J.S. Bach in Eisenach, Köthen and Leipzig
March 11, 2013
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach in 1685, and grew up in a very musical family. Eisenach's old town has plenty of Bach-related history: St. George's Church, for example, where he was christened. The Bach Museum here provides insights into how the composer lived – and how he looked.
Prince Leopold of Köthen-Anhalt was a great lover of music. In 1717 he appointed Bach his Kappellmeister, or musical director. An exhibition at Köthen Palace portrays the years the composer dedicated to secular music.
Bach spent 27 years as cantor at the Lutheran St. Thomas's Church. While in Leipzig he also composed hundreds of cantatas, choral works, oratorios and passions. The city's Bach Museum has a range of original manuscripts. St. Thomas's Church is Bach's final resting place.