bach reflection
Andy Lacey
“Bachumentary”
10/2/14
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach in 1685 to Johann Ambrosius Bach and Maria Elisabeth Lammerhirt. Throughout his life, Bach experienced many great things, as well as hardships and trials. In the sixty five years, he led a very entertaining and interesting life. Even though he never traveled very far from his place of birth, he still became famous worldwide by writing great music. Bach’s life was more than likely an exciting and busy one, he sired twenty children in his lifetime. This outstanding fact alone is enough to make someone’s life exciting. On top of his plethora of kids, Bach had many different occupations throughout his life, such as church music director, court musician, castle composer, or an organist. One of Bach’s employers had him thrown in jail for a month because Bach threatened to turn in his resignation letter, making Bach one of the few composers in history to serve hard time. To me, the most interesting story in the entire documentary was about a bassoonist that Bach enlisted. A bassoon part he had composed for the player was to challenging for him, and Bach, in the middle of rehearsal, called this man a “green horn bassoonist.” The bassoonist was so offended that he and some of his friends waited for Bach in the town square and demanded an apology. When he refused, the bassoonist struck Bach in the face, and a scuffle broke out. The students of both Bach and the bassoonist eventually broke up the fight. This documentary was very informative about Bach’s life, but it was even more informative about the type of musician and composer Bach was. For example, In October of 1705, Bach applied for and got permission to leave his post for a month to hear Buxtehude, a great organist of the time. He left his job in the hands of an assistant, and traveled to Lubeck, a town nearly three hundred miles away where he met the approximately 68-year old Dietrich Buxtehude, organist at St. Mary's,
“Bachumentary”
10/2/14
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach in 1685 to Johann Ambrosius Bach and Maria Elisabeth Lammerhirt. Throughout his life, Bach experienced many great things, as well as hardships and trials. In the sixty five years, he led a very entertaining and interesting life. Even though he never traveled very far from his place of birth, he still became famous worldwide by writing great music. Bach’s life was more than likely an exciting and busy one, he sired twenty children in his lifetime. This outstanding fact alone is enough to make someone’s life exciting. On top of his plethora of kids, Bach had many different occupations throughout his life, such as church music director, court musician, castle composer, or an organist. One of Bach’s employers had him thrown in jail for a month because Bach threatened to turn in his resignation letter, making Bach one of the few composers in history to serve hard time. To me, the most interesting story in the entire documentary was about a bassoonist that Bach enlisted. A bassoon part he had composed for the player was to challenging for him, and Bach, in the middle of rehearsal, called this man a “green horn bassoonist.” The bassoonist was so offended that he and some of his friends waited for Bach in the town square and demanded an apology. When he refused, the bassoonist struck Bach in the face, and a scuffle broke out. The students of both Bach and the bassoonist eventually broke up the fight. This documentary was very informative about Bach’s life, but it was even more informative about the type of musician and composer Bach was. For example, In October of 1705, Bach applied for and got permission to leave his post for a month to hear Buxtehude, a great organist of the time. He left his job in the hands of an assistant, and traveled to Lubeck, a town nearly three hundred miles away where he met the approximately 68-year old Dietrich Buxtehude, organist at St. Mary's,