Bach and Handel and the Meeting that Never Happened

Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) was born at Eisenach, Saxe-Eisenach (now in central Germany) to a family which in seven generations produced some sixty professional musicians. He was appointed Cantor (choirmaster) at Thomasschule (St. Thomas School) at Leipzig, in 1723.

Johann Sebastian Bach (left), painted 1748 by Haussmann.

George Frideric Handel (right), painted 1733 by Balthasar Denner.

Bach had very great esteem for German-English composer George Frideric Handel (1685 – 1759), and often wished to meet with him. Since Handel, like Bach, was a great performer on the clavier and the organ, many lovers of music at Leipzig and the surrounding area also wished to hear the musical result of such a meeting between these two great men. But Handel never could find time for such a meeting. Handel came three times from London to Halle, his native town. On his first visit, about the year 1719, Bach was still at Cöthen, only for German miles from Halle. Bach was immediately informed of Handel’s arrival, and did not lose a moment in paying him a visit; but Handel left Halle the very day of his arrival. At the time of Handel’s second visit to Halle, between 1730 and 1740, Bach was at Leipzig, but ill. However, when he was informed of Handel’s arrival at Halle, Bach immediately sent his second child and eldest son, William Friedemann, with a very polite invitation to visit Bach a Leipzig. But Handel regretted that he could not come. On Handel’s third visit, approximately in 1752 or 1753, Bach was dead.

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Martin Luther and the Healing Power of Music

Religious reformer Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was the author of many hymns and chorales that remain the foundation of Protestant church music. It is said that without Luther, there could have been no Bach.

Martin Luther in 1529, painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder.

In his later years, Luther suffered many ailments, including Ménière's disease, vertigo, fainting, tinnitus, and a cataract in one eye. Luther saw these as the efforts of Satan to prevent Luther from doing his important work.

Often when Luther was at work in his study, he felt that Satan was perturbing him. Once he had been locked inside for some time, not even demanding food, when Lucas Edenberger, preceptor of Duke Ernst of Saxony, arrived with some musicians to visit Luther. When he did not answer their knocking on the door, Edenberger looked through the keyhole and saw Luther lying on the floor unconscious, his arms outstretched. Edenberger broke open the door, lifted Luther up in his arms and, together with his companions, began to sing. Luther regained consciousness slowly, his melancholy departed and before long he began to sing with them. He then asked Lucas and his companions to visit him often and never to let themselves be turned away no matter what Luther was doing; for Luther believed that the Satanic influences and sadness left him as soon as he heard music.

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