Johann Sebastian Bach

The Learned Musician

Christoph Wolff

Now available in paperback.
Landmark biography of J. S. Bach by leading Bach scholar published to mark 250th anniversary of the composer's death.
Turns Bach inside out: brings to bear the advances of 50 years of Bach scholarship to provide a complete re-examination of his personality.
Shows how Bach's superb inventiveness pervaded his career as a musician, composer, performer, scholar and teacher.
Hardback edition has sold 3833 copies (not including the US) since publication in March 2000. There will be an interim reprint of the hardback until paperback is available.
Hardback edition has been widely and positively reviewed in various journals and magazines, including The Musical Times, Early Music Today, The Gramophone, Piano, BBC Music Magazine, Sunday Telegraph, TLS, Classical Music, and many others. (Reviews still coming in.)

Johann Sebastian Bach

The Learned Musician

Christoph Wolff

Description

Although we are acquainted with the music of J. S. Bach through countless performances and recordings, the composer himself continues to come across as the somewhat enigmatic figure depicted in a single, familiar portrait. Published in 2000 to mark the 250th anniversary of Bach's death, author and leading Bach scholar Christoph Wolff presents a new picture that brings to life this towering figure of the Baroque era.

Now available in paperback, this engaging biography portrays Bach as the living, breathing—and sometimes imperfect—human being that he was, while bringing to bear all the advances gained in the last half-century of Bach scholarship. Wolff demonstrates the intimate connection between the composer's life and his music, showing how Bach's superb inventiveness pervaded his career as a musician, composer, performer, scholar, and teacher. And throughout, we see Bach in the broader context of his time: its institutions, traditions, and influences. With this highly readable book, Wolff sets a new standard in Bach biography.

Johann Sebastian Bach

The Learned Musician

Christoph Wolff

List of Illustrations
Preface
Prologue: Bach and the Notion of "Musical Science"
1.:Springs of Musical Talent and Lifelong Influences: Eisenach, 1685-1695
2.:Laying the Foundation: Ohrdruff, 1695-1700
3.:Bypassing a Musical Apprenticeship: From Lüneberg to Weimar, 1700-1703
4.:Building a Reputation: Organist in Arnstadt and Mühlhausen, 1703-1708
5.:Exploring "Every Possible Artistry": Court Organist and Cammer Musicus in Weimar, 1708-1714
6.:Expanding Musical Horizons: Concertmaster in Weimar, 1714-1717
7.:Pursuing "the Musical Contest for Superiority": Capellmeister in Cöthen, 1717-1723
8.:Redefining a Venerable Office: Cantor and Music Director in Leipzig—-The 1720s
9.:Musician and Scholar: Counterpoint of Practice and Theory
10.:Traversing Conventional Boundaries: Special Engagements—-The 1730s
11.:A Singing Bird and Carnations for the Lady of the House: Domestic and Professional Life
12.:Contemplating Past, Present, and Future: The Final Decade—-The 1740s
Epilogue: Bach and the idea of "Musical Perfection"
Notes
Music Examples
Appendices:1.:Chronology
2.:Places of Bach's Activities
3.:Money and Living Costs in Bach's Time
4.:The Lutheran Church Calendar
Bibliography
Genre Index of Bach's Works
Title Index of Bach's Works
General Index

Johann Sebastian Bach

The Learned Musician

Christoph Wolff

Author Information

Christoph Wolff, William Powell Mason Professor of Music and dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University

Johann Sebastian Bach

The Learned Musician

Christoph Wolff

Reviews and Awards

"eminently readable, at times even colloquial. Wolff is one of the foremost Bach scholars today, and his comprehensive knowledge of the source materials equips him admirably to write such a book ... all sorts of interesting details emerge." - John Kitchen, Early Music Today, Oct.-Nov. 2000

"Drawing on a lifetime's involvement with Bach's music, Professor Wolff has written what is undoubtedly the most authorative and up-to-date survey of the composer's life and works in English, and probably in any language." - Malcolm Boyd, The Gramophone

"Musical biographies don't come much better than this ... no-one seriously interested in Bach should pass it by." - Bettina Neumann, Piano, July-Aug 2000

"this is a learned and satisfying account of Bach's work, temperament and milieu which will disappoint neither specialist nor general music lover." - Nicholas Anderson, BBC Music Magazine