Johann Sebastian Bach (March 21, 1685-July 28, 1750) was a German composer, considered the "master of masters," combining the polyphonic tradition of Baroque music with harmonic innovations. He held positions at the court of the Duke of Weimar, the court of Prince Leopold of Kothen, and directed music at St. Thomas's School at Leipzig. The majority of his choral works are of religious inspiration, as seen in his over 200 cantatas, including Passion According to St. Matthew Passion, Passion According to St. John Passion, B Minor Mass and Christmas Oratorio. His great organ and keyboard works include The Well-Tempered Clavier and the Goldberg Variations. Among his instrumental masterpieces are pieces for the cello, the solo violin and the Brandenburg Concertos.
Johann Sebastian Bach composed a cantata which expressed the fervency of his faith in Christ's atoning work on the cross, titled:
<Jesus, Meine Freude. (Jesus, My Joy!)> 1685JB001
In expressing his conviction concerning the purpose of music, Johann Sebastian Bach asserted:
<The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul. If heed is not paid to this, it is not true music but a diabolical bawling and twanging.> 1685JB002
Dr. Thomas R. Rossin, director of the professional chamber choir and orchestra Exultate, studied for his doctoral dissertation the notes Johann Sebastian Bach had made in his personal Bible, which was a three volume set of the Calov Bible written in German by the noted 17th century Lutheran theologian Abraham Calov.
The Bible, found in a Michigan farmhouse in 1934, had belonged for over a century to a family which was unaware of its historical value, until a visiting pastor recognized Bach's monogram on the title page. The volumes were authenticated and donated to the Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.
The foremost authority on the over 400 personal notations Bach had made in his Bible, Dr. Rossin stated:
<Only three percent of the markings relate to music, and there's only one reference to a specific piece of music. Otherwise we learn about the man Bach, his personality, and that he really was believing what he was writing, that his music was not just a reflection of his job...
He was employed by the church to write church music, so of course he was going to write that [he was an orthodox Lutheran.] But now we have proof- things that Bach wrote in there point directly to his personal faith. He wrote for his own edification, not for anyone else to read....
No longer can we have purely academic performances where all the notes are lined up right and the phrases are beautiful and it's done musically. It has to be more than that. One must understand the theology in order to perform the music well.> 1685JB003
In his personal Bible, Johann Sebastian Bach made the notation:
<In devotional music, God is always present with His grace.> 1685JB004
In his personal Bible, Johann Sebastian Bach made the notation near the 25th chapter of First Chronicles:
<This chapter is the true foundation of all God-pleasing church music.> 1685JB005
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American Quotations by William J. Federer, 2024, All Rights Reserved, Permission granted to use with acknowledgement.
Endnotes:
1685JB001. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Johann Sebastian Bach, in a cantata he composed titled, Jesus, Meine Freude. Philip Spitta, His Work and Influence in the Music of Germany, Vol. III, pp. 601, 267. Stephen Abbott Northrop, D.D., A Cloud of Witnesses (Portland, OR: American Heritage Ministries, 1987; Mantle Ministries, 228 Still Ridge, Bulverde, Texas), p. 21.
1685JB002. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Johann Sebastian Bach, statement regarding music. G. Schirmer Music Publishing Catalogue.
1685JB003. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Johann Sebastian Bach, notations made in his personal Bible, which was a three volume set of the Calov Bible written in German by the noted 17th century Lutheran theologian Abraham Calov. The Bible was found in a Michigan farmhouse in 1934, where a family had owned it for over a century. A visiting pastor recognized Bach's monogram on the title page. The volumes were authenticated and donated to the Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Thomas R. Rossin, director of the professional chamber choir and orchestra Exultate, studied for Bach's Bible notations for his doctoral dissertation. "Scholar Says Bach's Bible Shows He Was A Man Of Faith" (St. Louis, MO: The St. Louis MetroVoice, P.O. Box 220010, St. Louis, MO 63122, 314-965-5757, www.metrovoice.net, Jim Day, publisher, May 2002), p. 7.
1685JB004. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Johann Sebastian Bach, notations made in his personal Bible, which was a three volume set of the Calov Bible written in German by the noted 17th century Lutheran theologian Abraham Calov. The Bible was found in a Michigan farmhouse in 1934, where a family had owned it for over a century. A visiting pastor recognized Bach's monogram on the title page. The volumes were authenticated and donated to the Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Thomas R. Rossin, director of the professional chamber choir and orchestra Exultate, studied for Bach's Bible notations for his doctoral dissertation. "Scholar Says Bach's Bible Shows He Was A Man Of Faith" (St. Louis, MO: The St. Louis MetroVoice, P.O. Box 220010, St. Louis, MO 63122, 314-965-5757, www.metrovoice.net, Jim Day, publisher, May 2002), p. 7.
1685JB005. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Johann Sebastian Bach, notations made in his personal Bible, which was a three volume set of the Calov Bible written in German by the noted 17th century Lutheran theologian Abraham Calov. The Bible was found in a Michigan farmhouse in 1934, where a family had owned it for over a century. A visiting pastor recognized Bach's monogram on the title page. The volumes were authenticated and donated to the Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Thomas R. Rossin, director of the professional chamber choir and orchestra Exultate, studied for Bach's Bible notations for his doctoral dissertation. "Scholar Says Bach's Bible Shows He Was A Man Of Faith" (St. Louis, MO: The St. Louis MetroVoice, P.O. Box 220010, St. Louis, MO 63122, 314-965-5757, www.metrovoice.net, Jim Day, publisher, May 2002), p. 7.