Johann Sebastian Bach: The Organist and His Works for the OrganPirro, André
History
Johann Sebastian Bach: The Organist and His Works for the Organ
Pirro, André
Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750; Composers -- Germany -- Biography
Besides, meagre as was his salary, he could save enough for a
journey to Lübeck to hear Buxtehude, whom he had long desired to
know; for while his brother Christoph had taught him Pachelbel's
methods, Georg Böhm, of another school, had already impressed on
him that dualism whence was born, when another element was added to
it, his own originality. Receiving the favor of a leave of absence
for one month, Bach betook himself from Arnstadt to Lübeck the last
of October, 1705; he did not return until February, 1706. From this
journey he brought back a new virtuosity and the susceptibility of a
young artist who from that moment felt himself a master; the former
singularly disappointed the parish. He now accompanied the chorale
with Buxtehude's exaggerated freedom; the ears of the faithful
could not follow such elaborations, and, still worse, their voices
lost the clue, and the choir fell into confusion. Hence a scandal,
and thereupon a reprimand from the vestry. Moreover, had not Bach
singularly outstayed his leave of absence? And again, why should
he now neglect his choir? Why no more "music"? and still other
grievances. Stung to the quick, Bach answered them by thenceforth
affecting the very excesses in accompaniment which had met with such
opposition, and by leaving entirely to themselves his choristers,
whose _sottise_ and coarseness disgusted him. As to the rest, he
explained nothing, but sought another place; more than a year passed
in these troubles. Upon the death of G. Ahle, organist of the church
of St. Blasius in Mühlhausen, he applied for this position; it fell
to his lot as the result of a competition, and he entered upon his
duties during the summer of 1707. The same year (October 17) he
married his cousin, Maria Barbara Bach.
From a pecuniary point of view the situation was not bad,[201]
but the organ was detestable. Bach gave himself no rest until he
accomplished its restoration by the council; he himself drew up a
scheme for this, which was found to be so practical that it was
adopted. But scarcely had the work been commenced, when the Duke
of Saxe-Weimar, Wilhelm Ernst, offered him the position of court
organist (1708). Bach accepted; Mühlhausen was then the scene of
sectarian dissensions, pietists and orthodox were in open strife, in
which were lost the efforts of Bach to establish a "regular style of
music wholly to the glory of God,"[202] as he himself said; to which,
moreover, the pietists were by doctrine[203] opposed. An aggravating
circumstance was that Frohne, the _Oberintendant_ of the church of
St. Blasius, was one of the most ardent disciples of Spener, the
founder of the pietists' sect; and Bach had chosen, as godfather for
his first child, Eilmar, pastor of the Church of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, who was the defender of the older traditions, to which Bach was
devotedly attached.
[Footnote 201: Besides a salary of 85 thalers, he had various
perquisites "in kind."]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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