"Marshalling evidence from every stage of Bach's development, Eidam challenges the conclusions of Phillip Spitta, Albert Schweitzer, and the other biographers who have preceded him. As the cornerstone of his research, Eidam carefully examined the original sources, paying special attention to the city council records of Leipzig, where Bach overcame all obstacles to compose such masterpieces as the St. Matthew Passion, the Goldberg Variations, and the Christmas Oratorio. From the earliest authors who depicted Bach as a man of God fulfilled by serving his church to the Marxists of post-war Germany and the academics of today, Eidam shows us that much of "Bach literature" reflects the writers' own obsessions rather than the truth about the composer's life and work." "With irreverence and enthusiasm, The True Life of Johann Sebastian Bach debunks the myths and gives music lovers a fresh new look at the towering figure of the baroque age."--BOOK JACKET.
Record details
ISBN:9780465018628
ISBN:0465018629
ISBN:9780465018611 (alk. paper)
ISBN:0465018610 (alk. paper)
Physical Description:xviii, 413 p., [8] p. of plates : ill. ; 24 cm. print
Publisher:New York : Basic Books, 2001.
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (p. 373-376) and index.
Book