The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Spitta, Julius August Philipp

SPITTA, Julius August Philipp, German musical historian: b. Wechold, Hanover, 27 Dec. 1841; d. Berlin, 13 April 1894. He was educated at the University of Göttingen. He engaged in teaching, meantime making a study of the history of music and musicians. The appearance of the first volume of his life of Bach (2 vols., 1873-82) brought him immediate recognition, and in 1875 he was appointed professor of musical history at the University of Berlin, and perpetual secretary to the Academy

of Arts there. He was also connected with the High School of Music from 1875, and from 1882 was a permanent director. He wrote the biographies of Bach and Schumann for the &lsquo;Musikalische Vorträge,&rsquo; as well as the article on Spontini for that work. He was co-editor of Vierteljahrsschrift für Musikwissenschaft; edited the organ works of Buxtehude (2 vols., 1875-76); and the complete edition of the works of Heinrich Shü l tz.