When he was fifteen he was obliged to leave his brother’s house, and he now determined to make his own way independently of assistance from others. Recommended by Herda, the cantor of the Lyceum, he went to the school of the convent of St Michael at Lüneburg, accompanied by his friend Georg Erdmann, about Easter 1700, and both were admitted to the choir as discantists with a salary. Bach’s voice soon broke, but he remained three years at Lüneburg as accompanist at rehearsals, besides playing the violin when required and taking part in the band that played through the streets at the New Year. His salary was probably twelve thalers a year, besides free board and lodging, and a share in the profits of the processional performances in the streets.
Lüneburg, like Eisenach, seems to have cultivated music with considerable energy. Besides the choir of which Bach became a member, there was a similar one belonging to the school of St John, and the rivalry which naturally arose led to collisions, which were put an end to by certain streets being allotted to each choir for its performances.
Earnest Student
Bach, being now above want, devoted the whole of his available time to self-improvement, in spite of the great demands made on him by his duties. He found in the library of the convent compositions by all the best composers up to that period—Hammerschmidt, Scheidt, Ahle, Briegel, Schütz, Rosenmüller, Michael, Schop, Jeep, Krieger, Selle, Crüger, and his own relatives Heinrich and John Christoph Bach. To these compositions we know that he devoted unremitting study, and at the same time worked with enormous industry day and night to improve his technique on keyboard instruments.
The organist of St John’s Church was Böhm, a native of Thuringia, and a man of considerable genius. He had studied in Hamburg, and his compositions show the influence of Sweelinck and of Reinken the organist of St Catherine’s Church. The distinguishing characteristics of his school were “technical neatness, pleasing ingenuity, and a taste for subtle effects of tone.”[10]
Bach was now learning all he could from Böhm, but in order to further advance himself he made several expeditions to Hamburg on foot, a distance of some 25 English miles.
Of one of these expeditions the following story is told. Bach, on his return journey, sat down outside an inn halfway between the two cities with not sufficient money in his pocket to avail himself of the excellent dinner that was being prepared, the odours of which reached him from the kitchen, when a window was suddenly opened and two herrings’ heads were thrown out. The herring in those days, as now, was one of the favourite articles of food in Germany, and the boy at once picked up the two heads. Inside each he found a Danish ducat. Who his benefactor was never became known to him; and the money not only paid for a dinner, but another journey to Hamburg as well.
From Reinken he obtained models for his early compositions of which Spitta mentions three as showing Reinken’s influence; organ arrangements of the two chorales “Es ist gewisslich an der Zeit,”[11] “An Wasserflüssen Babylon”;[12] and a toccata in G.
But Bach was not satisfied to study only the works of his own countrymen. About forty-five English miles to the south of Lüneburg is Celle, where the ducal court maintained a band which played French dance music, and where also French harpsichord music was held in considerable estimation. He took frequent opportunities of hearing this band, and so became familiar with the French style of music, which he admired, and much of which he copied.
Spitta considers that the chorale partitas “Christ, der du bist der helle Tag,” and “O Gott, du frommer Gott,”[13] were composed at Lüneburg, since they were certainly early works, and show the influence of Böhm, in the elaboration of the motives and the use of basso ostinato, &c. It would seem that there was no good organ at Lüneburg, for his compositions of this period are either for harpsichord or, if for organ, show that he was not yet experienced in writing for the latter instrument.