_Foreword_
Compared with the unimaginable richness of his inner life as the
overpowering volume and splendor of his works reveal it, Bach’s
day-to-day existence seems almost pedestrian. It had none of the drama
and spectacular conflicts that marked the careers of men like Mozart,
Beethoven, and Wagner. His travels, far less extensive than those of
his great contemporary, Handel, were confined to areas of a few hundred
miles at most in central and northern Germany and were undertaken
chiefly for sober professional purposes. The present volume, which
advances no claim whatever to any new or original slant, aims to do
no more than furnish for those who read and run a meager background
of a few isolated highspots in Bach’s outward life and a momentary
sideglance at a tiny handful of his supreme creations. Its object will
have been more than accomplished if in any manner it stimulates a radio
listener to deepen his acquaintance with Bach’s immeasurable art.