Was Bach in Prison Or Not? And Why?

...I didn't know it

I heard it too, it seems like the Orgelbüchlein wrote to us... just to pass the time

BackSpace wrote:

I've heard that too, it seems like the Orgelbüchlein wrote to us... just to pass the time

Orgelbüchlein? I don't know it

BackSpace wrote:

I've heard that too, it seems he wrote the Orgelbüchlein... to pass the time

This thing about the Orgelbüchlein being written in prison sounds strange to me; I wasn't aware of such a curiosity but:

http://guide.superev...05/331264.shtml

The Orgelbüchlein (Little Organ Book), cataloged as BWV 599-644, was almost certainly written by Johann Sebastian Bach during the period when the great composer served as an organist at the court of Weimar (1707-1718).

This prison thing isn't mentioned, much less that he wrote that work there

For Tommaso, always from the same link:

It is a collection consisting of 45 chorales: 33 to be used as accompaniment for services related to the main feasts of the liturgical year and 12 relating to Christian life.

Originally, there were supposed to be 164 chorales, as shown by the titles present in the original manuscript but, for various reasons, much of the initial program was set aside.

Each piece was inspired by a particular text, generally a poetic adaptation in German, of episodes taken from the Holy Scriptures, so that the melodies could also be sung by the faithful during religious services.

Furthermore, according to what was first highlighted by Albert Schweitzer, the collection goes beyond the purely musical moment as the score of each piece is rich in symbolism corresponding to the subject described.

Just to give an example, the chorale “Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund” (Since Jesus was crucified) features a predominantly descending bass line, which indicates the body of the Savior hanging from the Cross.}

Strange, even wiki says nothing...

Natan wrote:

Was Bach in prison or not? And why?

I am asking because I heard this story and found nothing on the subject. Thank you.

It really seems so

http://www.magiadell...nnSebastian.pdf

The Weimar years mark the first serious contacts with Italian music (Vivaldi, primarily, of whom he transcribed various concertos, and later G. Legrenzi, Corelli, Tommaso Albinoni, F. A. Bonporti, Alessandro Marcello, Frescobaldi, of whom in 1714 he would copy the Fiori musicali) and a rich group of organ pages, especially chorales, among the greatest of his production; nor should one forget the spiritual cantatas and some secular ones, the latter never attempted before then. And yet, at that time, it was not works that spread Bach's fame in the surrounding countries, but rather organ performances and his exceptional expertise in the art of organ building. In 1713, the court of Weimar risked losing him, as an offer from the authorities of Halle had reached the composer; the project failed, as no agreement was reached on the economic "treatment"; moreover, Bach aimed for the position of Kapellmeister at the court of Weimar. Great was the surprise when, upon the death of Johann Sebastian Drese (December 1st, 1716) and with the belief that Bach should succeed him, the position was entrusted to the mediocre son of the same Johann Sebastian Drese.

Irritated, Bach sought new employment and found it, as Kapellmeister, with Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen. Having been notified of his appointment on August 5, 1717, Bach presented himself to the Duke of Saxe-Weimar to request a leave of absence; but this was denied to him, perhaps also due to the attitude assumed in a political controversy within the court. After a brief visit to Dresden (where according to a scarcely reliable report he was supposed to compete with the French organist L. Marchand, who disappeared overnight), Bach requested leave again: arrested on November 6 for having shown disrespect to the Duke, he left prison on December 2; a few days later, he would move to Cöthen with his entire

74

family.

Now, everything is fine, but writing the Orgelbüchlein in less than a month seems too much even for him... and then one would need to verify if the dates coincide

...even if on page 26 it says:

Composed in Weimar and commissioned in Cothen, the Orgelbuchlein aims, in

the final analysis, to give life to a pure world of thoughts and, at the

same time, is a lesson in science and taste, in which the chorale results

transfigured from within, relived in a subjective key.

Thank you Dies Irae, Bach was in prison

In conclusion: the beloved J.S. BACH was in prison.

This explains why he wrote so many wonderful fugues.

In fact, THE ART OF FUGUE, a bestseller read extensively behind bars.

Gute Nacht,

Bösendorfer

Interesting Boesendorfer perspective

never known and not even once heard mentioned by anyone however ... apparently it is true.

thanks

another source that speaks of Bach's arrest is the book by Angela Molteni "Johann Sebastian Bach - La vita, le opere" where regarding the transfer to Cothen (August 1717), carried out even though the Duke of Weimar had denied his release, it is written:

"The musician then returned to Weimar to resolve the issue of his own release with Wilhelm Ernst: the meeting degenerated, and Ernst had the riotous musician incarcerated in the prison of the Duchy of Weimar, and kept him detained from November 6 to December 2. Finally, Ernst resolved to release Bach and grant him his release from his court, and the musician was thus able to officially and definitively assume the position of 'Kapellmeister' in Cothen.

As far as is known, during the period of detention in the Weimar prison, Bach dedicated himself to the revision of some Chorales from the Orgelbuchlein..."

Arturo wrote:

"As far as is known, Bach, during his period of detention in the Weimar prison, dedicated himself to the revision of some Chorales from the Orgelbuchlein..."

This explains the position: the revision of some chorales from the Orgelbuchlein, not the writing of the entire Orgelbuchlein in a month

Boesendorfer wrote:

In conclusion: the beloved J.S. BACH was in prison.

This explains why he wrote so many wonderful fugues.

In fact, THE ART OF FUGUE, a bestseller much read behind bars.

Gute Nacht,

Bösendorfer

ah..ah Bösendorfer

I knew nothing about this story

Disambiguation note.

The Art of Fugue is not only a work by J.S. Bach but also:

a Marazzi manual (ceramics) and a book by Fausto Coppi (now impossible to find)

... it has always struck me that good old Bach called that collection of his "little organ notebook" (little!?).

Others, then, will call their works Gradus ad parnassum, Transcendental Studies ...

Oh Sebastian!...