Johann Christoph Pepusch (1667- July 20, 1752) was a German composer. At age 14, he was appointed to the Prussian court. About 1700, he settled in England. Although he is best known for the music of The Beggar's Opera (1728), he composed many other works including stage and church music as well as a number of concertos and trio sonantas for oboe, violin and continuo. The libretto was written by John Gay. // Events January 20 - Poland cedes Kyiv, Smolensk, and eastern Ukraine to Russia in the Treaty of Andrusovo that put a final end to the Deluge, and Poland lost its status as a Central European power. ... July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... 1752 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... The Beggars Opera is a ballad opera, a satiric play using some of the conventions of opera, but without the recitative. ... Events Astronomical aberration discovered by the astronomer James Bradley Swedish academy of sciences founded at Uppsala Births January 9 - Thomas Warton, English poet (d. ... A libretto is the body of words used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, oratorio, or musical. ... John Gay John Gay (30 June 1685 - 4 December 1732) was an English poet and dramatist. ...
JohannChristophPepusch, who Anglicized his name to John Christopher, was a very active and popular composer on the English scene whose primary contribution was that he led a decisive stylistic break with the Baroque music of his countryman George Frideric Handel.
Pepusch's biographers Burney and Hawkins indicated that Pepusch himself went to the Indies in support of this project and on the way was shipwrecked with the Bishop.
Since Pepusch is often discussed in connection with a reversal of fortune for Handel, he is often depicted negatively, as a simplifying panderer to the popular taste and as a dry antiquarian.