Fischer, Johann Caspar Ferdinand

1672-1738

One of the best known pianists of his day, chapelmaster to the Margrave Ludwig of Baden in 1720. He wrote numerous works of considerable merit, including airs and ballets for five parts and trumpets; preludes; fugues; anthems and psalms. Little is known of his life. Grove calls Fischer " an almost totally forgotten predecessor and immediate forerunner of Handel and Bach in clavier and organ music," and gives the date of his birth as between 1660 and 1670 and the date of death as 1738. Fischer's first work appeared about 1695 at Augsberg and the next year, Les Pieces de Clavessin, consisting of eight short suites for clavier, each introduced by a prelude, made its appearance. Two works of his, entitled Musicalischer Parnassus, consisting of nine suites for clavier, named after the nine muses, appeared later without a date. The clavier and organ compositions of this composer were republished in one volume by Ernst von Werra.