Unknown Work by Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach Discovered

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

In the process of cataloging the manuscripts of Group IV in the Hessian Music Archive in Marburg (D-MGmi), a previously completely unknown pièce d’occasion by Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach came to light. The second-youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach and the court Kapellmeister in Bückeburg (near Hanover), he dedicated a seven-verse song for soprano and cembalo to his soon-to-be sovereign and later keyboard pupil Juliane of Hessen-Philippsthal (1761–1799) on the occasion of her marriage to Philipp II, Count of Schaumburg-Lippein1780. In this piece, she is greeted and congratulated upon her arrival at the Hagenburg, the count’s summer residence (verse 6), as the “fair mother of the people” (holde Landesmutter). In verse 4 we find: “What children are to mothers, we are to her, we are devoted to her” (Was Kinder Müttern, sind wir ihr / Die wir uns ihr ergeben). In fact, Juliane became a popular and successful ruler due to her commitment and dedication. After only seven years of marriage she, having become a widow, became regent for her son and led until her death. This lovely composition, with a prelude as well as refrain-like interludes, could have ended upin Juliane’s familyas a calligraphic copy for documentation purposes. The possibility of this piece being an autography copy is unlikely after handwriting comparisons by the Bacharchiv Leipzig (Dr. Christine Blanken).

Category: Rediscovered