Andrew Talle
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780252040849
- eISBN:
- 9780252099342
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5622/illinois/9780252040849.001.0001
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
This book investigates the musical life of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Germany from the perspectives of those who lived in it. The men, women, and children of the era are treated here not as extras in ...
More
This book investigates the musical life of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Germany from the perspectives of those who lived in it. The men, women, and children of the era are treated here not as extras in the life of a famous composer but rather as protagonists in their own right. The primary focus is on keyboard music, from those who built organs, harpsichords, and clavichords, to those who played keyboards recreationally and professionally, and those who supported their construction through patronage. Examples include: Barthold Fritz, a clavichord maker who published a list of his customers; Christiane Sibÿlla Bose, an amateur keyboardist and close friend of Bach’s wife; the Countesses zu Epstein, whose surviving library documents the musical interests of teenage girls of the era; Luise Gottsched, who found Bach’s music less appealing than that of Handel; Johann Christoph Müller, a keyboard instructor who fell in love with one of his aristocratic pupils; and Carl August Hartung, a professional organist and fanatical collector of Bach’s keyboard music. The book draws on published novels, poems, and visual art as well as manuscript account books, sheet music, letters, and diaries. For most music lovers of the era, J. S. Bach himself was an impressive figure whose music was too challenging to hold a prominent place in their musical lives.Less
This book investigates the musical life of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Germany from the perspectives of those who lived in it. The men, women, and children of the era are treated here not as extras in the life of a famous composer but rather as protagonists in their own right. The primary focus is on keyboard music, from those who built organs, harpsichords, and clavichords, to those who played keyboards recreationally and professionally, and those who supported their construction through patronage. Examples include: Barthold Fritz, a clavichord maker who published a list of his customers; Christiane Sibÿlla Bose, an amateur keyboardist and close friend of Bach’s wife; the Countesses zu Epstein, whose surviving library documents the musical interests of teenage girls of the era; Luise Gottsched, who found Bach’s music less appealing than that of Handel; Johann Christoph Müller, a keyboard instructor who fell in love with one of his aristocratic pupils; and Carl August Hartung, a professional organist and fanatical collector of Bach’s keyboard music. The book draws on published novels, poems, and visual art as well as manuscript account books, sheet music, letters, and diaries. For most music lovers of the era, J. S. Bach himself was an impressive figure whose music was too challenging to hold a prominent place in their musical lives.
Andrew Talle
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780252040849
- eISBN:
- 9780252099342
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5622/illinois/9780252040849.003.0008
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
Chapter seven discusses the place of music in the education and leisure time of boys and men who had no intention of pursuing musical careers. Unlike their female counterparts, male amateur musicians ...
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Chapter seven discusses the place of music in the education and leisure time of boys and men who had no intention of pursuing musical careers. Unlike their female counterparts, male amateur musicians were encouraged to cultivate knowledge of music theory and to celebrate the social opportunities offered by music making, especially in university Collegium Musicum ensembles. This chapter draws from diverse sources including novels, poems, music manuscripts, and diaries. It concludes with case studies of two jurists: Johann Stephan Pütter of Göttingen and Johann Heinrich Fischer of Fulda. For Pütter, a musician of limited skills, performance quality was less important than the social aspects of making music. For Fischer, music theory was of great interest and led him to admire the music of the Lutheran composer J. S. Bach, despite the fact that Fischer was Catholic.Less
Chapter seven discusses the place of music in the education and leisure time of boys and men who had no intention of pursuing musical careers. Unlike their female counterparts, male amateur musicians were encouraged to cultivate knowledge of music theory and to celebrate the social opportunities offered by music making, especially in university Collegium Musicum ensembles. This chapter draws from diverse sources including novels, poems, music manuscripts, and diaries. It concludes with case studies of two jurists: Johann Stephan Pütter of Göttingen and Johann Heinrich Fischer of Fulda. For Pütter, a musician of limited skills, performance quality was less important than the social aspects of making music. For Fischer, music theory was of great interest and led him to admire the music of the Lutheran composer J. S. Bach, despite the fact that Fischer was Catholic.
Andrew Talle
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780252040849
- eISBN:
- 9780252099342
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5622/illinois/9780252040849.003.0001
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
The last several generations of scholars have made great progress in illuminating the mundane details of J. S. Bach’s working life. Our intense focus on this famous composer, however, has skewed our ...
More
The last several generations of scholars have made great progress in illuminating the mundane details of J. S. Bach’s working life. Our intense focus on this famous composer, however, has skewed our understanding of his era. If we are to truly know the world Bach inhabited, we need to learn more about the musical lives of ordinary people. This book explores the musical culture of Bach’s Germany from the perspectives of those who lived in it. The protagonists are not famous composers but rather amateur and professional musicians, patrons, instrument builders, and audience members. They are treated here not as extras in the grand sweep of music history, but rather as stars in their own private dramas.Less
The last several generations of scholars have made great progress in illuminating the mundane details of J. S. Bach’s working life. Our intense focus on this famous composer, however, has skewed our understanding of his era. If we are to truly know the world Bach inhabited, we need to learn more about the musical lives of ordinary people. This book explores the musical culture of Bach’s Germany from the perspectives of those who lived in it. The protagonists are not famous composers but rather amateur and professional musicians, patrons, instrument builders, and audience members. They are treated here not as extras in the grand sweep of music history, but rather as stars in their own private dramas.
