Three new bellows; stronger wind to the four old ones,[26] a new 32 feet stop with a separate wind chest for it; renewal of the old bass wind chests; new and larger pipes, with differently arranged mouthpieces for the bass trombone; the addition of the new glockenspiel of twenty-four bells; the trumpet on the great to be removed and a 16 feet bassoon to take its place; the gemshorn to be changed for a viol da gamba of 8 feet; a 3 feet nassat to be put in instead of the quint; revoicing of all the rest of the pipes; sundry alterations in the choir-organ; and a coupler to connect it with the third manual; the tremulant to be put in working order.
Unfortunately, however, difficulties soon began to arise. He was looked upon as an outsider, for the post had previously always been held by a native; and obstacles which appeared insurmountable soon began to beset him. Religious differences arose between the “Pietists” and the “Old Lutherans,” the former being led by J.A.Frohne, dean of Mühlhausen, and the latter by G.C. Eilmar, archdeacon of the Church of the Blessed Virgin.
Pietist view of music
Bach sided with the orthodox Lutherans, and Eilmar was godfather to his first child. The Pietists conceived of art as part of “the world,” and therefore absolutely hostile to a Christian life: it could only be rightly used in religion, and then only in the narrowest possible of “spiritual songs” from which all expression must be excluded. Hence any attempt to introduce higher forms or new ideas must be sinful. It is easily seen, therefore, that Frohne would naturally place what obstacles he could in the way of Bach’s endeavours to raise church music to the highest possible artistic standard. Moreover, the Pietists were opposed to the doctrine of regeneration by baptism, and to the whole of the simple but truly religious views which Bach had inherited from generations of his family, dedicated to the work of the church as organists and cantors. He was no theologian, and was perfectly content with the faith of his fathers.
The most beautiful and deeply religious of his church cantatas were a sinful abomination in the eyes of the Pietists. What wonder then that he should have found difficulties and obstacles and want of appreciation in carrying out his aims. Even while he was in the midst of the interesting work of repairing his organ, the situation began to become intolerable, and a post at Weimar falling vacant, he took steps to obtain it.
Resigns his post
On June 5 he went to Arnstadt for the second wedding of his friend Pastor Stauber, who had performed the service a year before at Bach’s own wedding, and on June 25th 1708 he sent in his resignation to the Council at Mühlhausen, a year after he had received the appointment. He had always been on the best of terms with them, and it is evident, from the tone of his letter of resignation, that he was sorry to leave them. The Council on their side also regretted the step, but granted his dismissal, only requiring that he should supervise the repairs to the organ, which were not completed till 1709.
Third appointment
The post at Weimar, which he now obtained, was that of Court-organist and chamber-musician to Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Saxe-Weimar. Forkel says that he made a journey to Weimar, and so pleased the Duke with his organ-playing, that the post was at once offered to, and accepted by him. “Here,” says Hilgenfeldt, “he devoted himself to acquiring that overwhelming mastery of the organ for which his fame is assured for all time: and he also laid the foundation for his future greatness as a composer.”
His circumstances were now very favourable. His employer was a man of wide culture and refinement, deeply interested in music and other branches of art, but more particularly in church music. He was religious, and took much interest in religious matters; and in all things he and Bach were in the closest sympathy. Bach’s position at Weimar was much the same as that of Franz Liszt at the same Court in the nineteenth century.[27] It is interesting to observe how this small and poor Court for such a long period was famous for its encouragement of art and literature. Bach in the first decades of the eighteenth century, Goethe and Schiller in the last quarter of the eighteenth and first part of the nineteenth, Liszt and Wagner later on, besides many lesser men, received help and encouragement at this remarkable Thuringian “Residenz.”