Johann Sebastian Bach

Part 3: Weimar and Cðthen 1708 - 1723

Previous Part 2: Lüneburg, Weimar, Arnstadt and Mühlhausen 1700 - 1708

NARRATOR:
BACH:
NARRATOR:
After barely a year at Mühlhausen, Bach left, to become the court organist and concertmaster at the ducal court in Weimar.
A far cry from my earlier position there as 'lackey'.
The munificent salary at the court and the prospect of working with a well-funded contingent of professional musicians may have prompted the move. The family moved into an apartment only five minutes' walk from the ducal palace.
Establish Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring and take under.
It was about this time that he wrote Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, the English title of the 10th movement of the cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben.

The English version of the words was written by the Poet Laureate, Robert Bridges.
The Ducal Palace Chapel Weimar
FEMALE READER:
Jesu, joy of man's desiring,
Holy wisdom, love most bright;
Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring
Soar to uncreated light.
Bring up Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring again and fade away as appropriate
NARRATOR:
Originally this piece was not written for the organ. However at this time he also wrote profusely for the organ, and he was rapidly becoming known throughout the country as one of the greatest German organists.

Organ pupils came from far and wide, and he was asked to test or dedicate many organs in various towns. His tests were thorough and critical.
BACH:
NARRATOR:
Above all I must know whether the organ has a good lung.
Pulling out all the stops he produced the largest sound possible, often making the organ builders go pale with fright. He would usually complete his trial by improvising a prelude and fugue: the prelude to test the organ's power, the fugue to test its clarity for counterpoint.

The school rector Constantin Bellermann described his playing during a visit to Kassel.
Bach as Konzertmeister in 1715
BELLERMANN:
His feet seemed to fly across the pedals, as if they were winged, and mighty sounds filled the church.
NARRATOR:
Bach was concerned with how his feet were clad when demonstrating his astounding footwork. Among the effects listed in Bach's estate were "old-fashioned silver shoe buckles". Mizler, the physician, mathematician and writer on music, states:
MIZLER:
His fingers were all of equal strength, all equally able to play with the finest precision. He had invented so comfortable a fingering that he could master the most difficult parts with perfect ease, using 5 fingers instead of the then normal 3. He was able to accomplish passages on the pedals with his feet, which would have given trouble to the fingers of many a clever player on the keyboard.
NARRATOR:
In 1717, through the help of Duke Ernst August, Bach was introduced to the Court of Anhalt-Cðthen, and as a result he was offered the post of Capellmeister, which he accepted. This infuriated the Duke of Weimar, so that when Bach put in a polite request for his release, he was arrested and put in the local jail.
In 1717, through the help of Duke Ernst August, Bach was introduced to the Court of Anhalt-Cðthen, and as a result he was offered the post of Capellmeister, which he accepted. This infuriated the Duke of Weimar, so that when Bach put in a polite request for his release, he was arrested and put in the local jail.
Rattling of keys in lock and echoing cell door slammed to
Dungeon Weimar
CONTEMPORARY REPORTER:
On November 6, the quondam concertmaster and organist Bach was confined to the County Judge's place of detention for too stubbornly forcing the issue of his dismissal and finally on December 2 was freed from arrest with notice of his unfavourable discharge.
NARRATOR:
He was given reluctant permission to resign his office. During his four weeks incarceration he had time to reflect on the ruthless dominance of the aristocracy, and his own failures to negotiate his way up the social ladder to a point where he could feel more secure.
Establish Cello Suite no. 1 and play under:
NARRATOR:
Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cðthen, himself a musician, appreciated Bach's talents, paid him well, and gave him considerable latitude in composing and performing.

Bring up Cello Suite no. 1 and play out as appropriate The prince was Calvinist and did not use elaborate music in his worship; thus, most of Bach's work from this period was secular, including the Orchestral suites, the Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello and the Sonatas and partitas for solo violin.
Bring up Cello Suite no. 1 and play out as appropriate
On 7 July 1720, while Sebastian was in Carlsbad in Bohemia with Prince Leopold, tragedy struck: his wife, Maria Barbara, died suddenly.
St James Church Cðthen
Bring up Cantata bvw 21 and play out as appropriate
This was perhaps the most devastating event in Sebastian's life so far. As a child he had lost his mother and father in quick succession and he and Maria had already lost two of their seven children. Her death was further proof of the vulnerability of our life here on earth and that only the hereafter gives us hope.

There is some evidence that on a trip to Hamburg shortly afterwards he played his cantata Ich hatte viel Bekummernis in mein Herzen, a remarkable expression of profound grief.
READER:
Sighs, weepings, sorrow, distress,
Anxious yearning, fear and death
Harass my aching heart.

I had great grief
But your consolations
Comfort my soul.
Bring up Cantata BVW 21 and play out as appropriate
NARRATOR:
Indeed he was soon to be comforted. One of Sebastian's duties as Cðthen Kapellmeister was to advise on the appointment of singers and instrumentalists. Only eleven months after Maria Barbara's tragic death, he persuaded Prince Leopold to appoint an attractive, energetic and highly musical, 19 year old, singer as one of the court's chamber musicians.

He married Anna Magdalena Wülcken on 3 December 1721. Together they had 13 more children, six of whom survived into adulthood.
Anna Magdalena Bach
A week after Bach's wedding, the Prince also married. But for Bach this was to be an unfortunate event, as the new Princess was not in favour of her husband's musical activities and managed, by exerting constant pressure - as Bach wrote in a letter:
BACH:
His marriage has tended to make the musical inclination of the said Prince somewhat luke-warm.
NARRATOR:
Bach also wrote to his old school friend, Erdmann:
BACH:
There I had a gracious Prince as master, who knew music as well as he loved it, and I hoped to remain in his service until the end of my life./span>
NARRATOR:
Less money was now devoted to music and Sebastian with time on his hands was motivated to seek a job elsewhere. The post of organist at St. Thomas Church, Leipzig had recently been offered to Georg Telemann, who had turned it down. After lengthy deliberations by the Leipzig appointments board, Sebastian was offered the post.

Part4: Leipzig 1723 - 1750

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Prisoners
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