In repayment for his elder brother’s care at Ohrdruf, Bach took charge of his nephew Bernhard[31] at Easter, 1715, teaching him the clavier and composition. Bernhard afterwards was appointed organist of Ohrdruf, in succession to his father. Some of his compositions still exist in MS. and show the influence of his uncle.
Bach’s duties at Cöthen did not comprise any organ playing or church music: in fact, he never held an organistship after he left Weimar. The organ of the castle was merely a little chamber instrument, with only thirteen stops, of which ten belonged to the two manuals and three to the pedals.
The Prince was highly cultivated, with a great taste for music, which had been developed by travels in Italy. After the custom of German princes of that time, he became a patron of art, practising it himself. Spitta (vol. ii. p. 3) infers from an inventory in the ducal archives at Cöthen, that he played the violin, gamba, and harpsichord.
There is no sign of there having been a trained chorus at Cöthen. One of the members of the band was Chr. F. Abel, who afterwards became famous as a viola-da-gambist, while his second son Karl Friedrich was the well-known virtuoso on this instrument.
J. Schneider became a pupil of Bach’s at this time. He was a violinist in the band, but afterwards became organist of the Nicolai-church at Leipsic. Bach’s salary here amounted to 400 thalers (about £60); it commenced from August 1, though he remained in office at Weimar until November.
The private performances at the castle were full of zeal for art. The Prince would not part with Bach, even for a short time, and took him on his journeys; Bach reciprocated this feeling, and cherished his memory after his early death. In the Royal Library at Berlin is the autograph of a serenade written for the Prince’s birthday. It is scored for soprano and bass solo voices, string band, harpsichord, two flutes and one bassoon: this being the entire resources available. The words, which are very meagre, are by an unknown author, probably Bach himself. The cantata itself is not published, but its music is used with other words in the Whitsuntide Cantata “Erhöhtes Fleisch und Blut.”[32]
In May 1718, and again in 1720, Bach and six members of the orchestra accompanied the Prince to Carlsbad. In November 1718 the Prince and his younger brother and sister stood god-parents to Bach’s seventh child, Leopold August, who died in the following year. The fact of so many high personages standing sponsor to this child is a proof of the estimation in which the Prince’s capellmeister was held.
Examines a new organ at Leipsic
Bach’s artistic journeys were continued from time to time, and on December 16, 1717, he found himself at Leipsic again, in response to an invitation to examine a large new organ recently erected in the University Church of St Paul. The builder was Johann Scheibe, and Bach declared it to be one of the best organs in Germany.
Death of first wife