“Welcome to Leipzig” Podcast Episode 7 - Bach Museum: Of Diligence and Festivities

Einer der greatest composers in music history lived nowhere longer than in Leipzig. Johann Sebastian Bach was in his main creative period as Thomaskantor in Leipzig tätig.

Born in Eisenach, his first position was at the court in Weimar. After being denied the highest position at the court, he went to Köthen and became Kapellmeister there. But this change was not without problems. The Duke in Weimar was very angry about Bach's decision and held him captive in a prison tower for several weeks. In 1723 he finally came to Leipzig, where he remained until his death in 1750.

Coming from an important German musical family, Bach family the history of music in Central Germany over several centuries. Bach's male ancestors were also cantors, organists, town pipers and members of court orchestras.

Johann Sebastian Bach was the youngest of eight children in the Bach family. He was particularly distinguished by his great diligence out. His high standards He also passed this on to his students, who had to follow clear rules.

Bach's first wife, Maria Barbara, had seven children. After she died at the age of 35, he married the soprano and court singer Anne-Magdalena Wilke. With her he had another 13 children, some of whom were his sons. well-known musicians became.

The Bach Museum is centrally located in the Bosehaus am Thomas churchyard and is part of the Bach Archive Leipzig. If you look out of the museum window, you can see Bach's most important place of work in Leipzig: the ThomaskircheDirectly opposite was also his residential building.

Kerstin Wiese, director of the Bach Museum, gives us an insight into Bach's work and guides us through the modern museum. Already in organ room of the museum are many interactions possible. When you touch the organ pipes, they play different melodies.

At Bach's Virtual Orchestra you can get to know the different sounds of many musical instruments and experiment with them. The room is protected by a so-called acoustic curtain so that the sound remains as much as possible within these four walls. Here, a very large and ancient Instrument catches your eye: the violone. Bach also played this instrument in his orchestra. The display cases also contain other, lesser-known instruments, such as the oboe da caccia.

In the room "On the trail of family life" there is a family tree of the family. About the privacy by Johann Sebastian Bach is generally not known so much.

The museum also houses a large model of the Thomasschule with a cross-section through the rooms. Various photos also give an insight into the earlier timesThe large model building combined classrooms, dormitories for 55 boys who lived in the school and the Bach family's apartmentRight next to a classroom there was also a composing roomPrivate students were also taught here.

The heart of the museum is the emerald-colored, noble SchatzkammerHere, in the showcases, there are delicate manuscripts by Leipzig Cantatas. In this room also hangs the famous Bach portrait by Elias Gottlob Haußmann with a riddle canon.

Next, we meet Prof. Dr. Michael Maul in the library, who is responsible for organizing the great Bach Festival For him, it is impossible to decide on ONE favorite work by Bach. His fascination with Bach and he brings his music to the whole city once a year in the form of the Bach Festival. According to Maul, Leipzig is transformed into a "Mecca for Bach lovers"The festival is a magnet for all lovers of Bach's masterpieces and pulls guests from at least 40 countries to Bach's longest place of activity.

The Bach Festival is a classical music festival. The special thing about it is the timelessness of Bach's music. On the first weekend of the Bach Festival, visitors can expect the so-called "Bach Stage" on the Leipzig market square. You can also look forward to many concerts at the original venues and some new interpretations. lecture series, Workshops and "The Bach Consultation Hour" with researchers from the Bach Archive give national and international guests the chance to learn even more about the life and music of Johann Sebastian Bach.

All information about 10-day music festival there is also here.

Johann Sebastian Bach is still in Leipzig today ubiquitous and his timeless music attracts many music enthusiasts every year for the Bach Festival in the music city of Leipzig.