Bach Chronicles #3--An Early Timeline

1685-1695.  Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach in 1685.  The early childhood years were at once musical and tragic, marked by the deaths of a brother and a sister.  And the year he turned 10 years old, both parents died within six months of one another

1695-1700.  JSB moved in with his older brother Johann Christoph. He had four brothers, all named Johann with different middle names.  JSB studied music and excelled at everything,  especially as boy soprano in the choir.  He was so good that he earned an invitation to the Michaelis Monastery Choir in Luneberg.  This was 180 miles away, but he went on foot and made it there somehow.  

1700-1702.  These years were spent in Luneberg where JSB moved from soprano in the choir to violinist and organ player.  Of particular importance was that here he had access to a very fine library of music. He had no formal music training or degree but learned from his musical family and by observing everyone around him. 

1703-1707,  Bach turned 18 and charmed the town of Arnstadt with his musical skills and was hired as the town organist.  During this time he made his way to Lübeck, the home of Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707), a renowned organ master who Bach sought out to learn more.  Lübeck is 250 miles from Arnstadt, another very long walk.  When he returned with new ideas the local paper described his new skills as including “surprising variations and irrelevant ornaments which obliterate the melody and confuse the congregation.” His music rebellion was  underway.1708.  This was the time when JSB was caught “entertaining a strange damsel” in the choir loft.  She was his second cousin, Maria Barbara, whom he married that year.  

1709-1717.  This was a long stretch in Weimar where JSB was the principal organist and choir director working at the pleasure of the Duke of Weimar. Things grew rather static and when he decided it was time to go, he had to be granted permission by the Duke.  Just for asking for that permission, JSB was put in jail for a month…not exactly what he expected.  Upon his release, the 32-year-old J.S. Bach made his way to Cothen where things would be much better.  

Later in 2023, I’ll be releasing “American Bach Revisited” featuring J.S. Bach’s Cello Suites 1 & 3, where the melody is played on the banjo accompanied by a continuo bassline played on the cello.