Bach

[1] See Glossary, “College of Instrumental Musicians.”

[2] The violas were divided into alto, tenor and bass, as the trombones are now. The leading stringed instrument was called discant-viola or discant-violin.

[3] Spitta, vol. i. p. 162.

[4] Spitta, vol. i. p. 52.

[5] Spitta.

[6] During a visit to Ohrdruf in August 1899, Herr Landrathamts-Secretär Kellner kindly gave me the following information. The descendants of J. S. Bach’s eldest brother continued to live in Ohrdruf until 1863, as cantors, clergymen, schoolmasters, lawyers, etc. There are at present living in direct descent Herr Herrmann Julius Bach, Merchant, of Budapest, Herr Alfred Wilhelm Bach, Apothecary, of Witten, and two young sons of the latter.

[7] See Spitta, “Life of Bach,” vol. i. p. 181, note.

[8] The Lyceum is now the Burgerschule. It is shown in the photograph on the left hand side.

[9] The custom of singing in the streets is still kept up. The writer heard one Sunday morning this year at Ohrdruf, excellent singing by the choir-boys, in four parts, two treble and two alto.

[10] Spitta, vol. i. p. 195.

[11] In a MS. collection in possession of F. A. Roitzsch of Leipsic.

[12] MS. in Lib. of R. Inst. for church music, Berlin.

[13] Peters, vol. 244.

[14] See Glossary, Positiv.

[15] The above list, which slightly differs from that of Spitta, was taken from the existing stop handles.

[16] Spitta, vol. i. p. 231.

[17] i.e. like many of Handel’s songs, which have a da capo after the change of key.

[18] For an account of these see J. G. Shedlock, “The Pianoforte Sonata,” London, 1895.

[19] The organ had fifty-four stops, three manuals, and pedal; and the post of organist at this church was one of the best in Germany. It had one drawback, however; on the resignation or death of an organist, the person appointed to succeed him was obliged to marry his daughter. Mattheson and Handel in 1704 and Bach in 1706 had thought of applying for the post, but were all frightened away by this condition. Buxtehude’s successor was Johann Christian Schieferdecker, who had been harpsichord player in the opera at Hamburg.

[20] A preacher in the New Church.

[21] No. 14 in the Genealogical Table.

[22] This Walther was the author of the “Musikalisches Lexicon,” Leipsic, 1732.

[23] No. 27 in the Genealogical List.

[24] This is, according to the Bachgesellschaft, the only cantata published in Bach’s life-time. Its title is “Gott ist mein König,” No. 71 of the Bachgesellschaft edition.

[25] The thaler = 3 shillings. Bitter says 200 thalers was offered for the work and 50 thalers to be allowed for the small organ.

[26] The organ in the Nicolai Church at Leipsic had in 1885 ten bellows, requiring four men to manipulate them.

[27] This is pointed out by G. H. Lewes in his “Life of Goethe,” vol. i. p. 314.

[28] Vivaldi takes an important place as one of those who studied and brought forward form. He wrote concertos for one, two, three and four solo violins, improved the orchestra, and invented new means of expression. He died in 1743 at Venice. See Spitta, vol. i. p. 411.

[29] According to Bitter.

[30] Vol. i. p. 585.

[31] No. 45 in the Genealogy.

[32] Spitta, vol. ii. pp. 6, 7.

[33] Hilgenfeldt, p. 26.

[34] Spitta, vol. ii. p. 18.

[35] In “Der Musicalische Patriot,” 1728, quoted by Spitta, vol. ii. p. 20.

[36] Scheibe Kritikus Musicus, 1745, pp. 839, 875.

[37] Vollk. Capellmeister, 1739, quoted by Spitta, vol. ii. p. 26.

[38] After leaving Cöthen, Bach still held the title of honorary Capellmeister to the Prince, until the death of the latter in 1728. Bach composed a “Trauer Musik” for his funeral, which is unfortunately lost.

[39] The three fairs, called “Messe,” are held at Easter, Michaelmas and New Year. Leipsic is at these times crowded with merchants from all parts of the world.

[40] i.e. the Church of St Matthew.

[41] Spitta, vol. ii. p. 186.

[42] i.e. the University Church. In Bach’s time there were six churches at Leipsic—St Thomas, St Nicholas (or Nicolai), St Paul (or University Church), St Matthew (or New Church), St Peter (or Petri), and St John.

[43] According to Spitta, vol. ii. p. 223. But Görner’s name appears in the “Chronicle” far more often than that of Bach in connection with the music for these festivals.

[44] See Glossary.

[45] Spitta quotes it in full, vol. ii. p. 253.

[46] Spitta, vol. ii. p. 242.

[47] Quoted by Bitter, vol. i. p. 303. This appreciation of the skill required to conduct a musical performance is remarkable as coming from one who, not being musical, might be expected to think, with the majority of non-musicians, that the conductor merely has to “beat time.”

[48] A rough estimate of this difference may be made thus: The Council paid 60 thalers = £9 a year for a “dwelling” for Bach during the alterations to the Thomas School. Such a “dwelling” or “flat” would now cost about £60 a year. An income of £100 in those days would therefore represent the purchasing power of about £630 now: not a large sum on which to give nineteen children a first-class education, and send two to the university.

[49] For his installation Bach composed a cantata “Thomana sass annoch betrübt”—“St Thomas School was still in grief.” From the Leipsic Chronicle, 1734, quoted in Centralblatt, 1884.

[50] See Glossary.

[51] These pianos were made in the years 1746-7 after the invention of Cristofori of Florence, who was the first to use the hammer action. This action, however, did not suit Bach’s touch, and though he praised the tone, he does not appear to have become possessed of one. The writer was shown one of the above-mentioned Silbermann pianos in the Palace of Sanssouci at Potsdam in 1884.

[52] See page 79.

[53] It can be found in Bitter, vol. ii. p. 317, Spitta, vol. iii. p. 231, and elsewhere.

[54] h being the German term for B♮.

[55] This story may or may not be true—we give it for what it is worth.

[56] Burney devotes nearly a whole volume to Handel, and only one paragraph to Bach.

[57] The original tune would be, with the above words—

[58] See Griepenkerl’s Introduction to Peters, vol. 244.

[59] According to Gesner the keyboard of the Rück-positiv (back choir) of the St Thomas’ organ stood apart from the chief organ, and was used by Bach to conduct from (see the frontispiece of Walther’s Lexicon, 1732). If there was an organ obbligato part, it would be played on this manual, while another person played the continuo on the chief organ.

[60] See Glossary.

[61] See p. 108.

[62] A minor third below the oboe, and of more pathetic tone.

[63] A considerable portion of this chapter is from an article by A. F. Rochlitz in the Allg. Musik Zeitung, 1831.

[64] See Conrad E. F. “Echt oder unecht? Zur Lucas Passion.”

[65] P. 115.

[66] Afterwards the firm of C. F. Peters, Leipsic.

[67] See Forkel, p. 64.

[68] P. 56.

[69] Father of the author of Gerber’s Lexicon.

[70] Gerber was a Thuringian.

[71] P. 38.

[72] Forkel, pp. 40, 41.

[73] See page 49.

[74] In addition to the above-mentioned professional pupils, all amateurs living near obtained at least a few lessons from “so great and celebrated a man.”—Forkel, p. 42.

[75] P. 144.

[76] This description of the Manieren is extracted from the Introduction to vol. vii. of the Bach Gesellschaft Edition.

[77] In “The Compleat Tutor for the Harpsichord or Spinnet, wherein is shown the Italian manner of Fingering, &c.” by S. and S. Thompson, the date of which is later than 1742, since it contains the minuet in Samson, the little finger is never used in a scale, and fingers are made to go under one another, in the way the thumb is used nowadays. The English numbering is used; and the example of an ascending and descending scale on p. 153 shows the chaotic condition of things.

[78] Our readers will remember the familiar case in Schumann’s pianoforte quartet, where he lowers the C string to B♭ for a particular effect. De Beriot raises his fourth (violin) string to A for certain passages.

[79] M. Vivien, a pupil of Léonard, and one of the first violins in the orchestra at Brussels about 1876, had a violin of which the bridge was cut nearly flat at the top. This enabled him to play on three and (with a little extra pressure of the bow) four strings at once, by which he produced very full effects.

[80] The portion in front of the main organ and therefore behind the performer.

[81] See Glossary.

[82] Given by Spitta, vol. ii. p. 289.

[83] It is given by Spitta as a supplement to vol. iii. It is worth noticing that the right hand plays the three upper notes in each chord, the left only playing the bass; and this is how harmony exercises are still written in Germany.

[84] There are organists still living who have not forsaken the ancient custom of adding small ornaments to the written notes.

[85] This is referred to by Berlioz in his “Instrumentation.” Organ builders would frequently use the higher pitch to save the expense of the largest pipes, unless carefully watched.

[86] Pianoforte score.

[87] Pianoforte score.