All language subtitles for Chrodeamba.eng

He was chapel master,

director of the chamber music
at the court of Anhalt-Koethen.

My father was trumpeter
at the court at Weissenfels,

and my brother at Anhalt-Zerbst,
where I had sung sometimes.

And I was soon engaged as a singer
at the court of Anhalt-Koethen.

His wife had died a year before,

and from their marriage,
three sons and a daughter were alive...

For Friedemann, his father
had started a little clavier book

out of which soon came
two special works

for the use of musical youth
desirous of learning.

He soon started a little clavier
book for me as well.

He had a gracious prince
who both loved and knew music,

with whom he also intended
to end his days.

But His serene Highness had to
marry a princess from Bernburg,

and it seemed as if his musical
inclination was becoming rather cool,

all the more as the new Princess
seemed to be an "amusa".

So God willed
that he was called to Leipzig,

as Music Director and Cantor
at the St. Thomas School,

though it didn't seem
proper to him at first

to become a cantor after
having been a chapel master.

Therefore also his irresolution
lingered for a quarter of a year.

Ever since his youth, he had
been moved by a strong desire

to hear as many good organists
as possible, so that from L�neburg,

when he was still at school,
he often went on foot to Hamburg.

And he was, not 18 years old,
called as organist

of the New Church in Arnstadt.

From there, he once made,
on foot, a journey to L�beck,

to hear the famous organist,
Herr Dietrich Buxtehude.

He was then called as organist
in M�hlhausen;

and very soon as organist
to the court of Weimar,

where His gracious Lord's pleasure
at his playing incited him

to try out everything possible
in the art of playing the organ.

He also knew thoroughly
the construction of organs

and had once been invited
by the University of Leipzig

to examine the new organ
of St. Paul's Church.

But as cantor,
he had no duty as organist.

He was the senior teacher

at the St. Thomas School,
after the rector and the vice-rector.

And since this school provided
the music for four churches,

he had to apply all possible care
so that the boys

who were capable of singing
were well-instructed therein.

In the New Church
and St. Peter's

came boys who had to sing
only motets and chorales;

and in the two main churches,
St. Thomas and St. Nicholas,

those concerned
with other concert music.

He had the supervision
of the organists

and of the town pipers
and violinists

who had to work there
with the boys,

and he had to provide
concert music

for the Divine Service
every Sunday,

the last three Sundays of Advent
and Sundays in Lent excepted.

Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost
were celebrated for three days,

and the music performed
in the morning service at one church

was performed again
during Vespers at the other church.

The same at New Year, Epiphany,
Ascension, Trinity,

St. John's Day, Michaelmas,
and Reformation Day,

as well as the three feasts of Mary,

and the renewal
of the town council.

Besides the Passion music
for Vespers on Good Friday,

the Kyrie, Gloria and Sanctus
were also concertized at times,

and the Latin Magnificat
for Christmas.

Death robbed us soon of our firstborn,
Christiana Sophia Henrietta,

and Christian Gottlieb,
our second son.

I had a new clavier book,

which Sebastian had started
for me with two new suites.

The next year
for the Michaelmas fair,

he had such a suite
engraved in copper,

as the first partita
of a clavier practice.

It was the first composition
that he had printed.

He published a partita
every year, up to five,

which he had printed together
with a sixth as Opus I.

He was soon charged
by the students

with composing music
for university celebrations.

And a few years later,
he received the directorship

of the Collegium Musicum,
founded in Leipzig by Herr Telemann.

But when the student Von Kirchbach

charged him with composing
funeral music for the dead Queen,

Herr Goerner, who was director
of the New Divine Service

at the university church,
protested to the university,

and the university would only
permit Sebastian to perform his music

"purely as a favor."

A year later,
the Prince died in Koethen,

and I helped make
the funeral music there,

composed and performed
by the former chapel master.

And three weeks later,
he performed in Leipzig

his Passion music
after the evangelist Matthew

during Vespers on Good Friday
at St. Thomas.

Not only does this cantor
not do anything,

but he doesn't want
to explain himself.

He doesn't give the singing lessons,
and there are other complaints.

A change will be necessary.
It must break one day.

Indeed.

It is notorious that my predecessors,
Schell and Kuhnau,

already had to be helped
by the students

when they wanted to produce
a complete and well-sounding music.

A few singers, such as a bass
and a tenor, even an alto,

as well as instrumentalists,
in particular, two violinists,

were favored with special stipends
by the Most Noble and Wise Council,

and thereby animated
to strengthen the church music.

Since the present state of music
is quite different from hitherto,

the art has greatly progressed,

taste has changed wonderfully,

so that the former kind of music
no longer sounds to our ears,

considerable help
is the more needed

so that such persons
can be appointed

as can follow
the present musical taste

and are able to satisfy
the composer and his work.

Yet the few benefices,
which should rather have been

increased than diminished,
have even been withdrawn.

It is in any case wonderful

that one should expect
German musicians

to be capable of performing
all kinds of music,

from Italy or France,
England or Poland,

just as the virtuosi
for whom it is written,

who have studied it so that
they almost know it from memory,

and receive heavy salaries besides,
as a reward for their care.

This is not taken
into consideration,

but they are left
to their own anxieties,

so that many,
worried over their bread,

cannot think of perfecting,
even less of distinguishing themselves.

For example,
one only has to go to Dresden

and see how the musicians there
are salaried by His Royal Majesty.

All concern for their livelihood
is removed.

Chagrin is left behind.

Each person has only
one instrument to cultivate.

It must be excellent to hear.

He had then written to a friend,

who had meanwhile become
Imperial Russian Agent at Danzig:

"Here, by God's will,
I am still settled.

"But since, 1. this service is,
by far, not so considerable,

"as it was described to me;

"2. many accidental fees
have gone;

"3. it is a very
expensive place;

"and 4. the authorities are strange
and little devoted to music,

"so that I have to live amid
vexation, envy, and persecution,

"I shall, with God's help,
have to seek my fortune elsewhere.

"Should Your Honor find
a suitable position

"for an old and faithful servant,

"I obediently beseech him to put in
a gracious recommendation for me.

"I shall not fail to devote myself
so as to give satisfaction.

"My present position
amounts to about 700 thalers,

"and when there are more corpses
than ordinarily,

"the accidental fees
augment proportionally;

"but when the air is healthy,
these diminish,

"as last year, when there was
a loss of more than 100 thalers.

"In Thuringia, I can go further
with 400 than here with as many again,

on account of the excessively
high cost of living."

He had many friends in Dresden

and often went there
with Friedemann.

Friedemann was soon called there
as organist at St. Sophie,

where his father had before
given an organ concert.

He was also invited
to examine and inaugurate

the new organ in Kassel,
and took me with him.

We had just lost our 1 1/2-year-old
Christiane Dorothea,

and death soon robbed us
of our four-year-old Regina Johanna,

and little Johann August Abraham
two days after his birth.

The Prince had died at Dresden,

and Sebastian dedicated
to the new Elector

a grand Mass,
consisting of Kyrie and Gloria.

"For some years and till now,
I have had

"the direction of the music of
both main churches in Leipzig,

"but have faultlessly
had to suffer one offense or other,

"also a diminishing of the fees,

"all of which would quite
disappear if Your Highness

"would confer on me the title
of Your Highness' Court Chapel,

"and to this end, would order
the publication of a decree.

"Such a gracious granting
would pledge me to infinite veneration,

"and I offer myself, at all times,
at Your Royal Highness' desire,

"to show my diligence in composing
church as well as orchestral music,

and to dedicate my entire
strength to Your service."

And in the following months,

he gave many
"Dramata per musica" and cantatas

in honor of
the princely household.

And when the Prince
with his wife

blessed Leipzig
with their presence,

on the day on which His Majesty
had, one year before,

been chosen King of Poland
and Grand Duke of Lithuania,

the students showed their devotion
through an evening of music.

At Christmas the same year,

he gave an oratorio
in six parts,

and another oratorio
for the following Ascension.

And now he has ordered
my first prefect Kittler,

under threats,
to go with the other choir,

and left me to learn of it
through this Krause,

whom he wants to impose on me
with force as first prefect.

It is most unjust.

I cannot allow it to happen,
particularly since the pieces

performed by the first choir,
and mostly of my composition,

are incomparably harder
and more complicated

than those performed
in the other choir.

I beg your protection
and help.

Away!

I am acting under the protection
of Herr Superintendent.

I made inquiries
of Herr Superintendent.

He had given you no instruction;
I told him the whole thing.

He consented, until Herr Principal's return,
to the arrangement

which I made on the orders
of Herr Principal,

for it is more just
that the cantor should yield

to Herr Principal and the rector,
than the latter to the former.

I really don't care;
cost what it may.

Then the rector let it be known
to all pupils that,

under dismissal and castigation,

no one was to sing or to direct
the motet in Krause's place.

So that in the afternoon sermon,
to Sebastian's greatest despect,

no one, for fear, would sing,
even less direct the motet.

That week, Sebastian had
the supervision of the school.

Kittler, why weren't you with
the first choir this afternoon?

- Herr Rector has...
- Out!

He looked to the Council for
prompt help in vain.

He could not get rid of Krause.

But that year, the King gave him
the title of Court Composer.

Three days later,
he gave a grand concert

on the new organ
of Our Lady's Church in Dresden,

in the presence of many members
of the Court Chapel,

artists, and other persons,
who heard him with admiration.

He was then able, after Krause's
stay at the school had ended,

since he had also written
in vain to the Consistory,

to beseech the King
to order the Council

to protect the cantor in his right
to nominate the choir prefects,

and to order the Consistory
to demand

an apology from the rector
for the affront to the cantor,

and to charge the superintendent
to exhort the entire school

so that all the boys should show
due respect and obedience to the cantor.

And the King called upon
the Consistory

to act appropriately
on the cantor's charges,

and the Consistory
asked for a report

from the superintendent
and the Council within a fortnight.

It is also called
bassus continuus,

or, according to the Italian endings,
basso continuo,

because it continuously plays,

while the other voices
pause now and then;

although nowadays,
this bass also pauses too often,

particularly in things
that are set artistically.

Of its definition:

the general-bass is the most fulfilled
basis of music played with both hands.

The left hand plays the notes
written down...

but the right hand catches
consonances and dissonances to it.

So that this gives
a well-sounding harmony

for God's glory, and the
permissible pleasure of the soul.

Like all music, the finish
and end of the general-bass

should be the glory of God
and the recreation of the soul.

If not, there is no proper music,
but a devilish hurdy-gurdy.

All his pupils
were afterwards able

to serve usefully
God and the republic.

And he sought to promote
the welfare of his children.

Friedemann was called
from Dresden to Halle,

as music director and organist,
a post his father had secured for him.

Emanuel lived for some time

as a student
in Frankfurt-on-the-Oder,

and soon became a musician

and accompanist
to the King of Prussia.

And Bernhard, not 20 years old,

was called as organist
in M�hlhausen.

But after Bernhard had been
not two years in M�hlhausen,

his father had to pay
not only for his table there,

but also a bill, which had
presumably caused his removal,

and also a few ducats
for some debts.

And after he had helped him
to Sangerhausen,

in the hope a more civilized
way of life and genteel patron

would stir the misled son
to other behavior,

the father had to learn
with utmost dismay

that Bernhard had once more
borrowed from here and there

and had even absented himself
without letting him know where.

Since no admonition
nor living care could longer help,

the father had to bear
his cross in patience,

leaving the son to God's mercy,
not doubting that it would

hear his sorrowful plea,
and effect that he should learn

how conversion is to be attributed
solely to the Divine Goodness.

But Bernhard died suddenly in Jena,

where he had matriculated
as a law student

and lived with Herr Johann Nikolaus Bach,
eldest of all the living Bachs.

That year, Sebastian published
the third part of the clavier practice,

consisting in diverse preludes
for the organ.

The second part, an Italian concerto
and a French overture

for a clavicymbal with two manuals,
he had had printed four years earlier.

Our good cousin Johann Elias Bach
lived with us during those years.

He had matriculated as a student
of theology at the university

and received furtherance
in music from Sebastian.

Sebastian had entrusted him with
the instruction of my three sons...

And he also had to prepare them
for the Lord's table.

He had written to
his mother and sister

to send me a few plants
of yellow carnations,

for I was a great amateur
of gardening.

And since Sebastian
once reported to me

that he had seen a linnet
at a cantor's house in Halle,

which did particularly well
in singing, our cousin wrote

to beg this cantor to let me
have his singer for a small payment.

Once, I suddenly felt very unwell
while Sebastian was in Berlin,

and it was not known whether it
would come to an evil consequence.

So our cousin had to
write to Sebastian

and disturb him in his peace
and contentment

that he might quicken his journey.

After his return,
he had engraved in copper,

as a new clavier practice,
an aria with 30 variations,

composed by him on a saraband
from my clavier book.

Count Keyserlingk, Ambassador
to His Imperial Russian Majesty

at the court of Dresden,
had expressed to Sebastian

that he would like some clavier pieces
for his harpsichordist,

who had to play for him
during his sleepless nights.

And since Sebastian had composed
these variations,

the count gave him a golden goblet

filled with 100 gold Louis.

Suicide of the vice-rector.

He hanged himself in the enclosure
behind the pastor's lodge,

near the Wagner garden,
and came to a terrifying end.

In the last years, he gave some
of his earlier church pieces again.

Emanuel already had a male heir,

born at about the time when we,
alas, had the Prussian invasion.

Then Sebastian went again
to Berlin with Friedemann;

and since the King of Prussia
had asked several times

why he did not come one day,
he went to Potsdam.

His Majesty played him a theme
for a fugue, which he at once,

to His Majesty's pleasure,
developed on the clavier.

The next day, he performed on the organ
of the Church of the Holy Spirit.

And in the evening,
His Majesty wanted to hear

a fugue with six obligatory voices,
which he accomplished at once,

to the amazement of the King
and all musicians present.

Emanuel showed him
the new opera house in Berlin,

and the grand dining hall therein.

And he found that the architect

had made a masterstroke here.

If someone above in one corner

whispered a few words
towards the wall,

another in the opposite corner
heard it quite clearly.

But in the other places,

no one heard
the slightest sound.

He had noticed in Potsdam that,
through want of preparation,

his performance had not resulted
as His Majesty's theme demanded.

He therefore resolved to elaborate

this truly royal theme more fully

and to make it known to the world.

After his return, he wrote

a three-part and a six-part ricercare,

and a trio for
flute, violin and clavier,

with some other little pieces
on the royal theme,

and had these pieces engraved,

and dedicated them to the King
as a Musical Offering.

Upon his entering the
Society of Musical Sciences in Leipzig

he had a few canonic variations
for the organ engraved in copper.

Papa! Papa! A cask of must
has come from Schweinfurt,

a present from cousin Elias!

The distance between our two towns
did not allow us to visit each other,

else Sebastian wanted to invite
our cousin from Schweinfurt

to our daughter Liessgen's wedding

to the new organist of Naumburg,
Herr Altnikol, in January.

Since also the bad season did not
allow our cousin to be among us,

Sebastian asked him to assist
the children with a Christian wish.

Our three youngest
were still at home...

Also Sebastian's daughter,
who was unmarried,

and our eldest son, Gottfried Heinrich,
whose genius was not developed.

Our 18-year-old,
Johann Christoph Friedrich,

entered Count Schaumburg-Lippe's chapel

at B�ckeburg a few weeks
before Sebastian's death.

To the Mass,
dedicated to King August,

he had now composed
a grand Credo.

He added an earlier Sanctus...

...and wrote a Hosanna,
Benedictus, Agnus Dei,

and Dona nobis pacem for it.

He had started a new collection
of grand chorales for the organ,

and was working
on an Art of the Fugue,

which shows what can possibly
be made out of a theme.

But he could only prepare
one part for engraving,

and at the end
the grand fugue was interrupted

through the illness of his eyes.

He wanted to remove this eye illness
through an operation,

but it had to be repeated,
and failed,

and so for four months, he was ill
and could not use his sight.

In his blindness, he dictated
an organ chorale on the melody:

"When we are in greatest need".

He had it written down
under the title:

"Before Thy throne I tread",

which is sung to the same melody.

And suddenly his eyes
seemed to get better,

so that one day
he could see again,

and also support the light.

Only a few hours later

he was overcome by an apoplexy,
followed by a high fever, in which,

despite all possible efforts
by two most skilled doctors,

one evening he expired,
mildly and blessedly.