Ben Wilson

uh this must have been incredibly tragic for bach everyone agrees that he had a very loving and close relationship with maria barbara and this is just one of many tragedies that bach suffered in his life only 10 of his 20 children would survive into adulthood and even for the time this is a very high child mortality rate for an upper middle class family like the box yeah like you could expect to lose a child or two in your lifetime but not half of your children i mean that

uh this must have been incredibly tragic for bach everyone agrees that he had a very loving and close relationship with maria barbara and this is just one of many tragedies that bach suffered in his life only 10 of his 20 children would survive into adulthood and even for the time this is a very high child mortality rate for an upper middle class family like the box yeah like you could expect to lose a child or two in your lifetime but not half of your children i mean that

is a lot of tragedy for Bach. Both of his parents die when he's eight. He suffers a lot. But... We know very little about how he felt during these time periods and how he dealt with all these losses. And that is because, on the one hand, it's true, Bach is not a very communicative person. We think, but we don't really know.

is a lot of tragedy for Bach. Both of his parents die when he's eight. He suffers a lot. But... We know very little about how he felt during these time periods and how he dealt with all these losses. And that is because, on the one hand, it's true, Bach is not a very communicative person. We think, but we don't really know.

That is because virtually all of Bach's personal letters have been lost, which is a real tragedy. And it leads to some weird distortions. So, for example... We've been talking about all these run-ins he had in Arnstadt and Mühlhausen. And, you know, basically all the official correspondence of these courts from these cities are still around.

That is because virtually all of Bach's personal letters have been lost, which is a real tragedy. And it leads to some weird distortions. So, for example... We've been talking about all these run-ins he had in Arnstadt and Mühlhausen. And, you know, basically all the official correspondence of these courts from these cities are still around.

So like in Mühlhausen and Arnstadt, you have all of these official correspondences, all these complaints between the city council and Bach. And then at the very end, they give an official proclamation when Bach is about to leave that Johann Sebastian Bach is the best and he's been a great organist and he's the best we've ever had and we love him. It's like, wait, what?

So like in Mühlhausen and Arnstadt, you have all of these official correspondences, all these complaints between the city council and Bach. And then at the very end, they give an official proclamation when Bach is about to leave that Johann Sebastian Bach is the best and he's been a great organist and he's the best we've ever had and we love him. It's like, wait, what?

All you guys did was complain and fight and argue and now he's leaving and you're suddenly like, we loved this guy so much. We're so happy he was around. And it's because when you're happy with someone, you don't write an official report to the city council, right? You might write him a personal letter. Hey, great cantata on Sunday. Loved it. You're great. You might tell him in person.

All you guys did was complain and fight and argue and now he's leaving and you're suddenly like, we loved this guy so much. We're so happy he was around. And it's because when you're happy with someone, you don't write an official report to the city council, right? You might write him a personal letter. Hey, great cantata on Sunday. Loved it. You're great. You might tell him in person.

You might shake his hand. And all personal letters that Bach had, like virtually all of them, have been lost. We don't have them. So it's not that Bach was nonstop feuding with every government where he went.

You might shake his hand. And all personal letters that Bach had, like virtually all of them, have been lost. We don't have them. So it's not that Bach was nonstop feuding with every government where he went.

It's just that only the complaints, the accusations and the counter accusations have survived, which again, maybe gives us a distorted view of these relationships and how fraught and contentious they actually were. So it's distorted that way. And, you know, we have no idea how Bach felt during these very difficult times. People like to say that he poured all of his emotion into his music.

It's just that only the complaints, the accusations and the counter accusations have survived, which again, maybe gives us a distorted view of these relationships and how fraught and contentious they actually were. So it's distorted that way. And, you know, we have no idea how Bach felt during these very difficult times. People like to say that he poured all of his emotion into his music.

And that certainly seems true. His music has a ton of emotional depth. But we don't really know that to be true. Maybe he also poured his emotions into heartfelt letters and long discussions with close friends. Maybe he had close confidants who he relied on. We just have no way of knowing. All we do know is that And it did have an effect on this beautiful music that he wrote.

And that certainly seems true. His music has a ton of emotional depth. But we don't really know that to be true. Maybe he also poured his emotions into heartfelt letters and long discussions with close friends. Maybe he had close confidants who he relied on. We just have no way of knowing. All we do know is that And it did have an effect on this beautiful music that he wrote.

What I find most interesting is that he has many pieces that are clearly music about mourning, about loss, but they're not... depressive. They managed to be optimistic at the same time. And this is someone who did not languor or wallow in his sadness. This is a fundamentally energetic person.

What I find most interesting is that he has many pieces that are clearly music about mourning, about loss, but they're not... depressive. They managed to be optimistic at the same time. And this is someone who did not languor or wallow in his sadness. This is a fundamentally energetic person.

And I think a fundamentally happy person who picked himself up and found solace in God, I think, and found real optimism even in the midst of all this loss. Okay. So let's put a timeline here. This is so we know where we are. Bach is born in 1685. He finishes all of his schooling at age 18. He is in Arnstadt and Mulhausen until age 23.

And I think a fundamentally happy person who picked himself up and found solace in God, I think, and found real optimism even in the midst of all this loss. Okay. So let's put a timeline here. This is so we know where we are. Bach is born in 1685. He finishes all of his schooling at age 18. He is in Arnstadt and Mulhausen until age 23.