South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-14
ROMANTIC LIFE STORY OF BACH

I which we're handed down from teach
er TO pupil.
The characteristic that gave Bach
| his authority as an organiSt was orig
inality IN the application of the me-
| chanical resources of the organs,
founded upon en- intimate knowledge
J of organ construction. He made his
gan playing. in a style of his own.
adapted TO facilitate rapidity Of
change in registration. The pedal
part of his compositions were very
difficult.
The original foundation Of organ
music had been the ecclesiastical
, NOlkshid or Protestant choral. over
| 100 organ chorals by Bach are still
| extinct and a large proportion of
/ them are in his own handwriting
| He transferred the organ chorus to
/ the domain of vocal music in order
that he might give the grandest con-
| certable form.
He was an organist without rivalry
! When fiattered for his great Skill on
/ the organ he CURLY exclaimed, There
| is nothing wonderful about il. All
you have to do is to touch the right
key at the right time and the instru-
ment does the rest"
JOhan Sebastian Bach was great as
| a performer on musical instruments
steal educator of his time. Also one
of the musical educational forces Of
| the following centuries. This is
| proved by the variety and extent OF
his playing on all kinds of instru-
ments. and besides all this ne was a
successful choir trainer.
A coveted position in the st. Thorn
as school in Leipsic became vacant
and Bach received ii in 1928. This
school was founded by the Augustine
monks in the 18th century and be-
came a town school in 1913. Singers
from many of the Leipsic churches
were called from the school, and
/ once a week this body was assembled
in one choir called the Thormoner
choir.
Split says that Bach was a sound
Latin scholar from his own school
days, and he gave five Latin lessons
a week. The Latin grammar lessons
were varied on Sunday evening by the
Latin catechism Of Luther He won
the position Of Cantor at Leipsic. not
only for his musical ability, but his
wide range of general knowledge.
His coming to the st. Thomas
school marked the beginning of a
new life in this famous old school in
which he took up his residence,
where he had advantages in the edu-
cation of his sons.
musical duties and the supervision Of
the alumni. These were SO in num-
Der who were supported and educat-
ed free Of expense from the surplus
of the institution and formed the
vocal choir of the town. He attended
to their daily training, and OffiCiated
as leader at every public concert. He
conducted the music in the Univer-
sity church on feStal occasions and
when wedding and funeral music was
commanded and also taught singing
to the four upper classes OF boys.
Text books were not in existence
and Bach wrote his own educational
treatises, original with himself, for his
son, a child of 10 years. He wrote
"A Little Clavier Book" containing
scales, movement lessons, preludes,
choral dances and fugues, all arranged
in progressive order.
Twenty-seven years of Bach's life
we're spent at st. Thomas. BY untir-
ing industry he developed his technical
son says that his father often worked
through the entire night
Bach had a musicians temper as
we'll as temperament. Bach'S teaching
and influence have assisted a large
number of excellent composers, organ
and piano players and in his school
of theory and practise the best re-
suits in music have been built. Bach
showed his greatness in his patience
He never considered himself above lit
tie things. Whatever the right did
the left hand had to do.
His interest in his pupils did not
cease-he was always interested in
their progress. He was a teacher, not
for an age, but for all time.
An inspiration to many, it has been
truly said of Johan Sebastian Bach,
that The being dead, yet speaketh."