Save JS Bach’s house from becoming a parking lot

Save JS Bach’s house from becoming a parking lot

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norman lebrecht

February 13, 2014

A petition is going to be sent to the German government to prevent the site of the Weimar house where Bach composed some of the Brandenburg concertos from being wasted. You can read and sign it here (in English).

Sample:

The foundations of his home and the original Renaissance vaulted cellar have been preserved underground and placed under heritage protection – but are yet still inaccessible. This is the only at least partially existing and, among all the Bach cities, the only location proven by records to have been a place where Johann Sebastian Bach composed and lived that has survived to the present day. bach's house

Comments

  • robcat2075 says:

    That looks like it’s pretty much gone already.

  • sdReader says:

    Köthen?

  • David H. Jun. says:

    Composers live on in their eternal works, not in the mortal ruins of their former houses.

  • Steve Foster says:

    Ugh…immaterial.

    We have his music. It was enough for him, so it should be enough for us.

  • Dave T says:

    If I’m to understand this the superstructure is already gone. What remain are the foundations and cellar. Turning this site into a parking lot at this time may actually be the best way to preserve it, i.e. “land bank” it, so that some greater purpose can be applied when it becomes evident or feasible. The worst solution at this time would be to invest money in a structure or use which is second rate, will soon be regretted, and will be hard to get rid of.

    The old man hasn’t lived there for 300 years. The site can probably stand vacant for a few more.

  • Peter says:

    Why the fascination with preserving houses, huts or hovels where composers lived ? It is a curiosity to see, but beyond that ?

    • Visit Ravel’s house at Monfort-l’Amaury, then ask your question again.

      • Dave T says:

        Roger: Best to just answer the question directly rather than send people on a 5000 mile wild goose chase to whereever the hell Monfort-l’Amaury is (I’m guessing it’s somewhere in France), so that they can– maybe– divine the intent of your remark.

        • Dave: my faith in the ArtsJournal readership is such that I imagine most people can, without knowing where Ravel’s house is, glean the intent of my remark. I can spell it out for you, though: I went to Ravel’s house (where it is is immaterial), and my relationship with the composer and his music was immensely enriched thereby.

          • Dave T says:

            Roger: Readership, including me and I will presume Peter, can infer from your first response that your visit was positive, maybe even valuable and enjoyable. One might wonder how so. What is it about the site of a writing desk, metronome, or veranda furniture which would enrich one’s relationship to a composer and his music?

  • Heddi says:

    I hope JS Bach did not have his undiscovered compositions in hiding places in his home. I write this because after reading about him, it seemed that pranks were played on him–such as when he was young, his favorite compositions to study were put on the top of tall shelves so that he could not reach them.

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