Bach to the future. . .

Although Johann Sebastian Bach's musical genius was great, the impact of that genius on those who followed him was astounding.  What is even more remarkable is that this musical genius lived a relatively obscure life, was not well traveled, and that he lived a rather conventional life -- at least for his time.  Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was in many ways rather unexceptional.  His life was not immune from sorrow and even though he sometimes ran in influential circles (as a court musician, for example), his life was neither dramatic or laden with recognition and reward.  For the vast majority of his life, he worked as a church musician and often for ministers who did not appreciate his musical genius and who found him hard to get along with.  He occupied an important position in Leipzig but was more well known as a performer than composer. 

Bach was rather conventional and not in any way a radical -- even in his music.  He was a prolific composer and yet some of his music has been lost because his fame did not last longer than his life.  He was forgotten for a time and had to be rediscovered a hundred years later.  If there was anything that distinguished Bach from his contemporaries, it was not his religion (Lutheran) but it was his devotion to that religion.  He studied his Bible, was thoroughly at home with the great Lutheran chorales, and his music was organized around the Church Year.  Words were not his domain but music was and he was demanding of his instrumentalists and of his choir.  He could be grumpy and harsh to those unprepared for their lessons or for their performance.  He was hard working and expected the same from those who worked with him.  If you met him socially, you probably would find him somewhat somber and distant.  But he transformed the world in the wake of his genius and all of music might benefit from a division from BB (before Bach) and AB (after Bach).  Nearly every musical style and genius who followed him -- from concert to folk, jazz to bebop, early pop to hard rock -- found admirers of Bach  If there are musicians in the past 300 years who were not impacted by his musical genius, they are the exception and may just be wrong.  His music is complex but accessible across generations.  Perhaps the most important contribution of Bach is that he gave the faith a soundtrack.

Many would call him the Fifth Evangelist and his detractors in Rome often found themselves frustrated by the profound influence of Bach -- one that may be the equal of Luther himself. Strangely, Bach is not as appreciated by Lutherans with whom he shared a great and profound devotion as much as by others who may not even care about his faith and devotion.  In fact, it might be that Lutherans are more familiar with the latest pop Gospel composer and performer than they are with Lutheran giants of sacred music and Bach the chief example.  This is the saddest legacy of Bach.  He is almost a stranger to the Lutheran churches, choirs, hymn singers, and keyboardists.  It is not for Bach that we Lutherans need to be reintroduced to this musical genius.  It is for us. We need to rediscover and encounter the deep devotion and profound faith manifested in the Passions Bach wrote and the choral music meant not to dominate as a performance but integrate as threads woven into the great fabric of the Church's faith, life, and worship.  We are the poorer for our loss of a sense of this man and for our ignorance of his devotion and knowledge of the faith.  So before the summer is over, meet up with this guy and his legacy of faith and music.  He gives to us a soundtrack for the faith we believe and confess in a way that no other composer has.