Happy Birthday Johann Sebastian Bach...

[giovannimusica]

To the great musician from Thueringer Wald, whose music touches the heart and soul of man, who bridges the gap between young and old, when whose melodies, harmonies, rhythms and cadences sound, the pedestrian boulevard is captured as if in a time warp, contemplating that which is ineffable yet ever-present.

To you Dear Bach do we honor this day - Hurray, Hurray, Hurray!!!!!!!

Giovanni

[Gareth]

Hip hip HOORAY!!!!

To a musical genius!!!! how many years it is this year???

Gareth

[giovannimusica]

The man is 256 years young!!! I have just finished listening to his B-minor Mass - What a masterwork - what genius - he had a workload that would make most of us into milquetoast

Giovanni

[corno]

Well... Johann Sebastian Bach lived from 1685 to 1750 and as such it's 256 years since he died but 321 years since he was born.

[giovannimusica]

Hi corno,

I stand corrected! Thank you most honorable sir for pointing out my grievous error.

Giovanni

[Gareth]

I think it is amazing how he did all his compositions with such accuracy at that point of time. How he basically self tought himself from manuscript that he "stole" off his brother. (correct me if I have got my facts wrong).

[giovannimusica]

Hi gareth,

What I do remember is that when young JSBach moved in with his older brother in Ohrdruf, JSBach spent many a night, up in the attic with a small, measly candle for light and copied onto manuscript the choral melodies and harmonies of past masters. He was caught in the act by his brother one night and, well, supposedly all his efforts went up in smoke. The strain on his eyes during all those *midnight-oil* sessions had probably caused the damage to his eyes for which he was later to suffer.

JSBach was probably very much an *auto-didact*(self-learner), and to think about all those years he spent at Thomaskirche in Leipzig, where the teachers of the Thomasschule(part of the Thomaskirche)were also professors at the University of Leipzig - what a heady learning environment!

Ponder also that Richard Wagner was a product of Thomasschule - that says something about the excellent education one could get at a church-run institution. The Thomasschule most likely had the same academic rigor of a modern day college or *Hochschule* if you will, even though it was a kindergarten through twelvth-grade institution.

Giovanni