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Scan 38
A Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 1900
11 lines. Read by computer on 18 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1critical edition publishing (since 1851) by the "Bach-Gesellschaft," a society founded in 1850 by Schumann, Otto Jahn, Hauptmann, K. F. Becker, and the publisher Härtel, demands special recognition. The Peters' edition of B.'s works is also valuable. Few of them were publ. during his lifetime; Mizler's "Musikalische Bibliothek" (1754) contains an almost complete catalogue. Bach's importance was but meagrely appreciated by his contemporaries, and for half a century after his death he was practically ignored. Some few works were then occasionally performed, or even published; but Mendelssohn, by a performance of the St. Matthew Passion at Berlin, in 1829, first drew general attention to the great value of Bach's comp.s. The centenary of his death (1850) was marked by the formation, at Leipzig, of the Bach-Gesellschaft. Bach-Ver-eine, societies for the cultivation and prod. of B.'s music, exist at Leipzig, Berlin, London, and in many other European cities.
3Works: Vocal: The 5 sets of sacred Cantatas for every Sunday and feast-day, already mentioned, besides several special ones, e. g., Got-tes Zeit ist die beste Zeit, and the Trauerode on the death of the Electress of Saxony; 5 Passions, including the gigantic St. Matthew, the St. John, and the doubtful St. Luke; a Christmas Oratorio, in 5 parts; Grand Mass in B min., and 4 smaller do.; motets; 2 Magnificats; 5 Sanctus; many secular cantatas, including two comic ones.—Instrumental: Very numerous pieces f. pf. (i. e., clavichord):—Inventions in 2 and 3 parts; 6 "small" French suites; 6 "large" English suites; Preludes and Fugues, includ. the "Wohltemperirtes Klavier" in 2 parts w. its 48 Preludes and Fugues in all keys (cf. art. Busoni); pf.-sonatas w. one or more instr.s, among them the 6 famous sonatas f. pf. and vln.; solo sonatas f. vln. and 'cello; solos, trios, etc., for different instr.s in various combinations; concertos for 1 to 4 pf.s; vln. and other instr.l concertos w. orch.l overtures and suites; and many organ comp.s (fantasias, toccatas, preludes, fugues, and chorale-arrangements). one of two readings
4Works: Vocal: The 5 sets of sacred Cantatas for every Sunday and feast-day, already mentioned, besides several special ones, e. g., Gottes Zeit ist die beste Zeit, and the Trauerode on the death of the Electress of Saxony; 5 Passions, including the gigantic St. Matthew, the St. John, and the doubtful St. Luke; a Christmas Oratorio, in 5 parts; Grand Mass in B min., and 4 smaller do.; motets; 2 Magnificats; 5 Sanctus; many secular cantatas, including two comic ones.—Instrumental: Very numerous pieces f. pf. (i. e., clavichord):—Inventions in 2 and 3 parts; 6 "small" French suites; 6 "large" English suites; Preludes and Fugues, includ. the "Wohltemperirtes Klavier" in 2 parts w. its 48 Preludes and Fugues in all keys (cf. art. Busoni); pf.-sonatas w. one or more instr.s, among them the 6 famous sonatas f. pf. and vln.; solo sonatas f. vln. and 'cello; solos, trios, etc., for different instr.s in various combinations; concertos for 1 to 4 pf.s; vln. and other instr.l concertos w. orch.l overtures and suites; and many organ comp.s (fantasias, toccatas, preludes, fugues, and chorale-arrangements). one of two readings
6Several biographies of B. have appeared; the best and most exhaustive is "Johann Sebastian Bach," by Philipp Spitta (Leipzig, 1873-80, 2 vol.s; Eng. transl. by Clara Bell and Fuller Maitland, London, 1884-5). Also may be mentioned, "Über J. S. Bach's Leben, Kunst und Kunstwerke," by Forkel (1802); Hilgenfeldt, "B.'s Leben, Wirken und Werke" (1850); Bitter, "J. S. B." (4 vol.s; 2nd ed., 1881); Poole, "Sebastian Bach" (London, 1882). His earliest biographers were his son, K. Ph. E., and J. Fr. Agricola (in Mizler's "Musikalische Bibliothek," vol. iv, 1 [1754]).
816. Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann (Bach of Halle), eldest son of J. Sebastian; b. Weimar, Nov. 22, 1710; d. Berlin, July 1, 1784. l'upil of his father (pf.), and, at 15 yrs. of age, of Graun at Merseburg (vln.). Also st. at the Thomasschule, and at the Univ. of Leipzig, where he distinguished himself in mathematics. Org. of the Sophienkirche, Dresden, 1733-47; of the Marienkirche, Halle, 1747-64. Of superior gifts, grand organist, dexterous fugue-player, and, after his father, the most clever musician in Germany, he unfortunately gave way to dissipation, was removed from his offices, and died in misery. MS. works in the Berlin Royal Library; many have been printed.
1017. Bach, Karl Philipp Emanuel (the Berlin or Hamburg Bach), 3rd [and 2nd surviving] son of J. Sebastian; b. Weimar, Mar. (8?) 14, 1714; d. Hamburg, (Sept.?) Dec. 14, 1788. He studied philosophy and law at Leipzig and Frankfort-on-Oder; but the inherited passion for music, and completeness of musical study under his father, decided his profession. He conducted a singing-society at Frankfort, for which he also composed. In 1737 (1738?) he went to Berlin. App. chamber-musician and clavecinist to Frederick the Great, 1746-57 [Fétis and Riemann: 1740-67]. At the outbreak of the 7 years' war he went to Hamburg, where he was church mus. dir., and in 1767 succ. Telemann as Musikdirector of the principal church there, a position he held until death. He was one of the most brilliant performers of his time, and his compositional style was light, pleasing, and elegant, rather than of great profundity. He may be looked upon as the father of the modern school of pf.-playing, originator of the sonata- and symphony-forms, later perfected by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, and a promoter of orchestral development. His important theoretical work, "Versuch über die wahre Art, das Clavier zu spielen" (2 parts, 1753-62), clumsily reedited by Schelling in 1857, contains detailed explanations concerning the embellishments in clavichord-playing. His compositions are also voluminous; for clavier they number 210 solo pcs.; 52 concertos w. orch.; quartets, trios, duets, sonatas (v. Bülow edited 6 for the Peters' Ed.; C. F. Baumgart edited the entire "Sonatensammlung für Kenner und Liebhaber," in 6 books, for Leuckart), sonatinas, minuets, polonaises, solfeggî, fugues, marches, etc. Also 18 orch.l symph.s; 34 miscellaneous pcs. f. wind-instr.s; trios f. fl., vln., and bass; do. f. vln. and bass; flute-, 'cello-, and oboe-concertos; soli f. fl., viola di gamba, oboe, 'cello, and harp; duets f. fl. and vln.; f. 2 vln.s; f. 2 clarinets.—Vocal: 2 oratorios, Die Israeliten in der Wüste, and Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu; 22 Passions; cantatas; etc.—K. H. Bitter publ. (2
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