indignant at his unduly protracted absence and called him to account.
After his extremely promising beginning, people had grown more and
more dissatisfied with the manner in which he discharged his duties
as organist. He was reproached with making his accompaniment for the
congregational singing so intricate and irregular that the singers often
completely lost the melody. Moreover, he at first made his preludes
immoderately long, and, when given a hint of this by the officiating
clergyman, he immediately fell into the opposite extreme, and cut them
much too short. It was also said that he had neglected the training
of his pupil-choir and was unable to exercise proper control over the
same. These complaints were certainly not unfounded; they accord with
Bach's artistic development and with his character. When he sat before
the organ, inspired by musical thoughts in rich profusion, he could not
have been the genius that he was, if he did not sometimes forget that
he must adapt himself to the comprehension of the congregation and the
arrangement of the service. That, after the exhortation to restraint, he
at once offered preludes of the most striking brevity, is an instance of
that defiant spirit which was one of his strongly marked characteristics.
The pupil-choir, after a time, began to seem insignificant in his eyes,
and the exercises with them monotonous. Considering his youth and the
irritability of his temperament, it is not surprising that he failed to
retain the respect of this band of untrained youths. Notwithstanding
their reproaches, the members of the Consistory showed themselves, on the
whole, sufficiently lenient, and allowed nearly a year to pass before
making further remonstrances, though he continued, in the interval, to
act as he pleased. Bach was no longer contented in Arnstadt, where, after
all, though perfectly capable of standing in the first rank, he filled a
position of secondary importance. It is credibly related, that favorable
offers were made him at this time, from many different places, and on
the 29th of June, 1707, he resigned his office in Arnstadt to accept an
appointment as organist at Mühlhausen, in Thuringia.
The Bachs, as a family, were accustomed to marry early in life. Among
the criticisms upon Sebastian's conduct made by the clergy of Arnstadt,
there was one to the effect that he had accompanied upon his organ,
the singing of a "strange maiden." This, however, could not well have
happened during the service, as female singers in that day were still
excluded from church music. The "maiden" was probably his cousin, Maria
Barbara Bach, daughter of Michael Bach, who might have been betrothed
to him at that time, since he married her on the 17th of October, 1707.
Four of the seven children of this marriage, three sons and a daughter,
reached maturity, and two of these sons, Wilhelm Friedemann, and Carl
Philipp Emanuel, born in 1710 and 1714 respectively, are well known to
have attained great musical renown.
In Mühlhausen there were two principal churches, the Blasius and the
Church of St Mary. The former, to which Bach was attached, took the
highest rank, its organist constituting the chief musical dignitary of
the city, and a certain additional lustre was shed upon the position,
through the fact that it had been filled by a number of brilliant
musicians. Among these were Joachim Moller, styled von Burck (1541-1610),
Johann Rudolf Ahle (1625-1673) and Johann Georg Ahle (1673-1706). The
prominent composer, Johann Eccard, a contemporary and friend of Moller,
was also a native of Mühlhausen. Bach recognized the honor conferred upon
him by the call, and it spurred him on to more important achievements.
In addition to his unwearied efforts to advance himself in the line of
his special branch of art, he zealously strove to elevate the standard
of vocal music in the churches of Mühlhausen, and procured at his own
expense a fine collection of the best church music, which was produced
by him from time to time. He caused the organ of the Blasiuskirche to
be repaired after a plan of his own, which bore witness to his great
practical knowledge, and also attached to it a _Glockenspiel_, or
peal of bells. He moreover composed several great pieces of church
music for chorus, solo voices, organ and other instruments. One of
these was performed on the 4th of February, 1708, at the time of the
so-called Changing of the Council, an annual ceremony which consisted
in transferring the administration of one of the three branches of the
municipal government to another. A second beautiful work of the same
order was founded on the words of the 130th psalm. But from various
causes Bach soon found his activity held in check. His grand and lofty
compositions, which surprised by their novelty, presented a striking
contrast to the light and pleasing style of the later Mühlhausen
masters. The inhabitants of the free and ancient imperial city were
possessed of a strongly developed local pride, extending far beyond
its proper limits. Affecting superiority, they were disposed to hold
themselves aloof from strangers, and that a youth of twenty-two, treading
in the footsteps of their once highly respected fellow-citizens, should
manifest such independence and love of innovation, aroused their
antagonism. These difficulties, however, were not insuperable; Bach,
on his side, was not wanting in friends, and the Council gave abundant
proof of its good-will. But other and more radical differences existed,
which could not be so easily put aside. Philipp Jakob Spener had recently
started a movement in the Lutheran Church, which, after the publication
of his book, entitled "Pia Desideria," received the name of pietism,
and this movement had spread to Mühlhausen. The first clergyman of the
town and leading preacher at the Blasiuskirche, J. A. Frohne, was an
ardent advocate of the principles and measures of Spener, which owed
their origin to the unsatisfactory status of the Lutheran clergy. This
body adhered obstinately to the forms which Luther had given it, while
departing all too widely from the spirit of the Protestant reformer. The
pietism of Spener, in the first decades of its existence, had brought
abundant blessing into the domain of spiritual and intellectual life,
while his opponents, who were styled orthodox, presented a sad picture of
moral torpor and arrogant narrow-mindedness. Unfortunately, the pietists
became by degrees very strongly tinctured with asceticism, which had the
effect of lessening their influence upon the popular heart, and rendering
impossible the genuine success of their cause. As a class, they conceived
of the earthly life only in the light of a contrast to the heavenly
one, which they dreamed of leading in a state of blessed communion with
God. Everything which did not directly promote this rapt, contemplative
condition they felt bound to reject, and in this way soon became hostile
to the arts, which the orthodox highly valued and encouraged, after the
example of Luther. Music seemed to the pietists seductive, unless made
to serve an edificatory purpose, and even then it could be employed only
for the accentuation of simple religious songs. These, at any rate, were
the views which Frohne now sought to establish; it was only natural
that Bach, whose genius was just beginning to spread its mighty wings,
whose highest aim was to introduce a lofty type of ecclesiastical music,
embracing everything the age had produced in the shape of artistic
forms and devices, should lift up his voice in protest at such a time.
If ever in his life he had been characterized by a yielding and pliant
disposition, it was not to be expected that he should manifest it now,
when his life-work was in question. We must therefore regard it as the
voice of destiny which, after the lapse of a single year, called him to
fill the post of organist at the ducal court of Weimar, one of the places
he had formerly visited in making a concert tour. He did not hesitate to
obey the call, though realizing to the full the extent of his obligation
to the friendly and appreciative Council of the city of Mühlhausen.
These men were well aware of the magnitude of their loss and consented
most unwillingly to his release, after imposing the condition that he
should continue to superintend from Weimar the organ repairs which he had
commenced.
[Illustration: MORNING PRAYERS IN BACH FAMILY.
From a painting of an ideal scene.]
Among the most remarkable of the false impressions which have prevailed
concerning Bach's personality, must be accounted the idea that he was
himself a pietist. Attempts have been made to prove this on the one hand
from the nature of the poems composed by him, on the other, from the
character of his music. And indeed, it is not difficult to discover in
many of the poetical texts which he wrote for his own church music, the
pietistic forms of expression. But since these forms, notwithstanding
a certain bombastic quality, a rapturous, exaggerated sentiment and an
exuberant tenderness, still strike a note of genuine poetry, they were
habitually employed by all writers of that day.
Not a single pietist, however, was included in the number of the poets
who wrote for Bach. One of these, Erdmann Neumeister, was, on the
contrary, a zealous champion of orthodoxy. And concerning the sympathy
between Bach's music and pietism, it must also be said here that nothing
beyond a certain analogy exists. A strong intensity of feeling is common
to both, and the profound intelligence exhibited by the musician in
following the most hidden meanings of his text, resembles the fervid
devotion with which the pietists were wont to read the Bible. Moreover,
the lofty idealism which inspired his artistic creations, causing him
to regard everything _sub specie aeterni_, as it were, corresponds
in a certain way to the unworldly spirit of the apostles of Spener,
who, lost in ecstasy, directed their gaze towards the pictured glories
of the heavenly sphere. But, while these pious souls gave themselves
up unreservedly to this sort of subjective fanaticism, with Bach the
personal feeling is always controlled by the utmost conceivable severity
of the musical form. The pietists renounced the world and the forces at
work in it; Bach founded his activity upon what had been created before
him in his art, and rejoiced, after the manner of his ancestors, in a
hearty enjoyment of the world and its beauty. It is not merely because
pietism interfered with the free exercise of his art that Bach refused
it his support, but rather because this particular religious bent was
distasteful to him in every way. The old Lutheran form of Protestantism
was an inheritance of his race, and his education had been carried on
in places where orthodoxy flourished. In Arnstadt it had victoriously
trampled under foot, before his coming, some feeble germs of pietism,
which of itself is almost sufficient reason for the attitude of quiet
hostility towards Spener, assumed by him from the beginning. The second
clergyman of the town, Georg Christian Eilmar, was an orthodox of the
strictest kind, and soon after his installation had fallen into a
violent controversy with Frohne, which lasted for years and was still in
progress when Bach came to Mühlhausen. The musician espoused Eilmar's
cause with ardor and did not hesitate to express his opinions publicly,
thus affording another manifestation of the spirit of obstinate defiance
which formed one of his fundamental traits. For it was impossible that
he should be attracted by a prosaic, arrogant, and thoroughly unpleasing
personality like that of Eilmar, neither was he in any wise a fanatical
partisan of orthodoxy. He held firmly to the belief of his fathers, but
to inquire into the principles of their faith was an idea that never
occurred to him. Whatever needs his religion may have failed to satisfy
were more than filled by his art and the conscientious manner in which he
exercised it.
For the next nine years of his life Bach was established in Weimar as
court organist and chamber musician; after 1714 he also officiated as
concert-master of the ducal chapel and performed some of the duties of
capellmeister. Everything that had been lacking in Mühlhausen, he found
here at the court of Duke Wilhelm Ernst, a man whose strongly marked
personal character was reflected upon his surroundings, imparting to
them something of the genial Thuringian spirit. Differing from most
of his compeers in possessing a lively sense of his obligations as a
ruler, he failed to cherish the delusion that his subjects only existed
for the convenience of the reigning class. He was of an earnest nature,
this great-grand-uncle of Goethe's friend Karl August, and lived
without ostentation, almost as simply indeed as an ordinary citizen,
in his castle of Wilhelmsburg. Without children and separated from
his wife after a brief, unhappy union, all his interests were centred
in the welfare of the little province; above all, he occupied himself
with church and school affairs. Even as a child, he had displayed
the strong theological bias which always distinguished him, and had
afterwards studied for three years at the University of Jena. His
favorite associates were members of the clerical profession, and in
order to provide for the spiritual needs of the town of Weimar, which
numbered at that time about 5,000 inhabitants, he increased the number of
preachers, in whose conferences and theological discussions he took an
active part. Orthodox in belief, he hated and prohibited all sectarian
controversy, and without diminishing his zeal for the elevation of
ecclesiastical standards and the broadening of church organization, he
extended a protecting care over the arts and sciences. Weimar owes to
him not only its gymnasium, but also the foundation of its library, at
present so justly renowned. He took pains to support an excellent music
chapel and even tolerated an opera at his court. Chamber music was by
no means neglected, but the strongest interest manifested by the duke
was in ecclesiastical matters, and during his long reign of forty-five
years (1683-1728), his persevering efforts to awaken in the court and
the citizens of the town an interest in the works of a great composer of
sacred music were crowned with deserved success.
No musicians of eminence were to be found in the Weimar of that day. The
aged capellmeister, Johann Samuel Drese, was in feeble health, making
it necessary for Bach to relieve him of a portion of his work. Johann
Gottfried Walther of Erfurt, who was related to Bach on his mother's
side, filled the place of organist in the town-church and soon formed an
intimate friendship with his kinsman. Walther's name has continued to
be held in esteem up to the present time through his musical lexicon,
which was published in Leipsic in 1732 and is a valuable reference
book for students of scientific music. But only the spare moments of
its industrious author were devoted to the preparation of this work.
In addition to his duties as organist, he was active as a composer and
also gave instruction in music, his services as teacher being greatly in
demand. His strength lies chiefly in the domain of organ music, where he
has successfully followed in the footsteps of Johann Pachelbel. In this
connection should be mentioned an artist from a neighboring state, who,
however, was often seen in Weimar, and who found a degree of pleasure
in Bach's society which the latter fully reciprocated. Georg Philipp
Telemann, one of the most skilful musicians of his age, enjoyed at that
time a greater celebrity than Bach, and steadily maintained to the end of
his life the reputation of a high musical authority. His style is wanting
in depth and earnestness, but he was one of the most prolific writers
the world has seen, showing an incredible activity in every species of
composition, so that in the end he was himself unable to say precisely
what or how much had proceeded from his pen.
Bach did not restrict his acquaintance to the narrow limits of his
immediate surroundings, but was in the habit of undertaking frequent
journeys with the view of spreading his fame as organ virtuoso and
composer. On one occasion before the end of the year 1714, he went to
Cassel for the purpose of testing an organ which had been newly restored.
Prince Frederick, son of the reigning duke and afterwards King of Sweden,
summoned him to play in his presence and was enchanted by the unheard-of
virtuosity of his pedal-playing. In the autumn of 1713, he passed some
time in Halle, on his return from a professional tour, and very possibly
attracted by a fine new organ, erected by Christoph Cuncius in the
Church of the Holy Virgin. The post of organist at this church having
been vacant for a year, it seems to have been suggested that Bach should
make application for the place. The proposal must at first have been a
tempting one, since the organ furnished him in Weimar was very inferior,
containing in all only two manuals and twenty-four stops, while that in
Halle had sixty-three sounding stops. He soon expressed his willingness
to accept the appointment, and prolonged his stay sufficiently to enable
him to compose the cantata required of all candidates and to conduct
the performance of the same. The church elders were now very anxious
to secure his services, but Bach left the place without awaiting their
decision. There were many drawbacks connected with the position, and the
thought of his friend and patron the duke caused him to waver. When,
therefore, the formal "call" was sent to him before Christmas, in the
shape of a regularly attested document, just as though the matter had
already been settled between them, Bach expressed his wish to discuss the
matter further before deciding. The authorities took offence at this,
and, quite without reason, practically accused him of only pretending
to treat with them, in order to obtain an increase of salary from the
duke. The sole attraction for Bach in Halle was undoubtedly its beautiful
organ. Up to this time he had been using instruments of small or medium
size, and indeed, throughout his long career, an organ adequate to the
genius of this greatest master in the world was never placed at his
command. Meantime the bold and arrogant manner in which he was accused of
evading his promise could not fail to be resented with indignation by a
man like Bach. He returned a very sharp letter of protest, which plainly
showed the church authorities that they had made a mistake. Realizing
later their want of tact, they sought to make amends by inviting him to
attend the trial performance on the new organ, and Bach accepted the
invitation.
In the course of a third journey known to have been made by Bach in the
autumn of 1714, he paid his first visit to Leipsic, the city in which
he was to spend the last twenty-seven years of his life. On the first
Sunday after Advent, he furnished all the organ music for the service
(conducted, probably, in the Thomas Church), and also produced a cantata
of his own composition. We are familiar with this cantata; it is one
of the most beautiful belonging to Bach's earlier period, and begins
with a chorus, based upon the old Ambrosian hymn, "Come, Saviour of
the people" ("_Veni, redemptor gentium_"). Not long afterwards, Bach
probably repaired to the ducal court at Meiningen, to which his cousin,
Johann Ludwig Bach, was attached as capellmeister. We have no knowledge
of any previous communication between the two branches of the family
descended from Veit Bach, and there is good ground for assuming that
it was Sebastian who made the advances in this instance. Johann Ludwig
had an especial gift for the composition of church music. Twenty-two
of his cantatas were copied out by Sebastian's own hand, and of still
greater importance than these are the motets by the same master, who, if
he does not equal Johann Christoph Bach of Eisenach, has yet introduced
into German music, with great success, the Italian method so brilliantly
exemplified by Leonardo Leo.
Another autumnal journey made by Sebastian Bach had for its goal
the Saxon electoral court at Dresden, where occurred one of the most
famous and memorable events of his life. He had always maintained the
most friendly relations with the German musicians attached to the
electoral chapel, who just now felt themselves unjustly thrust into the
background, owing to the preference of the court for the French and
Italian school of tonal art. It happened that precisely at this time
Jean Louis Marchand, an organist from Paris, was visiting in Dresden and
delighting the elector and his court by the elegance of his technique.
Bach had found as yet no opportunity of appearing before the court, but
so greatly distinguished himself in other musical circles as to create an
ardent interest in the question whether he or Marchand was the greater
artist. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries competitive musical
performances were in high favor. Bach, who was thoroughly acquainted with
the style of Marchand's playing and the character of his music, consented
to challenge the Frenchman to a trial of skill upon the clavier. Marchand
accepted and the tournament was arranged to take place, in the presence
of a select body of judges, at the house of a personage of high rank;
probably the minister, Graf von Flemming. When the appointed hour
arrived Bach was on the spot, but Marchand did not appear; in the sure
premonition of failure, he had abandoned the field without resistance.
Bach now played alone and enchanted his audience. The report of this
occurrence was rapidly spread abroad and served to add new lustre to the
fame of the master, who now stood forth a victorious champion of German
national art, as opposed to the theories and methods of the French.
These various professional journeys and the visit between the years
1715 and 1717 of Georg Erdmann, the friend of his youth, who, after
completing his study of the law, had entered the Russian service in 1715,
are the most important external events of Bach's stay in Weimar. If we
glance at his creative activity during that period, we see that the
principal emphasis falls upon his work as organ virtuoso and composer.
Duke Wilhelm took great pleasure in his playing, and this incited him
to use his utmost efforts in the art of handling his instrument. It was
in Weimar that he wrote the larger number of his very numerous organ
compositions, and he also made much progress here in the art of vocal
composition, besides becoming thoroughly acquainted for the first time
with Italian chamber music. The duke's nephew, Prince Johann Ernst, was
of a decidedly musical turn, and, with the aid of Walther, had even
made attempts at composition. In gratification of his tastes, frequent
concerts of chamber music were given at the castle, Bach acting as
leader. The violin concerto, which had just been revived in Italy through
the efforts of Torelli and Vivaldi, and the violin sonata in the form
established by Corelli, were favorite varieties of this sort of music,
in which Bach soon developed a strong interest, as is shown by the fact
that he arranged for the clavier and the organ about twenty of Vivaldi's
concertos. These works are not arrangements in the ordinary sense, but
are rather expansions of the original motives. By means of an animated
bass, a richly melodious baritone and artistic contrapuntal imitations,
Bach converted his material into something at once novel and charming.
He also took themes from the violin sonatas of Corelli and Albinoni,
while he richly elaborated and fashioned into an organ fugue, the leading
motive of a composition by the Venetian Legrenzi. That he entered very
heartily into the spirit of the Italian music of the day is evident from
his causing a copy to be made for himself of an important production
of Frescobaldi, the greatest Italian organ master. This work, entitled
"_Fiori Musicali_" appeared in 1635.
[Illustration: JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH.
From an oil portrait owned by the Bach family until 1828. Now in
possession of A. Grenser, of Vienna.]