Category: Biographies

Sebastian Bach

It is never without interest to seek out the beginnings of genius in a great man’s forefathers. The mere tracking of pedigrees has an attraction for more than will willingly confess to what is reputed mainly an innocent weakness of old age. The pursuit, however, gains in digni...

Chapters

18. d. 1846

(An obelus indicates that the date to which it is affixed is not absolutely certain. The numbers following the titles are those of the edition published by the Bach-Gesellschaft...

14. CHAPTER VIII.

We quitted the direct narrative of Bach’s life at the point when the arrival of the new rector of the Thomasschule gave it an interval of peace and quietness, an interval of whi...

10. CHAPTER IV.

The reasons which determined Bach to leave Weimar are not quite clear. He was in fact one of those quick-tempered men whom a small irritation might kindle to a resolve of dispro...

11. CHAPTER V.

For near forty years Bach’s history had followed the common course of the musicians of his generation, and he had reached what was then held the most dignified rank in his craft...

9. CHAPTER III.

Passing from Muehlhausen to Weimar was to Bach as the step from school to a university. The nine years of his life there produced works in which almost any other musician might...

8. CHAPTER II.

Johann Sebastian Bach was born at Eisenach on the 21st March, 1685.[4] The Thuringian town had been a home of the Bachs ever since the two sons of Johann Bach had found their wi...

12. CHAPTER VI.

Bach’s appeal to Erdmann in the winter of 1730, to try and find him a more congenial post than he had at Leipzig, was without result. In fact, little as he suspected it, events...

13. CHAPTER VII.

Bach is stated to have written a Passion music in five different shapes. Two of these are the familiar _Passions according to S. Matthew_ and _S. John_, which are the truest ref...

7. CHAPTER I.

It is never without interest to seek out the beginnings of genius in a great man’s forefathers. The mere tracking of pedigrees has an attraction for more than will willingly con...

15. CHAPTER IX.

The fact of Bach’s death was registered by the Town Council in the following terms: _The Cantor at the Thomasschule, or rather the Capelldirector, Bach, is dead_. They proceeded...

16. d. 1619

Johann, 1604-1673 (_Town Musician and Organist_), Erfurt. │ │ ┌───────────────────────┴─────────┬─────────────────┐ │ │ │ │ │ │ Johann Johann Johann Christian, Aegidius, Nikolau...

17. d. 1620;

presumably a son of Veit. │ │ ┌──────────────────┴────────────────────┐ │ │ _Wendel_, Jonas and two 1619-1682. other sons │ (_Musicians in │ Italy_). │ Jakob, 1655-1718 (_Cantor...

1. CHAPTER II.

6. CHAPTER IX.

2. CHAPTER IV.

4. CHAPTER VI.

5. CHAPTER VIII.

3. CHAPTER V.