The Significance of Bach

Bach's Concept of Himself

In order to undertake an evaluation of each of these interpretative viewpoints, we must first inquire into Bach's concept of himself. Did he wish to be the "fifth evangelist," as Albert Schweitzer and Phillip Spitta saw him, or did he strive for something completely different, and needed church music as a means of survival, as suggested in the newer picture of Bach suggested by Friedrich Blume?

I would like to explore three thoughts on this subject.

Bach's life saw him initially in Arnstadt, Mühlhausen, and Weimar, in each case employed as a church musician. Then he went to Cöthen as the court Kapeltmeister. Why did he then apply for the cantorate at the Thomasschule in Leipzig, and not for another position as Kapeltmelster?

Did Bach truly have no other choice than to become and to remain a church musician because of need? The same Bach who in his famous "divertimento" lamented the departure of his brother into the guard of the King of Sweden as an oboist? The same Bach who could have followed in the footsteps of Handel, who was born but a month before him and hardly sixty mites away? The same Bach who counted the famous and successful Telemann among his friends? The same Bach whose house was constantly hosting first-rank artists of his time who were passing through Leipzig?

A final point: the music that he composed in the carrying out of his churchmusic duties often betrays the traces of haste and deadline pressure, but never, truly never, do we encounter the routine, unimaginative, and undemanding type of composition that would have relieved him quickly of the task at hand in order to free him to deal with higher priorities.

Next Page

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19