Although we have heard of the music of J.S. Bach in countless performances and recordings, the composer himself still comes across only as an enigmatic figure in a single familiar portrait.
As we mark the 250th anniversary of Bach's death, author and leading Bach scholar, here Christoph Wolff presents a new picture that brings to life this towering figure of the Baroque era.
This engaging new biography portrays Bach as the living, breathing, and sometimes imperfect human being that he was, while bringing to bear all the advances of the last half-century of Bach scholarship.
Wolff demonstrates the intimate connection between the composer's life and his music, showing how Bach's superb inventiveness pervaded his career as a musician, composer, performer, scholar, and teacher.
And throughout, we see Bach in the broader context of his time: its institutions, traditions, and influences.
With this highly readable book, Wolff sets a new standard for Bach biography.
Preface Prologue: Bach and the Notion of Musical Science 1: Springs of Musical Talent and Lifelong Influences - Eisenach, 1685-1695 2: Laying the Foundation - Ohrduff, 1695-1700 3: Bypassing a Musical Apprenticeship - From Lüneberg to Weimar, 1700-1703 4: Building a Reputation - Organist in Arnstadt and Mühlhausen, 1703-1708 5: Exploring 'Every Possible Artistry' - Court Organist and Cammer Musicus in Weimar, 1708-1714 6: Expanding Musical Horizons - Concertmaster in Weimar, 1714-1717 7: Pursuing 'the Musical Contest for Superiority' - Capellmeister in Cöthen, 1717-1723 8: Redefining a Venerable Office - Cantor and Music Director in Leipzig: The 1720s 9: Musician and Scholar - Counterpoint of Practice and Theory 10: Traversing Conventional Boundaries - Special Engagements Highlight the 1730s 11: A Singing Bird and Carnations for the Lady of the House - Domestic and Professional Life 12: Contemplating Past, Present, and Future - The Final Decade: the 1740s Epilogue: Bach and the idea of 'Musical Perfection' Notes Music Examples Appendices: Chronology Money and Living Costs in Bach's Time Movable and Fixed Feasts in the Lutheran Church Calendar Bibliography Index
Reviews for Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician
weighty and authorative work ... an important contribution to the Bach bibliography Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times, 16/4/00 marvellously detailed analysis ... Wolff recapitulates what is known about his subject's life in a lively style and deduces a great deal more by dint of diligent detective- work. Raymond Deane, Irish Times, 22/4/00
