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Johann Gottfried Walther was a German music theorist of the Baroque era. A little information on him can be found in the book Musica Poetica by Dietrich Bartel. On page 22, Bartel quotes Walther’s definition of musica poetica, or musical rhetoric, as:
"Musica Poetica or musical composition is a mathematical science through which an agreeable and correct harmony of the notes is brought to paper in order that it might later be sung or played, thereby appropriately moving the listeners to Godly devotion as well as to please and delight both mind and soul…. It is so called because the composer must not only understand language as does the poet in order not to violate the meter of the text but because he also writes poetry, namely a melody, thus deserving the title Melopoeta or Melopoeus." (22)
Bartel, Dietrich. Musica Poetica: Musical-Rhetorical Figures in German Baroque Music. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1997.
Walther was an excellent organist and composer, his chorale variations for that instrument are second only to Bach's.
Mattheson's Ehrenpforte refers to Walther as the "second Pachelbel" (probably meaning Johann)." But Walther's most important legacy is his Musicalisches Lexicon (Leipzig 1732) which contains a biographical sketch on Bach (until 1730) and others in the Bach family.
Smend theorized that Bach's 1713 canon (BWV 1073), with its 82 pitches(W+A+L+T+H+E+R) was written to honor Walther, but this is not certain.
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