Michael Gottard Fischer

Michael Gottard Fischer was born in Alach, near Erfurt, on 3 June 1773, and died in Erfurt itself on 12 January 1829. He belonged to the generation of German musicians who worked in the wake of Johann Sebastian Bach, in a milieu of churches, schools and civic concerts rather than at courts or major theatres.

He trained with J. C. Kittel in Erfurt, studying organ and counterpoint. After the departure of J. W. Hässler, he took over his post as organist of the Barfüsserkirche and as director of the civic concerts. He later succeeded Kittel at the Predigerkirche in 1809. In 1816 he became music teacher at the teachers' seminary in Erfurt, where he taught organ and figured bass.

His organ music, close to that of Kittel, C. H. Rinck and K. G. Umbreit, is characterised by brief, expressive pieces with a flexible writing that avoids the rigidity of the post-Bach style without fully adopting the newer forms of J. H. Knecht or the Abbé Vogler. His concertos and chamber music with piano show a freer technique and a notably rich sonority. His chorale books, dated 1820–21, enjoyed lasting favour. His combination of chordal writing of a melodic character with a freer contrapuntal texture influenced later organ music. Among his pupils was A. G. Ritter, author of an early and important history of organ performance.