Home Schooling: The Bachs

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1 HomeSchooling:TheBachs IfstudentsattheVenetianandNeapolitanconservatories,theospedali,weregiven musiceducationascompensationforthelackoffamilyandquestionableorigins,for thebachs,thescienceofmusicwasafamilylegacyandright.theyoungjohann SebastiancouldlooktowardssomanycitiesinhisnativeThuringiatofindbrothers, cousinsanduncleswhocouldserveasmentorsduringhisbrightapprenticeship. Thushisteenagedecisiontotravelnorthtostudyinaschoolfarawayandwork withnorthgermanmusicianswasuniqueanddaring.afterall,foralmost200 yearsfatherstaughtsons,nephewstravelledtoliveinthehomesofunclesand,at thedeathsofparents,olderbrotherswhotookontheguardianshipofkidbrothers, directingtheirgeneralandmusicaleducations. Therewere51menintheBachgenealogywhodistinguishedthemselvesas musicians.theyformedaclose knitcorporationofprofessionalsthatsuppliedtheir villagesandcities,principalities,andchurcheswithfirstratecompositionand stellarperformance.whatwasjohannsebastianlookingforthathecouldnotfindin theworksofhisunclejohannchristoph,inhisbrother slibraryofworksby FrobergerorinthecircleofPachelbel,whowassocloselyalliedtotheBachfamily? TheloveofourlittleJohannSebastianformusicwasuncommonlygreatevenatthis tenderage.inashorttimehehadfullymasteredallthepieceshisbrotherhad voluntarilygivenhimtolearn.buthisbrotherpossessedabookofclavierpiecesby themostfamousmastersofthedayandthis,despiteallhispleadingandwhoknows forwhatreason,wasdeniedhim...thebookwaskeptinacabinetwhosedoors consistedonlyofgrillwork.now,withhislittlehandshecouldreachthroughthe grillworkandrollthebookup:accordingly,hewouldfetchthebookoutatnight... andsincehewasnotevenpossessedofalight,copyitbymoonlight...hisbrother,to hisgreatdismay,foundoutaboutit,andwithoutmercytookawayfromhimthecopy hehadmadewithsuchpains. Obituarybiography This moonlightmanuscript isoneofthemythicalanecdotesinthelifeofjohann SebastianBachillustratinghisravenousappetiteforlearning,hisindustry,andhis capacityforappreciatingallstyles.theimpressionthathelivedacinderella existenceatthemercyofaruthlessandstingybrotherisnotaccurate. Christophwasneitherstingynorjealousinholdingbackthisparticularvolumeof keyboardmusicfromhisyoungbrother.nodoubt,hehadaplanofstudyinmind fortheprogressofhisgeniuscharge.similarly,asateacher,johannsebastian wouldcarefullymonitortheeducationofhissonswilhelmfriedemannandcarl PhillipEmanuelwiththefocusedcompositionofsmallpreludes,2and3part Inventions,suitesandtheWellTemperedClavier.Thiscarefulplanninghadrootsin Christoph sapproach. TherewasformalschoolingforthemembersoftheBachfamilyoutsideofthehome. TheywenttolocalLutheranacademiesthattaughtgeneralstudiesincluding,of

2 course,music.johannsebastianlearnedmathematics,philosophy,classicalstudies, rhetoricandtheology.but,afterseveralyearsunderhisbrother scare,johann SebastiantravelednorthtoLuneburgwhereheenrolledasascholarshipstudentat thest.michael sgymnasium.herehewouldperform,organize,andsing.however, truemusiclearningbecameindependentstudy.inluneburg,johannsebastian endearedhimselftoreinken,böhmandbuxtehude,thethreegreatestmastersof thenorthgermanstyleofmusic.heheardthemimprovise,helistenedtocantata performancesandhecopiedandarrangedtheirinstrumentalmusic.(reinken,asan ancientman,recognizedjohannsebastianasthesolemusicianwhowouldkeepthe artofthenorthgermanschoolofchoraleelaborationalive,asitstorchbearer.)in thenorth,bachalsolistenedtotheperformancesofrefugeefrenchprotestant musiciansplayingdancemusicinthehighstylesofversailles,wheresimplicityand finessereigned. JohannSebastianwasself motivated,hismindanopenwindowtoqualityandthe discoveryofoptionsavailableinanycontemporarystyle.hisabilitytoincorporate, reviseandfuseisuniqueinmusichistory. Forinstance,somefewyearslaterasaworkingmusicianatthecourtofWeimar, BachgottoknowthecontemporaryItalianconcertoform,mostspecifically,Antonio Vivaldi smusic.bycopyingoutpartsforperformanceandbycraftingharpsichord andorgantranscriptionsoftheseorchestralpieces,bachnotonlycameto understandthepowerofthisdirect,energeticandvibrantstyle,butheincorporated thecomplexityandcounterpointofhisgermanorganisttradition,makingchanges andcorrectionstotheitalianmusic,whileentirelyreconsideringthewayhe composedhisownmusic. WearefortunatetohavecopiesthatBachmadethroughouthislifeofworksby Vivaldi,butalsooftheFrenchorganworksofdeGrignyandothercomposers.In observinghissubtlere workingsofthemusicofothers,wecanbegintounderstand Bach sbrilliance. JohannSebastianbeganteachingseriouslyashebecameawarethathisown childrenweregifted.inwritingoutthenotebookforwilhelmfriedemann,always hisfavoritechild,hechartedamethodfortheawakeningofperformanceand compositionskills.wemaybeastonishedbytheapparentquickprocessbywhich JohannSebastiantakesFriedemann,inveryfewpages,fromsimplefreestyle preludestorichlyconceivedfugues.bachnourisheshisson seducationwith godlikefood.soon,bachalsotookontheroleofmentortocousins,nephewsand youngmusicianswhowererightlyguidedtothecomposers studio.wehave testimonialsfromjohannsebastianformanyofhisstudents.astheyappliedfor positions,playingorganorascourtmusicians,bachgenerouslyrecommendshis studentsfortheseposts.moreenlighteningarethetestimonialsanddescriptionsof JohannSebastianasateacherbyhisstudents: Heisanexcellentandsterlingman,bothincompositionandininstructiononthe keyboardandotherinstruments.itisassuredlysixhoursperdayofguidancethati

3 amreceiving...therestofthetimeiusebymyselfforpracticeandcopyingwork, sinceheshareswithmeallthemusiciaskfor.iamalsoatlibertytolookthroughall ofhispieces... PhillipDavidKraüter(1712) Hepromisedtogivehimtheinstructionhedesiredandaskedatoncewhetherhehad industriouslyplayedfugues.atthefirstlessonhesethisinventionsbeforehim.when hehadstudiedthesethroughtobach ssatisfactiontherefollowedaseriesofsuites, thenthewell TemperedClavier.ThislatterworkBachplayedaltogetherthreetimes throughforhimwithhisunmatchableartandmyfathercountedtheseashishappiest hours... HeinrichGerberasreportedbysonErnstLudwigGerber(1790) Hismethodisthebest,forheproceedssteadily,stepbystep,fromtheeasiesttothe mostdifficult,andasaresulteventhesteptothefuguehasonlythedifficultyof passingfromonesteptothenext.onthisgroundiholdthemethodofj.s.bachtohe thebestandonlyone.itistoberegrettedthatthisgreatmanneverwroteanything theoreticalaboutmusicandthathisteachingshavereachedposterityonlythroughhis pupils. JohannPhillipKirnberger HereKirnberger sregretsareunfounded,shortsighted.ifbachneverwroteanart ofplayingtheharpsichord,oratreatiseonharmonyheleavesusinhisworks,a completeencyclopediaofskills,approaches,stylesandeverymusicaloption.how doyouwriteasuiteinthefrenchstyle?howmanywayscanyouemployand mutateimitativecounterpoint?howcancanonbebothcorrectandcompelling? Howcanyouvaryatheme,abassline?Howcanyousetatextclearlyyet dramatically?howfarcanthevoicegotoimpressorexpress?howrichlycolored canharmonybe?bach sworkisadatabasefor,inmodernterms,faq(frequently askedquestions).mostoftheanswersarefoundincollectionsofworksthatthe composercompiledtoillustratetheseverypoints,butiftheyarenotfoundinthe Well TemperedClavier,theArtofFugue,theGoldbergVariations,theycanbefound inthecantatas,371chorales,sonatasandsuites.everymeasureoffersinformation forthemindandthesoul. Becauseofadearthofwell executedexamples,themysteryoffuguehasforsometime beenratherscantilymaintained.greatmastershaveoftenguardeditjealously... Whiletherulesweweregivenweregoodandabundant,theneededexampleswere lacking.yetoneknowshowfruitlessinstructioniswithoutillustration,andexperience showswhatunequallygreateradvantageonedrawsfrompracticalelaborations ratherthanfrommeagertheoreticaldirection.thepresentwork(artoffugue)is throughoutpracticalandindeedaccomplisheswhatmanyskillfulmenhavesuggested intheirwritingovertheyears.c.ph.e.bachintheprefacetoartoffugue(1751)

4 Ihavehadtoworkhard;anyonewhoworksjustashardwillgetjustasfar. JohannSebastianBach Bachbelievedintheefficiencyofeducationandoftensaidthathisown accomplishmentswerenothingoutoftheordinarybutsimplytheoutcomeof guidanceandindustry.ifsuchstatementswerehonestexpressionsofmodestyand humility,wemightverywellwonderifbacheverunderstoodthemagnitudeofhis genius.beforetheromanticage whenthecomposerbecameaheroandwhen musicandphilosophywerelinked couldbachknowthathewaswritingworksthat wouldreachoutsopowerfullycenturieslater?couldhepredictthathiswell TemperedClavierwouldbeasignpostforallhumanaccomplishment,hisSt. MatthewPassionthemeasureofsufferingandfaith?Couldheimaginethat250 yearsafterhegavehisfinallesson,agroupof16farmers,travelingovertheocean fromalutheranchurchinwisconsin,wouldgatherinacirclearoundhisgravesite inleipzigwiththeirhometownhymnalsinhandandsinghisharmonizedchoralsto themanwhobestdefinesforthemspiritandlove? Andrew Appel c. 2010

5 Monday,March22,2010 TheNew YorkHistoricalSociety THEFOUR NATIONSENSEMBLE HOME SCHOOLING THE BACHS Charles Brink, traverso Krista Bennion Feeney, violin Loretta O Sullivan, cello Andrew Appel, harpsichord and director Guest Artist Christine Brandes, soprano THE SUSAN AND WILLIAM GINBSERG MEMORIAL CONCERT PROGRAM Prelude and Fugue in C major, Well Tempered Clavier I ( ) Gen Himmel zu dem Vater Mein, Buxwv 32 Dieterich Buxtehude Cantata for soprano, violin, cello and continuo ( ) Suite 8 in F minor Georg Bohm Allemande ( ) Courante Sarabande Ciacona Sonata II for violin and harpsichord in A Major, BWV 1015 Dolce Allegro Andante un poco Presto INTERMISSION Sonata in D Major for flute and continuo Adagio ( ) Allegro ma non troppo Cantabile Two Arias Schweigt, ihr Flöten BWV 210 Prelude for cello BWV 1007 Angenehmer Zephyrus BWV 205 Adagio ma non tanto, e dolce (arr. W. F. Bach?) BWV 1044 Johann Gottfried Müthel Four Nations season is made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency. The New York Series has been underwritten by Mr. Christian Draz