Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-04-12
By ALICE EVERSMAN.

LttS Wech.J
BY ALICE EVERSMAN.
There is little of the spectacular
in the life of Johann Sebastian
Bach, from whom stemmed all the
great music that has enriched the
world since he lived in the turn of
the 18th century. The sanest, rug
gedest and least temperamentally
inclined of all the master COM
posers, he lived within the common
routine of his period, seeking no
publicity or special attention, con-
tent to develop his art while earn
ing his livelihood. patterning his daily
existence on deeply religious con-
victions. The amazing quality Of his
genius, appreciated to a certain ex-
tent during his lifetime and in sue
ceeding centuries, is really becom-
ing clear only at this present time,
which seems more ripe for COM
plete comprehension of the vital
ity, the variety and the tremendous
value of what he has contributed to
music.
The Bach family must have been
a delightful one to know. Noted for
their number, nearly every city Of
Germany had a branch of this dis
tinguished group as its citizens.
With but very few exceptions they
were all musicians, organists, can
tors OF secular musicians of the
town. and this common interest
linked the various branches with
closer intimacy than that of mere
blood relationship. They were happy
and contented in their profession,
greatly esteemed by their towns
folk and fairly prosperous in world
ly affairs.
Staged Yearly Reunions.
For many generations it had been
the habit for the family to stage
a yearly gathering of the clan at
a place and time appointed we'll in
advance and to which each family
group looked forward and prepared
to attend. 1t is pleasant to imagine
this day of reunion. Since most of
the family were associated with
church music, the festivities always
began with a hymn, after which
they amused themselves with all
kinds of frivolity. Music was their
chief interest, of course. but on
these occasions they would abandon
the more serious line of their daily
occupation and delight in extern
porizing vocally on some popular
melody or of other musical pranks
far from the dignity of their pro-
fessional calling. We can imagine
the conversations between the rela-
tives, the appointment that such a
cousin had received, the recent per-
Torrance of an uncle's composition,
the marriage of grandchild. the
successes, the failures. the sickness
and the prosperity that the year
had brought to the various units.
1t was into this richly endowed
family that Johann Sebastian was
born, destined to make the name
immortal by the superior talent
which was his gift. He was pre-
cocious youth. outstripping his older
brothers in school and quickly alb
sorbing everything musical that his
finely trained father, his brother
and his uncles could give him. 1t
was not. long until the strength of
his talent was born in upon him
and from that time on the way
of his life was unswervingly or
dained to the protection of it.
OF an Independent Spirit.
There was no hesitancy in the
ordering of his life, and he followed
1t with a pugnacity that was his
most outstanding characteristic. He
was stubborn man and remained
so throughout his long life; and so
independent in spirit that his re-
volts against authority furnish the
high lights of his career. To his
overwhelming curiosity that made
him attempt what in that day was
the impossible. to satisfy 1t, the
world is indebted for the extraor-
binary spur that he gave to the
development of music. which con-
tinues under his influence to the
present time.
These characteristics Of his nature
were exemplified in everything that
he did. His determined, but unsuc-
cessful early attempts at attaining
an appointment as organist, his
youth less than his talent being his
setback, were perhaps the first in
stances of his determination to sue
coed. The famous trip by foot te
hear the great organist Buxtehude
and his long stay, far exceeding the
time allowed him, is another; hi!
persistence in demanding release
from his contract with the Duke Of
Weimar, which brought him 9
months confinement in prison, anc
his later troubles in Leipzig all show
his unyielding stand for what hi
considered right.
He was always careful of money
| and fought for every pfennip that