Bach becomes capellmeister to the Duke of Cöthen--His Weimar
pupils--His new duties--Death of his wife--Journey to Hamburg--He
competes for an organistship there--The post is sold--Disgust of
Mattheson at the transaction--Bach endeavours to meet Handel--His
second marriage--Is obliged to leave Cöthen.
Bach returned from Dresden to prepare for a jubilee at Weimar, in
commemoration of the two hundredth anniversary of the Reformation. The
festival took place from October 31st to November 2nd, and for it Bach
composed at least one cantata and perhaps two. On this occasion the
Duke established a fund, of which the interest was to be distributed
yearly, the Court organist to receive 3 gülden from it.
[Sidenote: _Fourth appointment_]
The old capellmeister, Samuel Drese, had for twenty years been too
much out of health to fulfil his duties. The duke, however, would not
dismiss him, but gave him a deputy, G. C. Strattner, at a salary of
200 gülden. Drese died on December 1, 1716, and it would seem natural
that Bach should be appointed in his place. For some reason, however,
he was passed over, and Drese’s son (who had succeeded Strattner as
deputy capellmeister) was installed. Bach, therefore, accepted an offer
made by Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen of a capellmeister-ship, and in
November 1717 moved to Cöthen. His post at the Weimar Castle organ was
filled by his pupil Schubart.
Amongst Bach’s duties at Weimar was that of composing and conducting
a certain number of sacred pieces every year, to texts by Franck, the
secretary to the Superior Consistory of the Principality of Weimar,
and librarian to the duke. Franck was a good poet, and had written
excellent masques, besides occasional pieces for weddings, etc.
[Sidenote: _Pupils_]
Bach’s fine playing naturally attracted many pupils. In those days
there were no Conservatoires or Academies of Music; and pupils were
“articled,” as in our own country, to eminent organists, taking much
the same place as apprentices in any trade--in fact, they were called
apprentices. His first pupil, who was also his amanuensis, was J. M.
Schubart; of J. C. Vogler, Gerber says that Bach considered him his
best organ pupil. He became Court organist and burgomaster of Weimar.
Another pupil was Joh. T. Krebs, who, however, did not begin studying
till he was married and had already a post as organist at Buttestädt
near Weimar, whence he used to walk weekly to Weimar, for seven years,
to obtain instruction from Walther, and afterwards from Bach.
Krebs’ son, Joh. Ludwig, became a pupil of Bach at Leipsic at the age
of thirteen, and Bach had a very high opinion of him. He received the
appointment of organist of Buttestädt. According to Gerber, he was
Bach’s pupil and assistant at the harpsichord for nine years, and was
second only to Vogler in eminence.
In repayment for his elder brother’s care at Ohrdruf, Bach took charge
of his nephew Bernhard[31] at Easter, 1715, teaching him the clavier
and composition. Bernhard afterwards was appointed organist of Ohrdruf,
in succession to his father. Some of his compositions still exist in
MS. and show the influence of his uncle.
Bach’s duties at Cöthen did not comprise any organ playing or church
music: in fact, he never held an organistship after he left Weimar. The
organ of the castle was merely a little chamber instrument, with only
thirteen stops, of which ten belonged to the two manuals and three to
the pedals.
The Prince was highly cultivated, with a great taste for music, which
had been developed by travels in Italy. After the custom of German
princes of that time, he became a patron of art, practising it himself.
Spitta (vol. ii. p. 3) infers from an inventory in the ducal archives
at Cöthen, that he played the violin, gamba, and harpsichord.
There is no sign of there having been a trained chorus at Cöthen. One
of the members of the band was Chr. F. Abel, who afterwards became
famous as a viola-da-gambist, while his second son Karl Friedrich was
the well-known virtuoso on this instrument.
J. Schneider became a pupil of Bach’s at this time. He was a violinist
in the band, but afterwards became organist of the Nicolai-church at
Leipsic. Bach’s salary here amounted to 400 thalers (about £60); it
commenced from August 1, though he remained in office at Weimar until
November.
The private performances at the castle were full of zeal for art. The
Prince would not part with Bach, even for a short time, and took him
on his journeys; Bach reciprocated this feeling, and cherished his
memory after his early death. In the Royal Library at Berlin is the
autograph of a serenade written for the Prince’s birthday. It is scored
for soprano and bass solo voices, string band, harpsichord, two flutes
and one bassoon: this being the entire resources available. The words,
which are very meagre, are by an unknown author, probably Bach himself.
The cantata itself is not published, but its music is used with other
words in the Whitsuntide Cantata “Erhöhtes Fleisch und Blut.”[32]
In May 1718, and again in 1720, Bach and six members of the orchestra
accompanied the Prince to Carlsbad. In November 1718 the Prince and
his younger brother and sister stood god-parents to Bach’s seventh
child, Leopold August, who died in the following year. The fact of so
many high personages standing sponsor to this child is a proof of the
estimation in which the Prince’s capellmeister was held.
[Sidenote: _Examines a new organ at Leipsic_]
Bach’s artistic journeys were continued from time to time, and on
December 16, 1717, he found himself at Leipsic again, in response to
an invitation to examine a large new organ recently erected in the
University Church of St Paul. The builder was Johann Scheibe, and Bach
declared it to be one of the best organs in Germany.
[Sidenote: _Death of first wife_]
In July 1720, on his return from the second visit with Prince Leopold
to Carlsbad, he was met with the terrible news that his wife had died,
and had been buried on the 7th of that month. She was only thirty-six,
and was in good health when he left her. She had borne him seven
children, had been the best of companions, and was keenly sympathetic
towards her husband’s work.
[Sidenote: _Visit to Hamburg_]
He went to Hamburg to perform a new cantata on the text “He that
exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be
exalted,” in November 1720. He found Reinken still playing the organ
of St Catherine, though now ninety-seven years old. Reinken, though a
very great artist, was vain, and jealous, and it was a question how
he would receive Bach. Mattheson, who did not love him, said that he
was a “constant admirer of the fair sex, and much addicted to the wine
cellar of the Council,” though he admitted that he had no equal on the
organ in his own style. Moreover, he kept his instrument in excellent
tune, and was always talking of it. When Bach came, an appointment was
made, and he played for more than two hours, half an hour of which was
occupied in a masterly improvisation on the chorale “By the waters of
Babylon,” in motet style. After the performance, at which the chief men
of the city were present, Reinken came to him, and saying, “I thought
this art was dead, but I perceive that it still lives in you,” invited
him to visit him, and treated him with every attention. Reinken’s
praise was the more complimentary, because he himself had composed and
published a very successful arrangement of the same chorale.[33]
The organ at St Catherine had four manuals and pedal, with an abundance
of good reeds, of which Bach was fond (a specification is in Niedt,
Mus. Handl. II., p. 176). There was also a posaune, a 32 ft. open
diapason, and a mixture of 10 ranks. It dated from the sixteenth
century, and had been renovated in 1670 by Besser of Brunswick.[34]
A still larger instrument was that of St James’ Church in the same
city, built by Arp Schnitker between 1688 and 1693, containing sixty
stops, four manuals and pedal. The organist of this church, H. Friese,
had recently died, and Bach, being tempted by the organ, and the
prospect of again having an opportunity of composing cantatas, offered
himself for the post.
[Sidenote: _Competes for a post at Hamburg_]
There were seven other candidates, the two most important being a son
of Vincentius Lübeck, and Wiedeburg, capellmeister to the Count of
Gera. An examination was fixed for November 28, the examiners being the
elders of the church, together with Gerstenbüttel the cantor, Reinken,
and two other Hamburg organists, Kniller and Preuss. Wiedeburg, Lübeck
and one other candidate retired. The tests were performances of the two
chorales “O lux beata Trinitas,” and “Helft mir Gott’s Güte preisen,”
and an extemporised fugue on a given theme.
[Sidenote: Deceived]
Bach could not wait for the examination, since his duties at Cöthen
required him to return home. He was, however, excused having to
submit to the test, on account of his great reputation, and arranged
to announce by letter whether he would accept the post. He wrote in
the affirmative, though the contents of his letter are not known. The
committee had his letter publicly read, and then elected an entirely
unknown man, J. Joachim Heitmann, who had done nothing for the art
of music, but who on January 6, 1721, paid to the treasury of the
church four thousand marks, which he had promised in the event of his
being elected. The committee came to the conclusion that “the sale of
a post of organist should not become a custom, since it pertained to
the service of God; but if, after election, a person of his own free
will should show his gratitude by money payment, the church should not
refuse it.”
Neumeister, a famous preacher, who had not been able to prevent this
extraordinary transaction, left the committee in anger. Mattheson
thus describes the state of public opinion when it became known.[35]
“I remember, and no doubt other people still remember likewise, that
some years ago a great musician, who since then has, as he deserves,
obtained an important appointment as cantor, appeared in a certain town
of some size, boldly performed on the largest and finest instruments,
and attracted universal admiration by his skill. At the same time,
among other inferior players, there offered himself the son of a
well-to-do artisan, who could prelude better with thalers than with his
fingers, and the office fell to him, as may easily be guessed, although
almost everyone was angry about it. It was nigh upon Christmas-tide,
and an eloquent preacher, who had not consented to this simony,
expounded very beautifully the Gospel concerning the angelic music at
the birth of Christ, which very naturally gave him the opportunity of
expressing his opinions as to the recent event as regarded the rejected
artist, and of ending his discourse with this noteworthy epiphonema:
‘He believed quite certainly that if one of the angels of Bethlehem
came from heaven, who played divinely, and desired to be organist of St
James’ Church, if he had no money he would have nothing to do but to
fly away again.’”
Bach had no equal in Germany as an organ player--this was soon admitted
on all sides.[36] Handel’s fame had reached Germany from England, both
as a composer and organ player. Comparisons were made between Handel’s
oratorios and Bach’s cantatas and Passion music--the former were widely
known, while the latter were hardly yet appreciated, and were forgotten
after the death of the composer.
We have a contemporary opinion in Mattheson, who had often heard
Handel. “No one,” says he, “can easily surpass Handel in organ playing,
unless it were Bach of Leipsic, for which reason these two are
mentioned first, out of their alphabetical order. I have heard them in
the prime of their powers, and have often competed with the former both
in Hamburg and Lübeck.”[37] Handel, however, did not devote himself
so entirely to the organ and organ compositions as Bach; he left no
unaccompanied solos for that instrument. Moreover, it is doubtful if he
found instruments of respectable size in England.
[Sidenote: _Endeavours to meet Handel_]
Bach and Handel never met, though they were twice very near one
another. Handel came to Halle, his native town, in 1719, while on a
journey as _impresario_ for the opera in London. Bach hearing of it,
made a journey to Halle from Cöthen, but unfortunately arrived there
the very day Handel had left. In 1729, he made another attempt to meet
Handel by sending him a polite invitation, through his son Friedemann,
to come to Leipsic; but Handel refused the invitation. On a third visit
of Handel to Halle, Bach was dead. Bach greatly admired Handel’s music,
and copied some of it for his own use.
[Sidenote: _Bach’s second wife_]
We have seen that Bach’s first wife died in 1720. It was not at all in
accordance with the family traditions to remain widower, and in 1721 he
began to think of re-marrying. He opened negotiations in this year with
Anna Magdalena Wülken, a Court singer at Cöthen, twenty-one years old,
and the youngest daughter of the Court trumpeter, and was married to
her on December 3 in the same year.
Bach’s second wife was a good musician, and had a fine soprano voice,
which she used for the performance of her husband’s works in the
privacy of the home circle. She had lessons from her husband in clavier
and figured bass playing, and also gave him immense help in copying
music; amongst other things, her MS. copy of a great part of Handel’s
_Passion-music_ still exists.
Just before Bach’s second marriage the widow of his uncle Tobias
Lämmerhirt died, leaving him part of her estate. This was the uncle
who died just before Bach’s first marriage, leaving him a legacy. The
second accession of money caused some trouble. The distribution under
the will of the widow was disputed in the names of five relations,
Joh. Christoph Bach of Ohrdruf, Joh. Jacob Bach, Joh. Sebastian Bach,
Maria Wiegand (born Bach), and Anna Zimmermann (born Lämmerhirt).
Unfortunately for the petitioners, they had used the names of the three
Bachs without ever informing them. As a matter of fact, Joh. Christoph
was already dead, and Joh. Jacob was in Sweden; Joh. Sebastian was
most indignant when he heard of it, and wrote to the Council of Erfurt
disclaiming both for himself and his brother all desire to dispute the
will; saying that they were perfectly satisfied with their share, and
that the petition was drawn up without any notice being sent to them.
The proceedings were then dropped at once, and nothing more is heard of
them.
[Sidenote: _Little Clavier Book_]
Immediately after their marriage the Bachs started a MS. music-book
between them, entitled “Clavier Büchlein vor Anna Magdalena Bachin,
Anno 1720,” on the first page of which is written a playful inscription
to the effect that the book was directed against the Calvinism, and its
attendant melancholy and hostility to all art, which was rife at Cöthen
at this period. This book was followed in 1725 by a second and larger
book; both are preserved in the Royal Library at Berlin. The books
contain various clavier compositions by Bach, Böhm, Gerhard and others,
besides sundry hymns and sacred songs, also a song on the reflections
of a smoker; and others evidently addressed to his wife, to whom he was
devoted.
[Sidenote: A Large Family]
He had thirteen children, six sons and seven daughters, by this wife;
making, together with those by his first wife, nineteen children in all.
Anna Magdalena’s portrait was painted by Cristofori, and came into the
possession of Philip Emanuel, but it has now disappeared.
Most of his chamber music was written at Cöthen, where he remained more
than five years.
His position was so peaceful and pleasant that he proposed to spend the
rest of his life there. His prince was in full sympathy with him, as
we have seen. He had none of the contentions which seem to be almost
inevitable between an organist and his church authorities when the
organist wishes for anything beyond a mere conventional standard of
church music.[38] He had nothing to do with either the composition or
performance of church music; and if he had remained there the world
would have been the poorer by the _Passion-music_ and nearly all the
cantatas. Fortunately for us, however, his circumstances altered. His
prince married a lady who had no sympathy with music or its professors,
and his interest in music began to flag. After five years Bach found
himself again obliged to seek another post: and he found one in which
he remained till his death.
FOOTNOTES:
[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.