As a performer and composer Kirnberger can only be described as adequate. He studied the organ with Kellner in Grafenroda, Gerber in Sonderhausen, and J.S. Bach in Leipzig. Harpsichord and violin studies were conducted at home but he later studied the violin with Meil (1738) and thirteen years later he continued his studies of the violin in Dresden. He became a musician for the Prussian royal court in Berlin in 1751 and left the position in 1754 to join the court of Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia, the position which he retained for the remainder of his life. As a theorist Kirnberger excelled even in the company of Quantz, C.P.E. Bach and Marpurg. He had a recalcitrant personality but was, nevertheless, highly devoted to his friends and students. This was attested to by the Princess, the encyclopedist Sulzer, C.P.E. Bach, J.F. Agricola, J.A.P. Schulz and the Graun brothers. Some of Kirnberger's theoretical works included "Gedanken uber die verschiedenen Lehrarten der Komposition," "Die Kunst des reinen Satzes," "Anleitung zur Singcomposition," and "Recueil d'airs de danse caracteristiques." The first work discussed how vocal compositions and dances exemplified the application of his principles set out in the second work. The third work provided a comparison and contrast of theory and practice and the fourth work emphasized the importance of studying dance to improve one's rhythm. Theoretically Kirnberger's treatises are historically important even indicating uses of 9ths, 11ths and 13ths for suspended consonant harmonies and retardations. The other major contribution Kirnberger made in the history of music was his advocacy of the import of the music of J.S. Bach whom he considered to be the most important composer to date. In his own works he attempted to propagate what can only be called "Bach's Method" a treatise of which Bach himself did not write. Problematically, Kirnberger's writing and compositional styles were disorganized and highly pedantic, so much so that he needed help in editing his works. ~ Keith Johnson