Georg Gebel [Jr.] (d. 1753), the precocious son and pupil of the Gebel named above, was from 1729 organist at Breslau, from 1735 court-choirmaster at Dresden, and from 1747 at Rudolstadt, much admired for his facile style. Besides operas, he wrote many cantatas and 2 Passions. (His works, however, are confused with his father's.)
Johann Heinrich Rolle (d. 1785) began church composition as a boy of 13 (1731) at Magdeburg, becoming organist there the next year. From 1736 he studied law at Leipsic and began practice at Berlin, where in 1740 he resumed musical work at the court of Frederick the Great. From 1746 he was again organist at Magdeburg and succeeded his father as town-musician in 1752. His works were exceedingly many, mostly sacred, including several cantata-cycles, at least 10 Passions and several other similar works, 15 or more oratorios (Der Tod Abels, 1771, being the most admired), and many songs. His invention was not equal to his dramatic ideas.
Among the many pupils of the great Bach who in the latter part of the century attained eminence in church composition were his eldest son Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (d. 1784), organist at Dresden from 1733 and at Halle in 1747-64, who was a player of the first order and a powerful writer for both organ and choir, but whose later life was spent in poverty and disgrace, due to dissipation; his third son Karl Philipp Emanuel Bach (d. 1788), most eminent as the founder of the forms of instrumental composition that characterized the period of Haydn and Mozart (see sec. 140), but notable also for worthy church music, including many cantatas, over 20 Passions and similar works, a few oratorios, etc.; Johann Ludwig Krebs (d. 1780), under Bach's care for about 10 years and esteemed by him his best organ pupil, from 1737 at Zwickau, from 1744 at Zeitz, and from 1756 at Altenburg, with many fine organ works and some cantatas, besides clavier-pieces, mostly in the homophonic style; Johann Philipp Kirnberger (d. 1783), from 1741 a teacher in Poland and from 1752 prominent at the Berlin court, a prolific but dry composer, and a theorist of importance, though not of insight (see sec. 165); Johann Friedrich Agricola (d. 1774), court-composer at Berlin from 1751 and Graun's successor as royal choirmaster in 1759, a fine organist and popular singing-teacher, but not eminent as a composer, though he wrote considerable sacred music, besides several operas; and Gottfried August Homilius (d. 1785), organist at Dresden from 1742 and cantor at the Kreuzschule from 1755, a good player and favorite church composer, with a cantata cycle, Passions, motets, chorales and organ-pieces, all in a style remote from that of his master.
Here may be added, though not in the above series, Matthias van den Gheyn (d. 1785), from 1741 organist and carillonneur at Louvain, whose fame as a player was extensive. </poem>
121. The Imperial Chapel.—While under Bach and his contemporaries
Protestant music was attaining its great culmination,
the current of composition in Catholic countries went on
tending steadily into new channels of expression, mostly theatric
but not wholly forsaking the old ways of a cappella polyphony.
