Among many other names may be mentioned Johann Kuhnau (d. 1722),
organist at the Thomaskirche in Leipsic in 1684-1701 and Bach's predecessor
at the Thomasschule; Johann Philipp Bendeler (d. 1708), cantor at Quedlinburg
and an important writer on organ-making (c. 1690); and Nikolaus Vetter
(d. 1710), pupil of Wecker and Pachelbel, from 1691 court-organist at
Rudolstadt, later an organ-teacher as well as lawyer.
108. In Western Europe.—As compared with the portentous development in Germany, which was laying broad foundations for still greater production later, the advance of organ music elsewhere was much less significant, though some excellent masters may be cited. Only in England were these numerous enough to affect the national style as a whole. In France keyboard music tended rather to styles suited to the clavichord instead of the organ.
In France there were no noted players till toward the end of the century.
In 1678 the post of royal organist was divided between four incumbents, each
serving three months at a time. Among these were Giullaume Gabriel Nivers
(d. after 1701), pupil of Chambonnières, with many works, theoretical and
practical (from 1646), including choir- and organ-pieces for the Catholic service,
Nicholas Antoine Le Bègue (d. 1702), with some similar works (from
1675), and Jacques Thomelin. [Nivers and Le Bègue, with the elder
François Couperin (d. 1698), were among those who successfully opposed the
bizarre pretensions of Guillaume du Manoir to rule the profession as 'Roi des
violons' in virtue of a patent originally granted in the 14th century (book on
music and the dance, 1664).] Another able composer for organ and clavier
was André Raison (works, 1687-1714).
In Spain and Portugal were Manoel Rodrigues Coelho of Lisbon (important collection, 1620); Francisco Corrêa de Arauxo (d. 1663), organist at Seville, professor at Salamanca, finally Bishop of Segovia (theoretical treatise, 1626), Andrés Lorente (d. 1703), organist at Alcala (treatise, 1672); and Josef Cavanillas (d. c. 1725), cathedral-organist at Urgel, a famous virtuoso.
In England almost every church composer during the century was an organist (see sec. 99), and several of them, like Bull, O. Gibbons, Rogers, Blow and H. Purcell, attained permanent distinction.
