The little Johann Sebastian Bach Tour

Everywhere on the globe people enjoy listening to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. There are even festivals like the Huron Waves Music Festival, the Oregon Bach Festival or the Baldwin Wallace Bach Festival to mention some of them.

This unique composer spent the first half of his life in Thuringia, my federal state. Follow his footsteps with me in three different cities, which have influenced him!

At first, it is necessary to mention the Bach-Clan-Capital Erfurt. In the Church of the Merchant’s, 61 children of the Bach-family were baptised and 12 weddings celebrated. Many of the male family members became city pipers, town musicians and organists. The house of Johann Sebastian’s parents commemorates that time with a plaque. His oldest brother, Johann Christoph Bach, had lessons from no less a person than Johann Pachelbel, who was organist at Preacher’s Church.

Weimar, the city blessed with culture, became an important place for the young Johann Sebastian. He was employed twice there. His later famous sons, Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel were baptized at Herder’s Church. In the little residential town, Johann Sebastian composed over 30 cantatas. His time in Weimar ended bitterly. He spent nearly four weeks in prison because of “stubborn conviction”. Those weeks became quite productive with writing on the first part of his “Wohltemperierte Clavier” and on his “Orgelbüchlein”. This former “Bastille” is a memorial site today.

Not far away from both cities is Arnstadt, the probably most authentic Bach-City in Thuringia. The 18-years old Bach inspected the organ in the just newly erected church, which is named after him today. A permanent employment followed. No wonder since other members of the family had already ensured a good reputation. Important places to be seen are “his” church, the house that belonged to the twin brother of his father and the castle museum with the original two manual playing console. Very essential seeing is the little church in Dornheim, less than three kilometres away from Arnstadt, where Johann Sebastian married his first wife Maria Barbara, a cousin from Arnstadt.