Now available in paperback, this landmark biography (first published in 2000 to mark the 250th anniversary of J. S. Bach's death) written by a leading Bach scholar presents a new picture of the composer that brings to life this towering figure of the Baroque era. Throughout, Christoph Wolff demonstrates the intimate connection between Bach's life and his music, showing how the composer's superb inventiveness pervaded his career as a musician, composer, performer, scholar, and teacher.

• List of Illustrations


• Preface


• Prologue: Bach and the Notion of "Musical Science"


• 1.: Springs of Musical Talent and Lifelong Influences: Eisenach, 1685-1695


• 2.: Laying the Foundation: Ohrdruff, 1695-1700


• 3.: Bypassing a Musical Apprenticeship: From Lüneberg to Weimar, 1700-1703


• 4.: Building a Reputation: Organist in Arnstadt and Mühlhausen, 1703-1708


• 5.: Exploring "Every Possible Artistry": Court Organist and Cammer Musicus in Weimar, 1708-1714


• 6.: Expanding Musical Horizons: Concertmaster in Weimar, 1714-1717


• 7.: Pursuing "the Musical Contest for Superiority": Capellmeister in Cöthen, 1717-1723


• 8.: Redefining a Venerable Office: Cantor and Music Director in Leipzig---The 1720s


• 9.: Musician and Scholar: Counterpoint of Practice and Theory


• 10.: Traversing Conventional Boundaries: Special Engagements---The 1730s


• 11.: A Singing Bird and Carnations for the Lady of the House: Domestic and Professional Life


• 12.: Contemplating Past, Present, and Future: The Final Decade---The 1740s


• Epilogue: Bach and the idea of "Musical Perfection"


• Notes


• Music Examples


• Appendices:


• 2.: Places of Bach's Activities


• 3.: Money and Living Costs in Bach's Time


• 4.: The Lutheran Church Calendar


• Bibliography


• Genre Index of Bach's Works


• Title Index of Bach's Works


• General Index

Christoph Wolff is William Powell Mason Professor of Music and dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University. He is co-author of the Bach Compendium, co-editor of the research journal Bach-Jahrbuch, and author of The New Grove Bach Family. Thirty-two of his numerous journal articles have been collected in his Bach: Essays on his Life and Music.