THOUGHTS ABOUT MUSIC

Evening Star, Issue 22070, 2 July 1935, Page 3

THOUGHTS ABOUT MUSIC

[By L.D.A.] " Music gives tone to the universe: wrings to the mind: flight to the imagination ; a charm to sadness: gaiety and life to everything.”—Plato. In my enthusiasm for the musical doings of the moment in London, I have somewhat neglected that once regular feature of this i column viz., recognition of musical anniversaries. A friend has mildly reproached me because so far I have written little concerning the two hundred and fiftieth anniversaries of the births of Bach and Handel —both of which have been celebrated this year, albeit—as I have previously pointed out—not on the exact dates: at any rate, not in London. _ This peculiar habit of slipshod celebration always remains inexplicable to me. What would the average young man or woman say if told by their parents that their twenty-first birthday party would be held some time before or after the natal date—at any old time, in fact, the actual anniversary being of small importance ? * * * * To my way of thinking, precision in these matters is of paramount weight. Half the interest attaching to such occasions is lost unless the event be observed at the psychological moment. Joliann Sebastian Bach was born on March 21, 1685; whilst George Frederick Handel first saw the light almost exactly a month earlier—to wit, on February 23._ Considering the high honour in which these illustrious names are held the world over, one would have thought that in London—now regarded as a musical Mecca—the actual anniversaries might be signalised by commemorative concerts. But not at all. Certainly there have been concerts devoted to Bach and Handel on various dates before and after their birthdays: but, except for a half-hearted broadcast by the 8.8. C. at an hour when most listeners were contemplating a retirement to bed, nothing was done in London to indicate that February 23; and March 21 of this year possessed any special musical significance. »*« . • Of course, the reply to_ a charge of on this head will be met by the assertion that the music of these particular masters is always with us and is forever being performed by somebody somewhere. Quite true. Equally true is it that at this time of day one finds it rather difficult' to say or write anything really new about either Bach or Handel, And lam not blind to my own small shortcomings in this connection, seeing that both anniversaries passed without comment in this column. But I shall try to make amends, to-day and next week, for this omission by attempting to give some particulars relating to Bach and his work not widely known. •■* * * First, let me repeat what I think I have already recorded here—viz., that the history of the Bach family as a whole is spread over n period of more than 300 years: from 1509 to 1845. That span of 336 years covered the careers of about 60 Bachs, all but seven of whom were professional musicians, many of them achieving eminence, though naturally dwarfed by the colossal genius of Johann Sebastian, This family record is astonishing and unparalleled, since it means that the Bachs wore music-making in Germany without intermission from_ the age of Luther to the advent of Bismarck. But if we view the matter dispassionately we are hound to recognise that the immense power of spirituality and physical vitality which underlay this tribal fecundity finds its natural outlet and reflection in the immortal compositions of J. S. Bach, whose work, for those capable of appreciating it symbolises the eternal verities. This is not a matter of mere speculation; it is a plain fact, beyond dispute or question, recognition of which by the world at large is slowly but surely becoming apparent. Whatever support may be given to or withheld from other composers, a Bach concert in London to-day is sure of a full house.

Within his own severely intellectual sphere Bach is now universally acknowledged as the greatest musical genius the world has known or can ever know. Yet the incredible testimony stands that for 144 years after his death nobody could say definitely where he was buried. Indeed,, but for the faithful, indefatigable, and brilliantly clever researches of a very wonderful anatomist, Professor Wilhelm His, who proved conclusively that a skull and some bones found by excavators on October 22, 1894, near the Johannis Church in Leipzig, were the remains of Johann Sebastian Bach, we should still bo in ignorance. And this long-deferred knowledge is strangely in keeping with the lengthy neglect to which the master’s works were at first subjected Very few of them were printed during his lifetime, and fewer still during the 50 years immediately following his death. Quito possibly this apathy might have lasted much longer if such enthusiastic disciples as Mendelssohn in Germany, and Samuel Wesley in England, had not arisen to kindle the flame of appreciation.

And this seems all the more probable when it is remembered that one of Bach’s sons—John Christian of that ilk—lived in London from 1759 to 1782, a, well-known figure in musical circles of the period, enjoying considerable social and artistic prestige by reason of his appointment as “ Music-master to the Queen.” Corisequently, this scion of a famous family had every opportunity of bringing forward the compositions of his great father if he felt so disposed—but he never did. Further, ho is alleged to have spoken almost slightingly of the illustrious Johann Sebastian—referring to him as “ the old wig ” who, he said, “ lived in order to compose, whilst I, his son, compose in order to live.” This J. C. Bach seems to have been the sole member of the family to bring discredit upon it. He died in dire poverty and in debt, having borrowed extensively from his own coachman and his corpse narrowly escaped being seized by irate creditors. No one know* his burial place, and he takes a ” back seat ” in the St. Pancras burial register as “John Christian BACK.”

I cannot do better than conclude this article with an extract from the London ‘ Musical Times’ of May 1, 1896, which a friend brought to my notice lately. It relates to the finding of Bach’s grave, and runs thus: “The recently-discovered remains of Johann Sebastian Bach are about to be transferred to the renovated Church of St. John, Leipzig, in whose adjoining graveyard they have for so long reposed, destitute of any indication either of locality or identity. At last a worthy memorial is to be erected over the bones of the illustrious dead, and not before time, too, if the stain on the ’scutcheon of Leipzig town for

its long neglect is to be removed. The cost of this memorial would, in the ordinary course of events, be defrayed by the local authorities; but in view of the world-wide reverence for the great composer's memory it has been decided to open a universal subscription list. A committee has been appointed which includes many names distinguished in the arts and sciences, among them being Johannes Brahms, Carl Reinecke, and Sir George Grove. The sculptor of the memorial is to be Herr Seftner, of Leipzig. May he be inspired to do justice to the sublimity of his subject.”