

Many people say Reincken lived a very long life, but this idea comes from Johann Mattheson, who wrote in 1722 that Reincken was born on April 27, 1623. However, Reincken himself wrote on the title page of his book Hortus musicus that he was born in Deventer. No records in Deventer support Mattheson's claim. A boy named Jan Reinse was baptized in Deventer on December 10, 1643. This date is now accepted by most scholars, even though it has some problems similar to the one from Mattheson.

Reincken studied music in Deventer from 1650 to 1654 with Lucas van Lennick, the organist at the Grote kerk (Lebuinuskerk). In 1654, he moved to Hamburg to study under Heinrich Scheidemann, a student of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, the organist at St. Katharine's Church (Katharinenkirche). In 1657, he returned to Deventer and became the organist at the Bergkerk on March 11. After one year, he left for Hamburg again to work as Scheidemann's assistant. When Scheidemann died in 1663, Reincken took his place at St. Katharine's Church. In 1665, he married one of Scheidemann's daughters. Their only child, Margaretha-Maria, was born three years later.

Reincken stayed at St. Katharine's Church until his death in 1722, even though some church leaders tried to appoint Johann Mattheson as his replacement in 1705. Unlike many other organists of his time, Reincken was wealthy when he died. During his lifetime, he was recognized as one of Germany's best organists. He knew Dieterich Buxtehude well and influenced Vincent Lübeck and Johann Sebastian Bach. A famous story tells of Bach's visit to Hamburg in 1720. After hearing Bach play a long fantasia based on the Lutheran hymn "An Wasserflüssen Babylon" (a piece similar to one Reincken had written), Reincken said, "I thought this art was dead, but I see it lives in you." Christoph Wolff adds that Bach also performed his organ fugue BWV 542 during this visit. The fugue's theme was based on a Dutch folk tune, likely as a tribute to Reincken's Dutch heritage. Bach was clearly inspired by Reincken's music, as he arranged several pieces from Reincken's Hortus musicus (now known as BWV 954, 965, and 966). In 2006, the earliest known handwritten copy of Bach's music was found in Weimar. It was a copy of Reincken's An Wasserflüssen Babylon, which Bach had made for his teacher Georg Böhm in Lüneburg in 1700.

List of works

• Chorale fantasia An Wasserflüssen Babylon
• Chorale fantasia Was kann uns kommen an für Not
• Variations on Schweiget mir von Weibernehmen (la Meyerin) (Amsterdam, around 1710)
• Variations on Holländische Nachtigahl (Amsterdam, around 1710)
• Ballett with Variations (Amsterdam, around 1710)
• Toccata in G major
• Toccata in G minor (doubtful)
• Toccata quasi Fantasia con Fuge in A major, BWV Anh. 178 [ scores ] (doubtful)
• Fugue in G minor (spurious)
• Eight harpsichord suites
• Musicalischer Clavierschatz del J.A. Reincken (1702, now lost)

• Hortus Musicus (1688), 6 sonatas and suites for 2 violins, viola da gamba and basso continuo
• Sonaten, Concertaten, Allemanden, Correnten, Sarabanden und Chiguen (1704), for 2 violins and harpsichord (now lost)

• Was Gott thut, das ist wohl getan
• Canon a 3 voci in Hypodiapason per Augmentationem