Customer Reviews

The True Life of J.S. Bach

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although I do not have a musicological background, I have loved the music of Bach for years and have read many of the extant biographies: Boyd, Wolff, Spitta, etc. Of all the biographies, I found Mr. Eidam's to be the best at creating an understanding of the man who created such divine music without perpetuating myths or attempting to explain Bach's personality based upon his musical art. Mr. Eidam admirably highlights the irony inherent in the fact that Bach produced such sublime art in the face of continual opposition from lesser intellects.

I did not find the language of the english translation to be distracting and found the work to be refreshingly free of musical theory that while interesting does not increase one's understanding of the man himself. Instead, the reader is left with a deep and abiding appreciation for Bach's untiring efforts, in the face of incredible opposition, to share with the world a miraculous music that only he could hear.

This is the only biography of Bach to create a three dimensional figure out of him. Eidam's style is engaging, lively and (despite the over finicky qualms of an earlier reviewer) splendidly translated. Eidam necessarily chides earlier scholarship which has tended to leech the humanity out of Bach's story. He creates a portait built out of careful reading of sources, original scholarship, coupled with (and here lies Eidam's real contribution) an intelligent understanding of artistic creativity and its endless struggle against bureaucracy; which lies at the core of Bach's 'passion'.

It is no exaggeration that virtually all other biographers over the years have tended to sympathize in some way with Bach's tormentors: be they philistine provincial town councils, jealous colleagues, or bullying autocrats. Their message being that a genius of Bach's stature should have exhibited Job-like patience when all of his artistic drives where being delibrately subverted. Most other biographies are so desperate to read him as a product of his time that they inadvertantly attempt to minimize his originality and unique voice. Eidam corrects these misconceptions. His description of Bach's end and his widow's struggles may well move the reader to tears. This comes from clear scholarship and good writing, as well as a unique, genuine sympathy with the subject of the biography. Bach deserves as much.

This comprehensive biography clears up 250 years' worth of legend with a new reading of the documentary evidence around Bach's life as uncovered through the author's extensive research. Engagingly and eccentric in opinion it makes us wonder that much of what we think we know of the composers and their music is more fiction and fancy that biography and social history, enough so that I wonder along with the author about the lives of other composers. The picture of Bach is one of a struggling musician who made some serious career move mistakes which if it did not noticeably affect his art at least cause injury to his social standing and livelihood. Well worth a read for the context it puts the creation of his music in to.

The most notable thing about this biography of Bach is that its author, Klaus Eidam, presents a great deal of secondary data that most biographers skip over: Information about Bach's various employers, the social and political atmosphere in the towns where he lived, and so on. The result is a much richer and more coherent picture of Bach's motivations -- a picture that is oftentimes at odds with the Bach presented by other biographers.

On the downside, the book was translated from German, and the translation is... less than skillful. The English text doesn't flow very well, and in some places is just plain odd. It's almost as if English isn't the translator's native language. This makes reading the book go a bit more slowly.

The book is roughly chronological, but Eidam has a tendency to wander off the path from time to time and throw in a lengthy discussion about some topic that he finds particularly interesting. Some of this material should probably be in footnotes rather than the main text; then it wouldn't distract so much from the narrative.

Eidam's research has led him to different conclusions than many of Bach's other biographers. This is a good thing; it's what makes his biography worth reading. Unfortunately, rather than simply presenting his point of view, he spends a lot of time "scolding" these other biographers for being so superficial, careless, stupid, etc. A little bit of snarkiness goes a long way, and Eidam ultimately comes across as being rather childish.

Also, because so much of this book is a rebuttal of other biographers' conclusions, if you haven't read those other works, you may not have the necessary context to fully appreciate what Eidam is saying.

All in all, this is a good adjunct to other Bach biographies, but I don't think it stands on its own.

Having played hundreds of works of Bach's throughout my life as a professional musician, and having pored over the stilted prose of Christoph Wolff's and Phillip Spitta's pretentious attempts at pigeonholing the great master, this pianist found Klaus Eidam's biography both refreshing and eye-opening.

Not only do his revisited renditions of certain incidents of Bach's life read far more credibly than previous glossed-over attempts would have us believe, but there is a tenderness that comes across--even in the rather poor English translation--that makes us understand that Bach was susceptible and vulnerable, as well as seemingly-supernaturally gifted.

His like doesn't come along often, and Mr. Eidam's book lets us into Bach's world FAR more personally and immediately than any other of which I'm aware.

One area of research that bears note: Klaus Eidam bothered to research the individuals for whom Bach worked at his various places of employment, as well as taking the time to look into the motives of those who have seemed all-too-ready to paint that picture of Bach we've all come to idolize: the humble, obedient, religious (though often irascible) servant of the church.

Eidam questioned the validity of that picture, and presents a more realistic one, and in the process, shows the reader what Bach had to endure for his entire life.

What a shame! That a respected publisher like Basic Books would release a text in such a sorry state. As a translator, I don't like to criticize my colleagues, but the language of this translation is appalling. It reads as though the translator, in many places, just put English words in place of the German. When I ran some of the sentences by some colleagues, they all agreed that they could see the German syntax through the English text.

While the translator is at fault, the publisher is guilty of not taking the blue pencil to this text. This gives such gems as:

Legend has praised one of the Bachs to the skies in particular:

... they made music that was not to be sneezed at.

That the sons would also become musicians was taken for granted.

Of their childhood there was nothing left.

Though time-consuming in any event, the experience was nonetheless rewarding...

To Luther's Reformation belonged above all the lively participation of the congregation in the worship service, especially the German hymns that were sung together, and therefore the cultivation of church music.

These sentences, all taken from the first couple of chapters, stand out like potholes in the road of reading. I couldn't go any further than page 18.

Save your money...

I divide this book in two parts. An interesting view of Bach's life, quite different from the "standard", and a book review to complain of the other biographies. If he concentrated in his view on Bach's life it would be an interesting book. His comments about the other biographers belong in the end notes. They are not a part of the story of Bach. I read foot notes, mind you, but including them in the text only detracts from the flow of the story.
His comments about the music per-se are very interesting. They served my purpose, in buying this book. But once again, if I bought the author's book it is because I would like to know what he thinks ... not why other musicologist are wrong in their evaluation. Mine might be wrong, and that is why I want other's opinion, not their opinion on other people.