Who was J S Bach?
Singing The Christmas Oratorio, and ABC Classic holding a poll to judge whether its composer is “overrated” (and the answer, thankfully, is that 60% of listeners think he is not overrated), are sufficient stimuli to muse on the issue of who this world famous man was.
Or perhaps, on who he might have been. It is typical that, over the years, legends and stories arise, some of which form the popular view, and some of which re-inforce the traditions with ornamentation and embellishment.
We can be certain that J S Bach came from a musical family, and that he admired the work of many composers of his day, including the renowned organist, Buxtehude. We know that in the course of two marriages, he produced twenty two children, some of whom also became musicians.
We also know that Bach was the third choice for the position of Cantor at Leipzig Cathedral, the position he occupied, along with several others demanding roles, while his musical creativity was at its peak.
The seemingly endless stream of music, including cantatas, settings of the Passions, Masses, orchestral suites and concertos, organ voluntaries and inventions, solo violin and cello works, is hugely impressive for its scale alone, never mind the beauty of form and style in each piece.
Simon Tedschi, in a recent article for the ACO, writes about the chain of events involving some of Bach’s sons and some of Felix Mendelssohn’s immediate ancestors, which led to Bach’s music re-emerging in the 19th century, after a hundred years of the scores sitting in musty trunks in cheerless attics and cellars. It is amazing to think that, should any of the co-incidences in that chain have been broken, we might never have heard Bach’s music again.
Of course, it is unlikely that we will ever know any more about Bach than is already documented. Maybe we should settle for enjoying listening to, and for us in the Choir, performing, his music – revelling in its astonishing structures, soaring melodies, rich harmony, luscious textures, and life affirming meaning.