JOHN CHRISTOPHER MOLLER
John Christopher Moller (b. Germany 1755; d. New York City, 21 Sept. 1803), a composer, organist, pianist, and music publisher, emigrated to New York and performed in concerts there as early as 1790. He moved to Philadelphia the same year, continuing his concert career and serving as organist of Zion Lutheran Church (1790-94) before returning to New York in 1795, where he managed concerts at a summer pleasure garden and was organist of Trinity Church (Episcopal). He published sheet music in Philadelphia in partnership with cellist Henri Capron (1793) and later in New York alone (ca. 1797).
Amerigrove, Baker's, Bio-bib, Grove, Sonneck-Upton, Wolfe. Also Sonneck 1907, p. 142, 199-200, and elsewhere; Stetzel 1965; Wolf 1972a, p. 636-44; Wolfe 1980, p. 42-43, 217-18, and elsewhere.
DANK UND GEBET, 1794
ASMI 389
Dank und Gebet am Tage der Einweihung der Deutsch Evangel: Lutherischen Kirche in Reading den 15 Juny 1794 von I. H. Chr. Helmuth und auf Musik gesetzt durch I. C. Moller[.] Bedruckt und zu haben in der dritten Strasse No. 163 und bey Neuman am Eck [?] der vierten und Marktstrasse. [Thanksgiving and Prayer on the day of the consecration of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Reading. 15 June 1794. By J. H. Chr. Helmuth and set to music by J. C. Moller. Printed and available on Third Street, number 163, and at Neumann's at the corner of Fourth and Market Streets.]
8 p. 16 x 12 cm. Engraved throughout.
P. [1], t-p.; p. 2-8, music.
4 compositions, incl. a 'Chorus' for 4 voices, a 'Duett,' and 2 pieces labeled 'Aria,' with keyboard accompaniment. T-p. attribs. all to Moller. 4 1st pr. identified. All are American.
No Core Repertory.
Not in Evans (no copy on Readex). PPLT* (pages uncut).
NOTE: The street addresses on the t-p. show that the work was printed in Philadelphia. See Wolf 1972, p. 640-42, for more on this work, including a facsimile of the t.p.
ASMI p. 467.