Johann Philipp Kirnberger: La Lutine for piano

Umpteen years ago, I learnt to play (badly) Johann Philipp Kirnberger’s short piano piece La Lutine. Translations vary, but my score carried the subtitle The Impish Girl. The word lutine derives from the Old French 'lutin' meaning a hobgoblin or mischievous spirit, and may even connect with older regional terms for household spirits, such as the Roman Lares. In French folklore a 'lutin' is a small supernatural creature - playful, sometimes helpful, sometimes a trickster - something between a brownie, a pixie, and a goblin. The definite article and feminine ending suggest a “female imp, sprite, or mischievous fairy”. But The Impish Girl suits me perfectly.

The reference books explain that Johann Philipp Kirnberger (1721–1783) was a German composer and influential music theorist from Saalfeld, Thuringia. Trained initially at home, he studied organ with Kellner, violin with Meil, and counterpoint with Gerber, who introduced him to J. S. Bach; Kirnberger subsequently became one of Bach’s pupils. After periods in Leipzig and ten years in Poland, he returned to Germany, continued violin studies in Dresden, and in 1751 joined Frederick the Great’s Berlin chapel. From 1758 until his death, he served as Capellmeister to Princess Amalie of Prussia, who was Frederick the Great’s sister. She was a patron of the arts, as well as a composer herself. Over the decades he taught notable pupils such as Johann Abraham Peter Schulz, Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch, and Carl Friedrich Zelter, while pursuing extensive theoretical research. His major theoretical work, Die Kunst des reinen Satzes (1771-79), remains an enduring contribution with specialists, though he also wrote the music articles for Sulzer’s Theorie der schönen Künste.

As a composer he was more competent than inspired; his fugues are his most distinguished works. He edited collections by Graun and Hassler, and many of his manuscripts survive in the Berlin’s State Library. Kirnberger’s argumentative temperament and dogmatic manner made him unpopular among colleagues.

La Lutine offers a rare glimpse into Kirnberger’s lighter, more imaginative side as a composer. While history often remembers him as a rigid guardian of J.S. Bach’s strict contrapuntal methods, this keyboard character piece, published in 1763, captures the playful spirit of the Galant style. Moving away from the dense, academic textures of his ‘celebrated’ fugues, Kirnberger uses this work to paint a musical portrait of a nimble, unpredictable “Imp.”

The composition is defined by its brisk articulation and rhythmic wit. Written in a bright A major, it relies on detached eighth notes and sudden melodic leaps to evoke the darting movements of a sprite. It stands as a testament to the "theory of affects," where music was expected to represent specific human or mythological characteristics. Despite its brevity, the piece demands a sophisticated technique, requiring the performer to balance lightness of touch with precise ornamentation.

Today, La Lutine remains one of Kirnberger’s best known pieces, frequently appearing in intermediate piano curricula - about Grade 4 in the ARCM listings. It serves as a bridge between the Baroque and Classical eras, proving that even the most dogmatic theorist possessed the grace and humour to compose music of pure, unpretentious charm.

The piece was published in Clavierstücke mit einem practischen Unterricht für Anfänger und Geübtere edited by Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg, Sammlung 3, No. 4, Berlin, 1763. However, it has appeared in many albums of piano music since that time.

Listen to Johann Philipp Kirnberger’s  La Lutine on YouTube, here.