Becker, Carl Ferdinand

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Becker, Carl Ferdinand

Becker, Carl Ferdinand, German organist, pedagogue, bibliographer, and composer; b. Leipzig, July 17, 1804; d. there, Oct. 26, 1877. He spent his entire life in Leipzig. After training at the Thomasschule, he was a violinist in the Gewandhaus Orch. (1820–33) and served as organist in various churches. In 1843 he became the first prof. of organ at the Cons. In 1850 he helped to organize the Bach-Gesellschaft. He acquired a valuable collection of early music and musical literature which he gave to the city of Leipzig. Among his writings were Systematisch-chronologische Darstellung der musikalischen Literature von derfrühesten bis aufdie neueste Zeit (1836; suppl., 1839), Die Hausmusik in Deutschland im 16., 17., und 18. Jahrhundert (1840), and Die Tonwerke des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts (1847). He composed piano and organ pieces.

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire