The Life of Bach [Hardcover]

This 2003 book is a searching and challenging interpretation of one of the greatest composers of all time.Bach, like Shakespeare, is known largely by his works, and only a few original documents convey any idea of his life and character. Interpreting the so-called evidence, Peter Williams asks many questions. What was Bach like as a young man, as a father, as an ageing church servant? What music did he know and how did he compose and perform such an amazing amount of music? In addition, he asks if our understanding of Bach has been hindered by the unremitting deference displayed towards him since his death.Bach, like Shakespeare, is known largely by his works, and only a few original documents convey any idea of his life and character. Interpreting the so-called evidence, Peter Williams asks many questions. What was Bach like as a young man, as a father, as an ageing church servant? What music did he know and how did he compose and perform such an amazing amount of music? In addition, he asks if our understanding of Bach has been hindered by the unremitting deference displayed towards him since his death.Like Shakespeare, J.S. Bach is known largely by his works. Peter Williams asks many questions in this examination of the man as well as the composer. What was Bach like as a youth, father, and, eventually, church elder? What music did he know and how did he compose and perform such an amazing amount? Ultimately, Williams questions the effects of unremitting acclaim on objective evaluations of J.S. Bach.Introduction; 1. Early years 16851703; 2. First appointments 17038; 3. Weimar 170817; 4. C?then 171723; 5. Leipzig, the first decade; 6. Leipzig, the second decade; 7. Leipzig, the final years and the first personal descriptions; Appendix 1. A sample hypothesis; Appendix 2. Some terms; References; BWV Index; Name index. It keeps up a guard against excessive reverence, and it encourages readers not only to reconsider ideas about the composer but also to rehear hisló+