Gottfried Reiche (1667-1734)was born in the court town of Weissenfels (modern-day Germany). Weissenfels was known as a place with a long tradition of trumpet playing. Reiche stayed in this town until he was 21. In 1688 he went to Leipzig, where he became an assistant Stadtpfeifer (town trumpeter). Reiche was promoted to Senior Stadtpfeifer in 1706. When the trumpeter Johann C. Genzmer died in 1719, Reiche became Senior Stadtmusicus.
As were other Stadtpfeifers, and in particular his earlier Leipzig predecessor, Pezel, Reiche was also a composer of so-called "tower music" (Turmmusik). His only published work is 24 Neu Quatricinia (1696) for Cornetto and 3 trombones. Reiche had also composed 122 Abblasen-Stücken, but only a single Abblasen has survived. It is depicted in the 1727 portrait of Reiche by Leipzig artist E. G. Haussmann. His death resulted unfortunately from the poor working conditions afforded musicians of the time. In Johann S. Riemer's Ms. Chronik preserved in the Stadtarchiv, Leipzig, for Wednesday, Oct. 6, 1734, there is the following report:
"On precisely this day the highly skilled and most artistic musician and Stadtpfeifer, Herr Gottfried Reiche, the Leucopetra-Misnicus and senior member of the municipal company of musicians in this place, suffered a stroke as he was going home and dropped dead in the Stadtpfeifer-Allee not far from his house, whither he was taken. The reason for this was on account of the enormous strain he had suffered the night before while blowing [the trumpet] for the royal music, his condition having been greatly aggravated from the smoke given off by the torch-lights."
Reiche held an almost legendary reputation for his virtuosity in high, difficult passages. He probably played the second Brandenburg concerto under Bach's direction with the collegium musicum at one or another of the venues where he is known to have performed with that ensemble.
