The Life of Bach
The Life of Bach
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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.
- A new and critical approach to Bach biography
- Constantly 'slots' Bach's music into his life
- Compares Bach with contemporary music and personnel
Reviews & endorsements
"It keeps up a guard against excessive reverence, and it encourages readers not only to reconsider ideas about the composer but also to rehear his music." The New York Review of Books, Peter Williams, Mystery Man
Product details
- Published: January 2004
- Format: Paperback
- ISBN: 9780521533744
- Length: 228 pages
- Dimensions: 215 × 140 × 18 mm
- Weight: 0.328kg
- Contains: 9 b/w illus. 2 maps
- Availability: Available
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- 1. Early years 1685–1703
- 2. First appointments 1703–8
- 3. Weimar 1708–17
- 4. Cöthen 1717–23
- 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.
- Show more
