Among the most distinguished musical scholars of his time, Johann Gottfried Walther was born in Erfurt and was related, through his mother, to the Bach family. From 1707 he served as an organist in Weimar; here he was a colleague of J.S. Bach, who became godfather to his first son. He taught the nephew of Duke Wilhelm Ernst, Prince Johann Ernst, and was appointed a court musician in 1721, although no further promotion followed. His Musicalisches Lexicon was the first important comprehensive German music dictionary.

Organ Music
Walther made a major contribution to the repertoire of music based on chorales. He also made keyboard arrangements of works by other composers.