Nekrolog is the name with which

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

obituary An obituary ( obit for short) is an article about a recently deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on positive aspects of the subject's life, this is not always the case. Ac ...

, which appeared four years after the composer's death, is usually indicated.

Publication

The "Nekrolog" appeared in

Lorenz Christoph Mizler Lorenz Christoph Mizler von Kolof (also known as Wawrzyniec Mitzler de Kolof and Mitzler de Koloff; 26 July 1711 – 8 May 1778) was a German physician, historian, printer, mathematician, Baroque music composer, and precursor of the Enlightenme ...

's ''Musikalische Bibliothek'', a series of publications appearing from 1736 to 1754, reporting on and criticising music. As such it was the organ of Mizler's Musical Society, of which Bach had been a member from 1747. Bach's "Nekrolog" appeared in its last installment, Volume 4, Part 1 in 1754, as the third of three obituaries of former members of the Musical Society. Although no author is indicated in the article, its authors are known to be Carl Philipp Emanuel, Bach's son, and

Johann Friedrich Agricola Johann Friedrich Agricola (4 January 1720 – 2 December 1774) was a German composer, organist, singer, pedagogue, and writer on music. He sometimes wrote under the pseudonym Flavio Anicio Olibrio. Biography Agricola was born in Dobitschen, Thu ...

, one of Bach's students.

Content

The "Nekrolog" contains basic data about Bach's family and where he lived, lists compositions, and elaborates a few scenes, notably the young Bach secretly copying a score owned by his eldest brother, the story about a musical competition which Bach "won" by his competitor fleeing the town, and the visit to

Frederick the Great Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...

Sanssouci Sanssouci () is a historical building in Potsdam, near Berlin. Built by Prussian King Frederick the Great as his summer palace, it is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and ...

in the later years of his life. The last pages of the "Nekrolog" contain verse in memory of the composer.

Ancestors and musicians in the Bach family

The "Nekrolog" sets out with tracing some of Bach's forefathers, listing previous composers of the Bach family, and elaborating on their work (pp. 158–160).

Eisenach – Ohrdruf – Lüneburg

Follows a description of Bach's early youth in Eisenach, the stay with his eldest brother Johann Christoph in Ohrdruf after their parent's death, and the period when he was a student and chorister in Lüneburg (pp. 160–162). More than a page is devoted to the episode of the secret copying of his brother's manuscript (pp. 160–161). According to the "Nekrolog", Bach went to Lüneburg after his brother's death; however, later research pointed out that Johann Christoph lived at least another 20 years.

1703–1723

Next Bach is followed through his first positions as a musician (pp. 162–166). Again there is an anecdote that is elaborated over more than one page: the failed competition with

Louis Marchand Louis Marchand (2 February 1669 – 17 February 1732) was a French Baroque organist, harpsichordist, and composer. Born into an organist's family, Marchand was a child prodigy and quickly established himself as one of the best known French vi ...

in Dresden, while the latter had left the town in the early morning of the day when the competition was scheduled (pp. 163–165).

Leipzig

The description of Bach's last position as Thomascantor is relatively short, with most attention going to his visit to

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

in 1747, and the composer's death in 1750 (pp. 166–167).

Lists of works

Follows a list of the compositions printed during the composer's life, which however omits the cantata(s) printed in

Mühlhausen Mühlhausen () is a city in the north-west of Thuringia, Germany, north of Niederdorla, the country's geographical centre, north-west of Erfurt, east of Kassel and south-east of Göttingen. Mühlhausen was first mentioned in 967 and bec ...

and songs and arias printed in Schemelli's ''Gesangbuch'' (pp. 167–168). The list of unpublished works that follows is all but detailed (pp. 168–169), and seems to exaggerate in numbers and/or indicates that a great number of Bach compositions went lost.

Marriages and children

The next paragraphs are devoted to Bach's two marriages, and his children (pp. 169–170).

Significance as composer

The narrative of the "Nekrolog" ends with a sketch of Bach as a musician, and his significance as a composer, with, in its last paragraph, a few sentences on the composer's character (pp. 170–173).

Poetry

As an epilogue to the "Nekrolog" pp. 173–176 contain poetry in remembrance of Bach.

Reception

The "Nekrolog" played a determining role for the biographies of the composer that were written after it. In the introduction to his normative 19th-century biography of Johann Sebastian Bach,

Philipp Spitta Julius August Philipp Spitta (27 December 1841 – 13 April 1894) was a German music historian and musicologist best known for his 1873 biography of Johann Sebastian Bach. Life He was born in , near Hoya, and his father, also called Phil ...

names the "Nekrolog" as one of a very few earlier biographies he trusts. Even in the 20th century Bach biographers name the "Nekrolog" as a direct source for their work. An English translation of the "Nekrolog" is included in ''The New Bach Reader''., Arthur Mendel and

Christoph Wolff Christoph Wolff (born 24 May 1940) is a German musicologist. He is best known for his works on the music, life, and period of Johann Sebastian Bach. Christoph Wolff is an emeritus professor of Harvard University, and was part of the faculty sinc ...

. ''The New Bach Reader: A Life of Johann Sebastian Bach in Letters and Documents''. W. W. Norton, 1999.

References

Sources

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (8 March 1714 – 14 December 1788), also formerly spelled Karl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, and commonly abbreviated C. P. E. Bach, was a German Classical period musician and composer, the fifth child and sec ...

and

. "Nekrolog" (full title
"VI. Denkmal dreyer verstorbenen Mitglieder der Societät der musikalischen Wissenschafften; C. Der dritte und letzte ist der im Orgelspielen Weltberühmte HochEdle Herr Johann Sebastian Bach, Königlich-Pohlnischer und Churfürstlich Sächsicher Hofcompositeur, und Musikdirector in Leipzig"
, pp. 158–176 in

's ', Volume IV Part 1. Leipzig, Mizlerischer Bücherverlag, 1754. * . ''Johann Sebastian Bach: Sein Leben und sein Werk''.

Olten Olten (High Alemannic: ''Oute'') is a town in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland and capital of the district of the same name. Olten's railway station is within 30 minutes of Zürich, Basel, Bern, and Lucerne by train, and is a rail hub o ...

: Otto Walter, 1946. *

Johann Nikolaus Forkel Johann Nikolaus Forkel (22 February 1749 – 20 March 1818) was a German musicologist and music theory, music theorist, generally regarded as among the founders of modern musicology. His publications include ''Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life, ...

, translation with notes and appendices by

Charles Sanford Terry Charles Sanford Terry may refer to: * Charles Sanford Terry (historian) (1864-1936), English historian and authority on Johann Sebastian Bach * Charles Sanford Terry (translator) (1926–1982), American translator of Japanese literature

''Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life, Art, and Work''.
New York: Harcourt, Brace and Howe; London: Constable. 1920.
e-version
at Gutenberg.org) *

. ''Johann Sebastian Bach''. *
Erster Band (Book I–IV).
Leipzig:

Breitkopf & Härtel Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house. The firm was founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf. The catalogue currently contains over 1,000 composers, 8,000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on ...

. 1873. **
Third print (1921)
at

Archive.org The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

** Zweiter Band (Book V–VI). Leipzig:

. 1880. **
Third print (1921)
at

** ''Johann Sebastian Bach: His Work and Influence on the Music of Germany, 1685–1750'' in three volumes. Translated by Clara Bell and J. A. Fuller Maitland.

Novello & Co Wise Music Group is a global music publisher, with headquarters in Berners Street, London. In February 2020, Wise Music Group changed its name from The Music Sales Group. In 2014 Wise Music Group (as The Music Sales Group) acquired French cla ...

. 1884–1885. *** 1899 edition
Vol. 1 (Book I–III)
�
Vol. 2 (Book IV–V)
�
Vol. 3 (Book VI)
at

*** 1992 republication of the 1952 Dover edition (with "Bibliographical Note" by Saul Novack)
Vol. 1 (Book I–III)

External links

* Peter Bach
The Necrology / Obituary 1750 on Johann Sebastian Bach
at {{Bach publications Johann Sebastian Bach Biographies about musicians German biographies