The baptismal matriculation of the Catholic parish of Heideck in the district of Roth, Bavaria – located about 30 kilometres south of Nuremberg – records the baptism of Johann Paul Schiffelholz on 10 March 1685. Normal conditions, assuming the birth itself took place a few days before. The archigrammataeus Johann Jakob Schiffelholz and his wife Maria Magdalena Schiffelholz are mentioned as parents, as godfather and namesake the well-born district court judge and Landheilingverwalter Johann Paul Ottinger. [1]
The term "city clerk" would only imperfectly reproduced the Latin name of the paternal profession, but the characterization at that time meant the highest and most important leadership of a city administration. In addition to his magistrateship, the godfather was responsible for the assets and income management of the parish churches in the Heideck area. Thus, at Johann Paul Schiffelholzen's baptism, the highest representatives of the municipality of Heideck and the local jurisdiction met in a family.
Johann Paul's grandfather Georgius Schiffelholz lived as a senator and member of the Inner Council at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Eichstätt, which lies about 25 kilometres south of Heideck, beyond the Franconian Alb.
Unfortunately, there is no news about Johann Paul's school and musical education. Later, however, excellent knowledge of Latin and music that became visible later indicates that after probably four years of primary school in Heideck, he has probably attended a Jesuit grammar school in southern Germany for a maximum of six years since about 1695. From possibly 1701, instrumental training in violin playing and composition may have followed – again in southern Germany, if not in Italy.
On April 21, 1704, Johann Paul married Maria Anna Zinzl in Ingolstadt, the daughter of the regens chori Johann Zinzl, at the school near the Upper Parish and at the Academic (i.e. University) Parish Church Zur Schönen Unser Lieben Frau (today "Liebfrauenmünster") there. At the same time, he took over the orphaned office of the Regens Chori, which his father-in-law had previously held. The archival documentation on Johann Zinzl is interrupted in 1703, so that it can be assumed that the choir regent position at the aforementioned Ingolstadt school and church was vacant at the beginning of 1704, presumably freed by Johann Zinzl's death. Johann Paul Schiffelholz was first recorded in the corresponding church registers in 1704.
The term Regens Chori covers only one half , the public-church part of his professional activity, while the school-pedagogical activity remains hidden. Nevertheless, as Rector Chori et Scholae, he had overall responsibility and decision-making authority in his scientific and musical work at the Latin school as well as at the church Zur Schönen Unser Lieben Frau der Obern Pfarr. He was supported in particular in musical matters by two colleagues, the Cantor and the organists, as well as by the student choristers and selected psalterists.
Johann Paul was married to Maria Anna Zinzl (d. 12. 4. 1730), Maria Anna Schweiger (d. 26. 10. 1737) and since 3. 7. 1738 to Maria Ursula Spitzer. Of the 11 and 7 children from the first and third marriages, however, more than half died at a young age.
An Ingolstadt tradition dating back to 1840, recorded by the land judge and local historian Joseph Gerstner, characterizes Johann Paul as a skilful musician who was called by Eichstätt to create instrumental music in this [Liebfrauen] church. The chronicle describes him as a very gravitational man with a large all-on wig, red coat with golden braces and tassels, hair bags, swords and chapeaubas.
After a full life, after 55 years of service in the same place, at the same school and church, his life ended on January 28, 1758. He was buried in the inner cemetery of the Ingolstadt church community Zur Schönen unser Lieben Frau.
His compositional estate includes two individual prints and several manuscripts, vocal works such as instrumental works. In 1727, Lotter in Augsburg published eight solo violin concertos accompanied by strings and continuo (work title: THESAURUS RECONDITUS, The Hidden Treasure) as well as six pleasing, because short masses with four ordinary voices for 2 violins, 2 trumpets or horns with double bass (lost today). The handwritten tradition concerns 31 hymn sentences, an Aria and nine instrumental works for Gallichona, Mandora, bassoon and accompaniment.
Due to the change in style from Baroque to Classical, Johann Paul Schiffelholz was forgotten very soon after his death. Some music lexicals record, albeit incompletely, the name and work of the Ingolstadt musician: Johann Gottfried Walther, Musicalisches Lexicon, Leipzig 1732; Felix Joseph Lipowsky, Baierisches Künstler=Lexikon, Munich 1810; Ders., Baierisches Musik=Lexikon, Munich 1811; Francois-Joseph Fétis, Biography Universal, Paris 1834-35; Gustav Schilling, Encyclopedia, Stuttgart 1838. The modern encyclopedia Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, Kassel 1949-86 and 1994-2007, is silent to J. P. Schiffelholz.
This publication is part of the first print of all THESAURUS-Concerti in the ortus music publisher Beeskow. The part of the lost solo violin was supplemented in Concerto I by the editor, in Concerto II by Dr. Joachim Winkler (Kellinghusen), the Alto-Viola voice in both Concerti by the editor.
Herten, in July 2019 Dr. Klaus Beckmann (Translation: Elmar Schiffelholz)
[1] Detailed evidence on all information, etc., see Klaus Beckmann (eds.): Johann Paul Schiffelholz, Thesaurus reconditus, VIII Concerti, issue 1: Concerti I-II, ortus musikverlag, Beeskow 2019 (om260/1), p. 6-21.
