The Bach Reception in the 18th and 19th Centuries Cory McKay Departments of Music and Computer Science University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W 1

Johann Sebastian Bach received a good of vocal music was largely ignored. Even his deal of recognition in his own time as a obituary mentioned it only in passing.4 performer and composer of keyboard music, Bach's contemporary, Johann Adolph but his vocal compositions were largely Scheibe, acknowledged Bach's instrumental ignored until the Bach Revival of the virtuosity but complained of his nineteenth century. Many early scholars compositions that he —deprived them of the wrote that he was all but forgotten in the natural element by a bombastic and interim between his death and the Revival, confused nature, and obscured their beauty which was sparked by Felix Mendelssohn's by far too much art . . . [Bach] demands of performance of the St. Matthew Passion. the singers and instrumentalists that they More current thought, however, holds that should by way of their throats and the Revival was actually the result of the instruments do precisely that which he can convergence of a continuity of events and play on the harpsichord . . . this not only factors beginning just after Bach's death, and removes from his pieces the beauty of the that this performance was only one among harmony, but also makes the singing many causes of the Revival. absolutely incomprehensible.“5 A few, such as the Leipzig lecturer Johann Abraham Bach was admired throughout Europe Birnbaum, defended Bach, but the majority during his lifetime for his virtuosity as of music critics agreed with Scheibe's keyboardist and for his ability to write assessment.6 Even the congregation and city keyboard pieces. As Philipp Spitta wrote, elders that he wrote for in Leipzig found his —Friends and foes alike bowed to the music to be too elaborate,7 and his Mass in B irresistible force of an unheard-of power of Minor may not even have been performed in execution, and could hardly comprehend its entirety during his lifetime.8 how he could twist his fingers and his feet so wonderfully and so nimbly without Most church performers of the time hitting a single false note.“1 Bach's obituary simply did not possess the technical ability stated that he was —the hero of virtuosos“ to perform Bach's vocal works, even if they and that his keyboard music was —unlike that had had the inclination. Bach's more famous of any other composer.“2 The Prince of contemporaries, such as Vivaldi, Telemann Hesse was so impressed by one of his and Handel, wrote pieces that were much performances in 1714 that he spontaneously more accessible to the average performers, removed a diamond ring from his finger and and as a result their music received a much gave it to Bach.3 4 Despite his fame as an organist and Albert Schweitzer, J.S. Bach (New York: writer of fugues, Bach's role as a composer Dover Publications Inc., 1911), 227. 5 W olff, Bach: Essays on his Life and Music, 379-380. 1 —J. S. Bach,“ Great Composers 1300-1900, 6 Ibid., 380. 1966 ed. 7 Denis Arnold, —Bach,“ New Oxford Companion 2 Christoph W olff, Bach: Essays on his Life and to Music, 1983 ed Music (London: Harvard University Press, 8 John Butt, —Bach‘s Mass in B Minor: 1991), 392. Considerations of its Early Performance and 3 —J. S. Bach,“ Great Composers 1300-1900, Use,“ The Journal of Musicology, (W inter 1991): 1966 ed. 109. wider distribution. Bach himself made little Only a relatively small number of effort to change this situation. For example, Bach's compositions were printed in his own he often broke the conventional limitation of time. Most of his works were recorded only writing in keys with no more than three as manuscripts and his students and friends accidentals.9 were in general the only ones with access to them.16 This was partly due to the decline of Bach's style was at odds with the the German music trade after the Thirty fashion of the time. Many of his Year W ar and the costly production of contemporaries were unable to fully polyphonic music. More importantly, understand and appreciate his works and however, Bach's music was innovative and saw them merely as curiosities. The very demanding technically and thus elaborate nature of his works met harsh attracted only a limited, commercially criticism. Abbe Georg Joseph Vogler insignificant elite. Bach also made little real criticized Bach's chorales in 1800 by effort to have his pieces published until after writing, —The surprise over the absurdity . . . 1727, and even then these were mainly only is without end . . . All of this is in exalted keyboard pieces. He rarely even let others church music - to a noble, simple chorale - borrow his manuscripts for performance.17 how unbecoming; how absurd!“10 Vogler Bach certainly had no shortage of ambition then proceeded to —improve“ several of as a performer, and actively pursued Bach's chorales by removing much of the prestigious posts, but his failure to take steps complexity that made it interesting, as can that would allow others to perform his music be seen in figures 1 and 2.11 Bach was also hindered the diffusion of his work. criticized for sometimes giving all of his voices equal parts, rather than bringing one This situation was made worse after main voice to the fore as was the convention Bach's death. His works were dispersed during the Baroque period.12 among his inheritors and many were lost or made almost inaccessible.18 Indeed, many of Bach wrote in a period of growing his compositions were handed down only in rationalism. Music that was simple and the handwriting of his pupils.19 Virtually all spontaneously emotional appealed more to of the small portion of Bach's work which the rationalists than his music, which critics had been published went out of print, and saw as belonging to a period of rigid rules.13 the only large accessible collections of his Audiences wanted music that was simpler music were held by Bach's pupil Kirnberger and closer to nature, and Bach was seen as in Berlin and by Baron van Swieten in old fashioned, with his complex polyphony Vienna.20 having more in common with the style antico than the style moderno.14 The devout The other factors which had hindered Protestant religious beliefs which the spread of Bach‘s music also intensified characterized Bach‘s music also fell out of 15 fashion in this period. 16 W olff, Bach: Essays on his Life and Music, 371. 17 Ibid., 371-373. 9 W olff, Bach: Essays on his Life and Music, 18 Schweitzer, J.S. Bach, 234. 374-375. 19 Georg Von Dadelsen, —His Sons and Pupils,“ 10 Ibid., 382. in Johann Sebastian Bach: Life, Times and 11 Ibid., 381. Influence, ed. Barbara Schwendowius and 12 Ibid., 380. W olfgang Domling, (New Haven: Yale 13 Schweitzer, J.S. Bach, 228-229. University Press, 1984), 155. 14 Kurt von Fischer, —Johann Sebastian Bach,“ 20 W olfgang Domling, —The Bach Tradition of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and the 19th and 20th Centuries,“ in Johann Sebastian Musicians, 1980 ed. Bach: Life, Times and Influence, ed. Barbara 15 Denis Arnold, —Bach,“ New Oxford Schwendowius and W olfgang Domling, (New Companion to Music, 1983 ed Haven: Yale University Press, 1984), 159-160.

Figure 1: Bach‘s version of Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin

Figure 2: Vogler‘s correction of Bach‘s harmonization after his death. Even his successors in Brahms, were taught Bach's music as Leipzig rarely played his music.21 His works children.26 There was also a tradition in were rarely performed in churches both Vienna well before Mozart's time of copying because of the decreasing competence of and studying Bach's fugues.27 W riters and musicians and choirs and because or their teachers in Germany and abroad began to old-orthodox texts.22 The trend towards quote passages of Bach's music quite music that was simpler than his and much frequently, which led to the reprinting of a more homophonic continued, so it is few of his works as early as 1765.28 understandable that Bach's music was not Unfortunately, Bach's vocal music was performed often and audiences were not again being almost entirely ignored in given the opportunity to be exposed to him. favour of his keyboard music. Also, his Also, this period was one in which to be works were being used only as tools to teach considered a true musician one had to the rudiments of music, not as a basis for perform one‘s own works. This meant that new compositions. But even though Bach's only those composers of the past which were music had very little influence on what already very highly regarded were given established musicians were writing, the much attention. This attitude that the art of awareness the existence of his music was the present was inherently better than the art being maintained in the minds of the of the past persisted until the end of the 18th younger generation of musicians. century, which happened to coincide with the Bach revival.23 Franz Joseph Haydn and Beethoven were two important musicians influenced by Bach's students and children did Bach's music. Although they were probably continue to play his work and use it to teach unaware of most of his vocal works, such as their own students, however. More and more the cantatas and Passions, they were people were gradually exposed to his music certainly aware of some of his keyboard as they gained fame. Philipp Emanuel Bach compositions and impressed by them. Haydn and Johann Christian Bach were both more owned manuscripts of the Well-Tempered famous in their own time than their father Clavier and the B-minor Mass29 and had been, and although their own styles bore Beethoven called Bach the —Progenitor of little resemblance to their father's they did Harmony“30 and planned an overture on the use much of his work for pedagogical name of Bach at the end of his life.31 Still, purposes.24 Bach functioned mainly as a teacher to Bach's four part chorales were often them, rather than a composer. It was only used as teaching examples, and became a the next generation that saw him as such.32 standard tool for teaching harmonic elaboration as early as 1758.25 The Well- Tempered Clavier soon became a common vehicle for teaching keyboarding and 26 Ludwig Finscher, —Bach's Posthumous Role in counterpoint. Many composers, including Music History,“ in Bach Perspectives 3, ed. Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Michael Marissen, (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1998), 7-8. 21 Nicholas Temperley, —Bach Revival,“ The 27 Ibid., 11. New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 28 W olff, Bach: Essays on his Life and Music, 1980 ed. 372. 22 Schweitzer, J.S. Bach, 233. 29 Finscher, —Bach's Posthumous Role in Music 23 Schweitzer, J.S. Bach, 227-228. History,“ in Bach Perspectives 3, 13. 24 Von Dadelsen, —His Sons and Pupils,“ in 30 W olff, Bach: Essays on his Life and Music, Johann Sebastian Bach: Life, Times and 390. Influence, 145-155. 31 Schweitzer, J.S. Bach, 240. 25 W olff, Bach: Essays on his Life and Music, 32 Denis Arnold, Bach, (Oxford: Oxford 386-389. University Press, 1984), 89. One of the first important composers to following C.P.E. Bach‘s death, including use elements of Bach's style in his own work keyboard works, violin sonatas and cello was W olfgang Amadeus Mozart. Upon suites.39 hearing Bach's motet Singet dem Herrn ein Carl Friedrich Zelter, the conductor of neues Lied, Mozart exclaimed, —That is the Berlin Singakademie, was another indeed something from which we can primary character in the 19th century Revival learn!“33 Bach's influence can be seen in of Bach‘s vocal music. He performed some such works of Mozart's as the last movement of Bach's motets and showed Bach‘s music of the G-Major String Quartet (which to many of his colleagues and students. It features a virtuoso combination of sonata was he who exposed Eduard Devrient and and fugue, Austrian and Bachian Mendelssohn to the St. Matthew Passion and counterpoint), the counterpoint of The allowed Mendelssohn to conduct it in Jupiter Symphony and the Bachian chorale 1829.40 setting of The Magic Flute.34 Music critics also began to see Bach as more than just a This was an amateur performance, with teacher of an antiquated style. In 1781 the musicians playing for free. The audience Hohann Friedrich Reichardt, a musical reacted very well, both in terms of the music connoisseur, described Bach as —the greatest and its religious significance, and reports of harmonist of all times and nations.“35 the performance began to circulate throughout Germany. The true significance The publication of Johann Nicolaus of this event was that it transformed the Forkel's biography On Johann Sebastian Revival from a cult of intellectuals and Bach's Life, Genius and Works in 1802 musicians to a popular movement.41 The St. marked the true beginning of the Bach Matthew Passion was produced in many Revival. Although certainly not German towns in the early 1830s, the St. comprehensive, it contained a good deal of John Passion was performed by the Berlin useful information and made the world Singakademie in 1833 and the Mass in B aquatinted with Bach and his music.36 It was Minor in 1844. There was also a great also a pioneer in bringing awareness to revival of interest in Bach's keyboard works, Bach‘s vocal works. As early as 1818 Hans but for once they did not obscure Bach‘s Georg Nageli described the B-Minor Mass vocal music, and even his cantatas gradually as the —greatest musical work of art of all came to be played more and more.42 The St. times and nations.“37 Mathew Passion was printed in 1830, the The inheritance of Carl Philipp Emanuel complete B Minor Mass was finally Bach played an important role in the published in completion in 184543 and the increased accessibility of his father‘s scores of six cantatas were printed in 1830- compositions. He left a large collection of 1831.44 his father's manuscripts to the German state The St. Matthew Passion was not library in Berlin, where they were finally conducted by Mendelssohn as it had been made available to those interested in Bach‘s 38 music. Some of Bach‘s instrumental works were gradually published in the years 39 Nicholas Temperley, —Bach Revival,“ The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 33 Schweitzer, J.S. Bach, 232. 1980 ed. 34 Finscher, —Bach's Posthumous Role in Music 40 Arnold, Bach, 89-90. History,“ in Bach Perspectives 3, 11. 41 Nicholas Temperley, —Bach Revival,“ The 35 W olff, Bach: Essays on his Life and Music, New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 372. 1980 ed. 36 Schweitzer, J.S. Bach, 235-236. 42 Schweitzer, J.S. Bach, 242-246. 37 W olff, Bach: Essays on his Life and Music, 43 W olff, Bach: Essays on his Life and Music, 385. 372. 38 Arnold, Bach, 88-89. 44 Schweitzer, J.S. Bach, 250-251. written by Bach, however. There were cuts role by using his influence as a music and alterations, the instrumentation was journalist to make sure Bach was well changed and it was presented in a highly presented in the media.52 Romantic style.45 Zelter also often changed Bach‘s fame continued to increase, until Bach‘s compositions. He once wrote that he both his keyboard and vocal work were had —arranged many of his [Bach's] church known throughout Europe. Approximately pieces for myself alone, and my heart tells two hundred books were written about him me that old Bach nods approvingly at me.“46 in the 19th century, a very large number for Nonetheless, Bach was finally being the time. A major biography was published recognized as a true composer. by Philipp Spitta in 187353 and a complete Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, edition of his works was published in 1900, Brahms, Anton Bruckner and Franz Liszt a huge effort which had taken fifty years to were among the many Romantic composers compile and was the first of its kind for any who began to promote Bach‘s music.47 For composer.54 The performance of the St. perhaps the first time ever his music was Matthew Passion in Paris in 1885 and of the being generally accepted as valuable simply B minor Mass in Rome in 1889 were for its musical brilliance, not merely as a milestones in the international recognition of means to display virtuosity or as a teaching Bach.55 Bach societies appeared throughout tool. Richard W agner typified this new Europe in the second half of the century to attitude by writing that it was impossible to perform his music.56 characterize Bach's compositions —by any Bach‘s appeal to the Romantics went comparison whatever their wealth, their beyond the musical aesthetic that they found grandeur and their all-embracing so pleasing. They saw his music as significance.“48 expressing the richness of human emotion, Many Romantic composers performed which fit in with the artistic ideology of the Bach‘s music or wrote pieces heavily time, and they saw his work as unique and influenced by him. As Schumann wrote, original. Germany was also undergoing a —The profound combination of elements, the religious revival that prompted many poetic and humorous aspects of recent music Germans to search for the distinctively have their origins principally in Bach.“49 religious in their cultural heritage. Bach‘s Both Mendelssohn and Schumann added devoutly Protestant nature thus appealed to piano accompaniments to Bach's solo violin many Germans and his attitude that 'anyone sonatas. Composers often used Bach's work who works as hard as I did will get as far' as an accompaniment for their own made him especially attractive to the melodies, such as Charles Gounod's Protestant middle class work ethic.57 Indeed, interpretation of Bach's Prelude in C it has been argued that Mendelssohn‘s Major.50 Liszt used his popularity to make Bach visible to the general public with his transcriptions of Bach's organ compositions, particularly the G minor and A minor 51 fugues. Schumann also played an essential 52 Finscher, —Bach's Posthumous Role in Music History,“ in Bach Perspectives 3, 16-17. 45 Arnold, Bach, 89-90. 53 Domling, —The Bach Tradition of the 19th and 46 Schweitzer, J.S. Bach, 229 20th Centuries,“ in Johann Sebastian Bach: Life, 47 Arnold, Bach, 91. Times and Influence, 161. 48 Schweitzer, J.S. Bach, 258. 54 Denis Arnold, —Bach,“ New Oxford 49 Domling, —The Bach Tradition of the 19th and Companion to Music, 1983 ed 20th Centuries,“ in Johann Sebastian Bach: Life, 55 Schweitzer, J.S. Bach, 259. Times and Influence, 160. 56 —J. S. Bach,“ Great Composers 1300-1900, 50 Ibid., 167-168. 1966 ed. 51 Schweitzer, J.S. Bach, 250-257. 57 Arnold, Bach, 90-93. original motivation in conducting the St. and Bach appealed to them as a genius Matthew Passion was primarily religious.58 whose brilliance had been overlooked in his own time. Baroque music was also still Perhaps most important, however, was popular at the time in England and there the utility of Bach to German nationalism. were already many societies throughout the The new German Confederation was unsure country that cultivated a taste for the music of itself and in search of its identity at the of the past. W illiam Shield, George Pinto time of the Revival. It needed a strong and Samuel W esley all performed Bach‘s common German heritage, artistic and music and wrote music of their own based otherwise, to provide unity to the on it in the first decade of the nineteenth Confederation and to help it overcome the century. Parts of the St. Matthew Passion, B political and military humiliations of the Minor Mass and Magnificat had all been Napoleonic period59. The Revival happened performed at major English festivals by at a time when many of the important 1840. The Bach Society was formed in 1849 musical posts in Germany were still held by and by 1876 the London Bach Choir had foreigners, so Bach's music was thus undertaken the regular performance of convenient to the causes of nationalism. As Bach‘s larger choral works.64 Forkel wrote of Bach in 1802, —This man, the greatest musical poet and the greatest Bach was firmly entrenched musical orator that ever existed, and internationally as one of the greatest probably ever will exist, was a German. Let composers in history by the end of the his country be proud of him; let it be proud, nineteenth century, not only for his but, at the same time, worthy of him!“60 keyboard music, but for the full range of his Forkel also wrote that Bach's works were —a compositions. His popularity has waxed and priceless national heritage, of a kind that no waned in the twentieth century, particularly other race possesses.“61 Many composers around the two W orld W ars, but there is also shared these ideas. W agner wrote that certainly no doubt that he has become a Bach was —the history of the inner life of the steady part of the collective unconscious. German mind during the awful century The slow rise of his popularity during the when the German people was utterly end of the eighteenth century culminated in extinguished.“62 and Brahms related Bach the nineteenth century Revival, where he and nationalism by saying that the two finally received recognition for the greatest events during his life were the originality and beautiful complexity of his foundation of the German Empire and the music, the very qualities for which it was completion of the complete works of Bach.63 criticized in his own time. England also experienced a strong but separate Bach Revival at the same time as BIBLIOGRAPHY Germany. English intellectuals had already Arnold, Denis. Bach. Oxford: Oxford developed a strong Romantic cult of the past University Press, 1984. by the beginning of the nineteenth century, Arnold, Denis. —Bach.“ New Oxford Companion to Music. 1983 ed. 58 Michael Marissen, —Religious Aims in Mendelssohn‘s 1829 Berlin-Singakademie Butt, John. —Bach‘s Mass in B Minor: Performances of Bach‘s St. Matthew Passion,“ Considerations of its Early Performance and The Musical Quarterly, (W inter 1993): 718-719. Use.“ The Journal of Musicology (W inter 59 Nicholas Temperley, —Bach Revival,“ The 1991): 109-123. New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 1980 ed. 60 Arnold, Bach, 90-91. 61 Schweitzer, J.S. Bach, 235-236. 64 Nicholas Temperley, —Bach Revival,“ The 62 Ibid., 257. New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 63 Ibid., 254. 1980 ed. David, Hans T., and Arthur Mendel. The Bach Vocal Composition.“ The Journal of Reader. New York: W . W . Norton and Musicology (Fall 1996): 453-474. Company Inc., 1945. Schweitzer, Albert. J. S. Bach Volume 1. Trans. Dowley, Tim. J.S. Bach: His Life and Times. Ernest Newman. New York: Dover Neptune City: Paganinian Publications, 1981. Publications Inc., 1966. —Johann Sebastian Bach.“ Great Composers Schwendowius, Barbara and W olfgang Domling, 1300-1900. 1966 ed. eds. J.S. Bach, Life, Times, Influence. Kassel: Barenreiter, 1976. Marissen, Michael ed. Bach Perspectives Volume 3. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Temperley, Nicholas. "Bach Revival." The New Press, 1998. Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicology. 1980 ed. Marissen, Michael. —Religious Aims in Mendelssohn‘s 1829 Berlin-Singakademie Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach: The Passions. Performances of Bach‘s St. Matthew Passion.“ W estport: Greenwood Press, 1970. The Musical Quarterly (W inter 1993): 718- von Fischer, Kurt. "Passion." The New Grove 726. Dictionary of Music and Musicology. 1980 Marshall, Robert L. The Music of Johann ed. Sebastian Bach: The Sources, the Style, the W erner, Felix.. Johann Sebastian Bach. New Significance. New York: Schirmer Books, York: W . W . Norton & Company, 1984. 1989. W olff, Christoph. Bach: Essays on his Life and Melamed, Daniel. —J.F. Dole‘s Setting of a Music. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, Picando Libretto and J.S. Bach‘s Teaching of 1991.