Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician Chinese Translation And Book Review

Christoph Wolff’s Johann Sebastian Bach:the Learned Musician is the latest most detailed contribution on Bach’s biography. Based on analysis and interpretation of a number of material sources, Wolff gradually unfolds the life experience of the great musician Johann Sebastian Bach.Besides prologue and epilogue, the whole book consists of 12 chapters, at the end of which is listed necessary information, such as Lutheran Church Calender and Money and Living Costs in Bach’s Time, etc.. This essay selects prologue to chapter 6 for translation, which focus on Bach’s unknown early education and achievement.As one of the most important contributions made by Wolff, chapter 1-3 lay stress on the impact of Bach’s early education on his later musical activity.Chapter 4-6 discuss Bach’s early career and experience on performance and composition, which functions as preparation for brilliant achievement in Cothen and Leipzig.Apart from Bach’s own life, the book as well discusses about musical activity, geography, history, economy and society of German Baroque times in 17-18 century.The book review briefly introduces structural contents and discusses how Wolff designs the biography. Taking chapter 3 as example, the fourth part of the review specifically analyzes the way in which the book is written, i.e. a kind of non-linear narrative based on empirical analysis of material sources.With discussion on Bach’s biography study in China and other countries, the review also introduces the significance of this book, which is shown in other people’s comments and experience gained from translation.