Schicht, Johann Gottfried

1753-1823

German pianist, organist, conductor and composer. Born at Reichenau, Saxony. His father was a poor weaver, but Johann was adopted and educated by an uncle at Zittau, where he received a few clavier lessons from the organist, Trier. Otherwise he was self-taught in music. In 1776 he went to Leipsic to study law, but gave up his course and became accompanist at Killer's concerts and also at the Gewandhaus concerts, when they were established in 1781. In 1785 Schicht was elected conductor of the Gewandhaus, and in 1810 was also appointed cantor at the Thomasschule. He composed the oratorios, Die Feier des Christen auf Golgotha, and Moses auf Sinai, and Das Ende des Gerechten; the choral motets, Herzlich lieb hab' ich dich, O Herr, Nach einer Prüfung kurzer Tage, and Jesus meine Zuversicht; cantatas; masses; motets; four Te Deums; nine settings to Leo's Miserere; the One Hundredth Psalm; a choralbuch containing one thousand two hundred and eighty-five pieces, of which over three hundred were original; and piano-music.