Page:Pratt - The history of music (1907).djvu/260

 theory of composition and in instrumental music as a specialty. It was no narrowness that led him to disregard the opera, for from the first he was probably conscious of his power to surpass what was for the time exalted and to reach levels of constructive intricacy and of gigantic expression for which his age was not ready. Accordingly, he chose more and more to labor for the satisfaction of his own intuitive aspirations, regardless of immediate success. In certain quarters and on some sides his greatness was understood and reverenced during his life, but not until almost a century after was there any adequate recognition of all that he was and that he did for musical art. Now he is clearly seen to have been not only the consummation of the best progress of previous times, but also the source of the strongest tendencies of all modern music outside of the dramatic field. He trained many excellent pupils, but his greater legacy to musical progress is the far larger number of geniuses that have rejoiced to own him as master simply from the study of his works.

Johann Sebastian Bach (d. 1750) was born in 1685 at Eisenach, the eighth child of Ambrosius Bach, a respected violist there since 1671. Losing both parents before 1695, he was given a home by his brother Christoph, organist at Ohrdruf. From his father he received instruction on the violin and from his brother on the harpsichord and organ, with schooling at the academy at Ohrdruf, where his soprano voice was valued. In 1700 a place was secured for him in the choir and school of St. Michael's at Lüneburg (near Hamburg), where his gifts as a player saved him when presently his voice broke. Here he had practice in the best church music, access to the fine school library, and fruitful contact with Georg Böhm (d. 1733), the organist. He often visited Hamburg to hear Reinken (d. 1722), but cared little for the opera. He also learned much of French chamber music from hearing the ducal orchestra at Celle. At the school he gained a fair classical education. In music, having no special master, he began the indefatigable independent study that continued through his life. From the first he was grounded in the contrapuntal style as used by various schools of German organists, and his taste set toward church and chamber music.

In 1703 his skill as a violinist gave him a place at Weimar in one or both of the court-bands, but he was soon made town-organist at Arnstadt, with a large new organ and opportunity for study and writing. Here he began composition in earnest. Late in 1705 he had leave to visit Lubeck (traveling the 225 m. thither on foot) to hear the organ and choir music of Buxtehude, the veteran Danish organist, whose style powerfully influenced him. He long outstayed his leave, and this, with some differences about details in his work, led him to remove in 1707 to Mühlhausen, succeeding J. G. Ahle. In 1707,