(b Dobitschen, 4 Jan 1720; d Berlin, 2 Dec 1774). German composer and writer. He was a pupil of J.S. Bach at Leipzig, then studied under Quantz at Berlin. After the success of his first intermezzo, Il filosofo convinto in amore (1750, Potsdam), he became a court composer to Frederick the Great and from 1759 was musical director at the Berlin Opera; he continued writing Italian operas until 1772 but lost royal favour. Among his other works, the keyboard music shows the influence of J.S. and C.P.E. Bach. With C.P.E. Bach he wrote an influential obituary of J.S. Bach (1754).

Agricola's wife, Benedetta Emilia (née Molteni, 1722-80), was a leading soprano at the Berlin Opera, 1743-74.

The Concise Grove Dictionary of Music. Copyright © 1994 by Oxford University Press, Inc.. All rights reserved.