| Abstract |
Was Johann Sebastian Bach really a short-tempered organist who constantly fought with his superiors? Was he a composer whose ideas were largely derived from others? Did he fall completely out of fashion by the end of his life? These are but a few of the many legends that have grown up around the greatest musical genius of all time in the 250 years since his death. The author takes on the Bach scholars and corrects their inaccuracies, bringing an extraordinary cultural icon into focus as never before. Marshalling evidence from every stage of Bach's development, Eidam challenges the conclusions of Phillip Spitta, Albert Schweitzer, and the other biographers who have preceded him. As the cornerstone of his research, Eidam carefully examined the original sources, paying special attention to the city council records of Leipzig, where Bach overcame all obstacles to compose such masterpieces as the St. Matthew Passion, the Goldberg Variations, and the Christmas Oratorio. From the earliest authors who depicted Bach as a man of God fulfilled by serving his church to the Marxists of post-war Germany and the academics of today, Eidam shows us that much of "Bach literature" reflects the writers' own obsessions rather than the truth about the composer's life and work. With irreverence and enthusiasm, this book debunks the myths and gives music lovers a fresh new look at the towering figure of the baroque age. |
