(b Berlin, 1667; d London, 20 July 1752). German composer and theorist. After serving at the Prussian court he settled in London (by 1704) as a viola player and later harpsichordist at Drury Lane theatre, where in 1707-16 he presented five masques, notably Venus and Adonis (1715) and Apollo and Daphne (1716). By 1721 he was music director to James Brydges (later Duke of Chandos), writing verse anthems and other sacred works. Having composed the basses and an overture for John Gay's The Beggar's Opera (1728), he wrote a sequel, Polly (not staged until 1777). He also composed odes, secular solo cantatas (most to English texts), over 100 instrumental sonatas and other instrumental pieces. In 1737 he became organist to the Charterhouse; he was in constant demand as a teacher. Latterly his main interest was the performance and study of ancient music, in which he was the leading expert of his day. He edited music by Corelli and published (anonymously) A Treatise on Harmony1730). His wife was the singer Marguerite de l′Epine.

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