Background
He was born in Berna bei Seidenberg, Oberlausitz, and first educated at the Lauban Lyceum in 1733.
He was born in Berna bei Seidenberg, Oberlausitz, and first educated at the Lauban Lyceum in 1733.
He was recommended by West. F. Bach as the successor to his post at Dresden in April 1746, with the assertion that he had studied keyboard and composition with his father, but was not awarded the appointment.
He was employed as a singer and assistant organist at Street Maria Magdalena, Breslau, between 1740 and 1744. He began studying theology at the University of Leipzig from March 1744, after being granted four thalers as a viaticum in January of that year. From Michaelmas 1745 he sang as a bass in Johann Sebastian Bach"s choirs (asserted by Bach in May 1747 when Altnickol claimed a grant of 12 thalers in April/May 1747 for the work), something he should not have been allowed to do as a university student.
He was appointed as organist and schoolmaster at Niederwiesa, near Greiffenberg, Silesia, in January 1748, after Bach testified that he was a satisfactory student.
In September of that year, he moved to a post at Street Wenzel, Naumburg, after another recommendation from Bach. The council unanimously agreed to appoint him before they had received his formal application.
Forkel wrote that Bach dictated his last chorale prelude (Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit, BWV 668) to Altnickol on his deathbed, although this manuscript did not survive. He acted as a trustee after Bach died in 1750, and was involved in distributing his estate.
He was unsuccessful in an application for a post at the Johanniskirche, Zittau, in 1753, along with West. F. Bach.
He taught trumpeter J. Ernst Altenburg in 1757, and is known to have directed a pasticcio Passion cantata Wer ist der, so von Edom kömmt, featuring music by C.H. Graun, Bach and Telemann, as well as Bach"s Saint Matthew Passion. He was succeeded by Johann Friedrich Gräbner at Naumburg upon his death in 1759. His widow lived on an allowance from C. P. East. Bach, her half-brother.
= Cantatas = Motets.