The True Life of Johann Sebastian Bach by Klaus Eidam and Translated by Hoyt Roger ... The Very Best Bach Biography*
"The True Life of J.S. Bach" by Klaus Eidam and translated by Hoyt Roger: This is what the book looks like, if you decide, to buy it on AMAZON or elsewhere in English. The funny situation: In Germany and in German you can't buy this book anymore. Exception: as a used one, which I offer in my Publishing House. You guys in the US, in Great Britain and in the whole rest of the world, if you speak English, have even the option to buy it "hot off the press and new". However, sorry, you can't buy this English one in my shop. Sorry.
The One Bach Biography Among 700 Bach Biographies in 270 Years
The True Life of Johann Sebastian Bach. Does that mean that all the other 700 or so biographers about Bach before Klaus Eidam did not write about the composer's true life? Klaus Eidam was a Bach fan and a controversial writer. And with the title of his book, The True Life of Johann Sebastian Bach, on the one hand he did himself no favor, on the other hand it was exactly the title with which Eidam and his book differed from all the above-mentioned writers and authors with their works. Of course – in the year of publication, that is 2000 – Klaus Eidam was fiercely attacked, because his title was not only very special, but also very provocative. For not all Bach specialists who had been publishing for 270 years and who are still publishing were already deceased and thus could no longer defend themselves. Especially from Leipzig, Klaus Eidam was confronted with a very sharp headwind. Not least because the biography of Klaus Eidam was in direct competition with the publication of the world-famous Bach expert Professor Christoph Wolff. It is true that the biography about Bach by Professor Wolff existed before – it is regularly revised – and it will still be available in fresh print many years from now. Nevertheless, The True Life of Johann Sebastian Bach was, of course, at the time a serious competition for the established Bach reading of the time. And not only was Wolff's biography available for Bach enthusiasts to choose from ... there was the Bach biography by Martin d'Haart, various works by biographers from "lower leagues" and, above all, the great historical Bach biographies that can still be bought hot off the press today: the one by Forkel, the one by Spitta and the one by Albert Schweitzer. That's right, the Albert Schweitzer, who later was the famous jungle doctor. He was also – what most people don't know – a musicologist. And he was extremely successful at it. By the way, you can read more about Klaus Eidam here. And here you can still read what DIE WELT, a German newspaper, wrote about the book and Klaus Eidam at that time. And also with the review of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, also a German newspaper you can see for yourself what Eidam must have experienced at that time. It's a pity it's only available in German, but if you are much interested, copy and paste what you find and let the software Deepl translate it. I have done some research for you: Here is also the FAZ article. And now it might be up to you. Wolff or Eidam? My husband decided four times: for Eidam. And the next time: for him again ... no question at all.
Klaus Eidam. He died in 2006. His biography "The True Life of J.S. Bach" was one of two books, which he wrote. Plus, he created several musicals.
"The True Life of J.S. Bach" by Klaus Eidam and Hoyt Rogers and What My Husband, Peter Bach Jr. Has to Say About It
* ... finally the "little star" in the heading is explained. Of course the term the very best Bach biography is very subjective and "only my husband" has maybe this opinion about it. And maybe a few other Bach fans who have read it, too. He – my husband – has read it four times, and he is looking forward to the fifth time. But you have already read about that above. Here only mentioned again because of the little star (...yes, the asterisk, not the Asterix). He – my husband – describes the work of Klaus Eidam as an exciting mixture between Bach biography and (... almost) conspiracy theory. You can't call it any other way when Klaus Eidam attacks the "Crème de la Crème" of Bach specialists in the music metropolis of Leipzig and all over the planet. Personally and also the Institution of the "The New Bachgesellschaft (... The New Bach Society)". You smile about it again and again, and you are impressed by the evidence of the Bach connoisseur. This biography The True Life of Johann Sebastian Bach is the opposite of boring for my husband. He finds it extremely exciting, captivating, not instructive, simple ... different.
Three real competitors for the favor of many Bach fans. No question, Professor Wolff wins. With his book (... that is not displayed above), in many, many editions and that is true for many decades. Of course my husband wanted to read both and tell you – after his read – his recommendation. The biography from Wolff is what he started three times. And he quit. Each time. Maybe, because it never has been his goal, to become a Bach expert. Wolff's Bach ist a "heavyweight". A heavyweight of knowledge, of expertise, of complexity, of amount. It is a masterpiece, a masterpiece of biography. And why did my husband give up three times? It's too detailed, too "hard to digest" too ... well he doesn't want to publish the matching word. He recommends you the first two books above. Yes ... and now the third book in the trilogy – next to the two masterpieces in the matter of Bach in the picture above – pure and simple advertisement for the biography of my husband. For a "real" biography his knowledge is not good enough in "a thousand cold winters" – is what he says – however, for children, that is a whole different animal. Plus yes, I know, the whole page, even better actually the whole website – is commercial.
Exciting, Exciting ... This "True Life of Johann Sebastian Bach" ... From the German Bach Author Klaus Eidam and the Translator Hoyt Rogers
So, Klaus Eidam wrote provocatively and that's why his book about Bach is particularly exciting. Unfortunately, there has never been a ranking among Bach fans on Bach biographies, in which his book was actually entitled to a place in the "Top 10" ever. Because in times of the much more respected reviews of the specialized press and without those of the "ordinary Bach fans" as well as the broad reviews on Amazon and Co. Klaus Eidam and his biography The True Life of Johann Sebastian Bach had an incredibly difficult stand. Without this provocative title, hardly anyone would have taken notice of him: There are simply too many books and also biographies about Johann Sebastian Bach appearing and appeared. Often several in one year. However, with this provocative title – which actually implies that all other biographers only copy, and many actually do – he naturally aroused the displeasure of the fans of all other Bach biographies and Bach books. Specifically, the Bach fans who found current and conservative biographies excellent, as well as the Bach lovers who gave and still give preference to historical Bach biographies. Everyone knows today what lasting damage reviews on Amazon and Co. leave behind. They are devastating when they "crossfire" too massively on a book, service or other product. That's what happened to Eidam's biography even before the internet's golden age. It was successful ... but nowhere near as successful as the biography was outstanding.
"The True Life of Johann Sebastian Bach" Forever ... Thanks to the J.S. Bach Mission of Two Bachs from Flein in Southern Germany
By the way, Flein is located near Heilbronn, north of Stuttgart, in Baden-Württemberg, Southern Germany and is home to Renate Bach and Peter Bach Jr., who, with their Johann Sebastian Bach Mission, want to spread the master's work and music even more throughout the world. In many countries and on all continents (... almost all of them) and both wanting to reach many more young people early in their lives.
Peter Bach Jr. takes a completely "cross-knitted" approach with his project. There are his websites about Johann Sebastian Bach and one area is Bach cities, Bach monuments and Bach Festival Days as well as Bach Weeks. Then there are about 222 Bach associations, Bach choirs and Bach orchestras. A wide variety of videos are a topic. Bach fans naturally want to inspire regarding their idol, many simply want to "missionize". But in a manner appropriate to Classical Music and above all with Bach's music and with the reverence that simply fits a subject like Johann Sebastian Bach.
The biography "The True Life of Johann Sebastian Bach" doesn't fit in. Too little reverent, too little adapted, too loud, too intense, too exciting, too funny, too ... the cuckoo knows what else. And so is Bach über Bach (... Bach on Bach), the project of Peter Bach Jr.! That was always the essential point, in which the author of the numerous websites in the matter of J.S. Bach wanted to present. "My Bach" just wants to "transport" Bach in the modern way. And this is reflected in his Bach project. Unadjusted, cheeky, exciting, funny, interesting ... that's how my husband describes his "work" around the master composer and at the same time the shining light of the biggest family of musicians on earth. And indeed of all time. And with a huge distance to the number 2 in comparable "quality", that is the family Liszt / Wagner. Or the Jacksons?
Peter Bach Jr. would have loved to have met the disputatious Klaus Eidam, he says, because even if they "played in different leagues", both Bach fans had one thing in common: Both want to stir things up, address new target groups, tackle a concern completely "outside the box". That's how Eidam's biography turned out, and that's also how the Bach Project of the Flein resident Peter Bach Jr. is "knitted".
These are the five products (... since 2019 there are six items, because a historical Bach beer stein from the year 2000 added), that the Calendar Publishing House "Bach 4 You" offers as historical Bach treasures. With the purchase of each of these historical articles, there are six free add-ons. So, for example, you can order the biography "The True Life of Johann Sebastian Bach" by Klaus Eidam used, but in a top quality and at the same time get excited about the audiobook "Johann Sebastian Bach for Children" with Bach's music. And get it in addition also as eBook or via your tablet as PDF. Or get excited about the light blue/dark blue Bach beer stein from 1985 and look forward to discovering the 16,800 sheets of music full of Bach music. And of course, both the "Bach Quotes Medley" and the oldest Bach biography from 1750, the Bach Obituary, are really exciting listening fun. To the shop.
Buy Eidam's masterpiece (... sorry, only in German) and get the six free add-ons above. This is your option if you order "The True Life of Johann Sebastian Bach" by Klaus Eidam in German. If you order both top Bach books, that is "The Little Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach" (... sorry, also only in German) by Esther Meynell and the book by Eidam, then there is a special price for both: They are then 15% more favorable. Why do you get these add-ons? Well, so that you like to shop in the store of "Bach 4 You" when it comes to Bach. Because with the small profit we want to optimize the Bach project. With all kinds of components that also cost money besides time: Illustrations, Bach genealogy, photos of Bach locations around the world. For example, there's a cool Bach memorial in Pittsburgh in the USA. If we want to get optimal photos of it, we need a photographer on the spot ... and best weather besides. Thank you for visiting the store.
10,000+ Music Gifts and 10,000+ Gifts for Musicians
On very many pages of the websites in our Johann Sebastian Bach Mission, the author of the pages presents a music calendar at the bottom. A Bach calendar, as in the picture above, a composers calendar, of them there are whole 33 or a music calendar, to which the Bach and the composers calendars also belong. Together there are 99. Just take a look at the titles of all of them. And the next time you don't know what to give as a gift, remember the many options. To the shop.
Please support our Johann Sebastian Bach Mission … learn more here.
On the left side is one of the more than cool Bach calendars. However ... not all Bach calendars are for teens and children, there are also very conservative ones. On the right side is the Little Bach Figure.
One Bach calendar, two composers calendars, three music calendars. Three sizes. 2024 + 2025.