Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven Kindle Edition

Well, its taken me a very long time to read this book and its not a fault of the book. This is part biography of Bach (though not as much as many may like), part biography of various pieces of his church music and the imagination that birthed it, and in large part evocative description of Bach's sacred music itself. There is much to commend here. Gardiner is one of the foremost experts on Bach today, and not because he has read nearly everything there is to read about Bach, although he has probably done so judging from the footnotes and endnotes (the former are all worth reading as they are full of gems, the latter are typically only citation details). Gardiner is himself a musician and conductor and has undertaken one of the most interesting and unique feats of musical exploration ever conducted (pardon the pun, and see below).Gardiner is a leader in the recent trend (since the '70s) in musical exploration which attempts to play the music of a particular composer or era (for Bach, the Baroque) in the way its original hearers would have experienced it. As such, performances will be played on period instruments (ie. gut strings rather than steel, instruments crafted using original techniques rather than modern, etc.) and played in the way they likely would have been originally played (ie. in churches rather than concert halls, unamplified, and often at a much quicker pace than modern sensibilities usually gravitate toward). Gardiner's "insider" perspective on Bach's music as interpreted through Bach's life and religious convictions as well as through having stood in Bach's place as conductor throughout a full church calendar cycle is really what makes this book special.Gardiner is at his best as an author when he is at his best as a conductor. The book describes at great length not only the musicology and the performance but also the psychology and theology of some of Bach's most well known works. These descriptions often sore along verbally, mirroring the score itself as it is playing back in the mind of the author. I have to admit that prior to reading this book, Bach was already my favourite composer. However, while reading this book, I purchased (or was given by a friend who himself masterfully plays Baroque music on period instruments) several CDs of Bach's music, as many as possible of which were conducted by Gardiner, performed by his famous Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists and recorded in churches or cathedrals. I have to advocate for this way of reading this book. Listening to the very work, performed (or as Bach might have preferred to think of it, offered) as close as possible to the way it would have originally been sung and played, while reading Gardiner's often emotional and spiritual descriptions of the works is among the closest experiences I've ever come to reading in four dimensions. Many will classify this as a biographical/historical work, but there are profound observations of psychology, theology, philosophy, liturgics and worship here as well. I did not always agree with Gardiner's rendering of Bach's Lutheran psychology or of Bach's own spiritual struggles. I thought perhaps where Gardiner sometimes detected doubt in Bach's scoring of a particular portion of the gospels or other Scripture, one could just as easily interpret a tried but steady faith or a determination to believe the promises of God despite the upheavals of this earthly life (Bach lost an uncle and both parents by the time he was 10, and he lost his first wife and several of his children - 10 if I recall). Or perhaps as is more likely, it is a combination of all of the above. But even where I wondered if Gardiner was misinterpreting the inspiration behind some of Bach's scores or some of his margin notes in his favourite Bible commentaries, I know that I am far richer for having had someone like Gardiner lead me into the inner world of Bach's mind and his music.Gardiner is somewhat uniquely qualified to write this book. Not only has Bach been in the forefront of his consciousness since he was a child and his family had a famous original portrait of Bach hanging in their stairwell, "overseeing" the home, but Gardiner set out on a unique and mind-blowing "Bach cantata pilgrimage" in 2000 with his orchestra and choir, playing all (yes, ALL) of Bach's sacred cantatas in a 52 week period in churches around Europe and the US. This meant that they performed nearly everyday for a year, sometimes more than once a day, something that Bach himself would have done in his post as Thomascantor in Leipzig. When one does this, one really get's inside the head and heart of the great master even as he himself was inhabiting the seasons of the church year, recounting and witnessing as they do to the history of redemption through the life and work of Christ.If someone wants a basic and general introduction to Bach, I highly recommend not this. If you want an in depth biography of the life of Bach this is also not your book. However, if you want to begin to understand Bach's sense of sacred mission, his motivations, and above all the tapestry of his sacred music itself in all its variation, complexity, energy and beauty, this deep-dive is your guide.

Because of my long-held fascination with, and love for, the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, it only seemed natural that I would eventually begin seeking out biographies of the great composer. Many years ago, I read Christoph Wolff’s masterful “Bach: The Learned Musician.” Now I have just completed another fascinating study of Bach’s life: “Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven” by John Eliot Gardiner.Gardiner is, of course, the famed British conductor who specializes in “historically informed performances” of early music. As his marvelous book attests, he is both an excellent Bach scholar and a formidably talented writer. Gardiner faces the same limitations of other writers seeking to tell Johann Sebastian Bach’s story in any kind of lucid and detailed manner: there is precious little in the way of empirical historical data about Bach to guide biographers. Bach wrote almost nothing about himself, his surviving children left very little in writing about him, and the letters he wrote (that still exist) only reveal something of his curmudgeonly personality, but not much else.What Gardiner attempts to do in “Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven” is to explore Bach’s life primarily through his music – more specifically, his cantatas, passions, and other vocal works. In this, I think Gardiner succeeds very well. He includes as much biographical information as he can find, and then turns to an analysis of many of Bach’s most important works to give readers a glimpse of not only Bach’s innate musical genius, but of his humanity as well.I have two concerns about “Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven.” It is quite challenging to read, assuming (as it does) that readers have more than a passing knowledge of European history and of music (both of which I have). Gardiner also tends to interject anecdotes about himself and his own experiences on occasion, a habit that I find detracted slightly from my overall enjoyment of the book.Now that I am finished reading “Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven,” I feel that I have come to know the enigmatic Johann Sebastian Bach better through John Eliot Gardiner’s writing. Bach seems more “human” somehow – not only the colossal musical genius who has been a major influence on all genres of music for nearly three centuries now, but also an ordinary and flawed man who suffered much grief during his lifetime, and who persevered through a deep and abiding Christian faith that was the driving force behind everything he composed. Despite my minor criticisms of it, I think this is an excellent biography that I can easily recommend. (4½ Stars ^ 5)

I've only just received it. The contents may well be excellent but the reason I'm immediately giving it a poor review is because the print is so small I can hardly read it. I realise it's a fairly long book already, but I'd sooner have a lot more pages if it is then comfortable to read. Such a pity for an otherwise highly rated book.

Good and gets better as it goes on, but needs editing or a reader prepared to skip. Such an eloquent and persuasive man when talking and on the rostrum, but this book indulges itself in too many prolix asides and footnotes of slender relevance. I say this in spite of my immense gratitude for his peerless performances of the cantatas and Passions.

John Eliot Gardner really knows his subject. The problem can be that the weight of knowledge slows the story of Bach, and the number of explanatory notes makes reference heavy at times. However, Gardner's liking for his subject shines through, and you keep on reading absorbed in the man portrayed. As a straight read, it is impressive; as a "dip in " tome, it is fascinating. John Eliot Gardner has produced a real survey of Bach's life, times and music; enjoy it in whichever way you choose, and it will give you enlightenment and pleasure. Worth the effort.

A dog to read on a Kindle. I suspect it would be much enhanced by reading in the printed form. The innumerable footnotes are particularly trying on a Kindle. I struggled to see it as any sort of biography.

A very thorough and revealing insight into Bach's life and his antecedents. Those with a much deeper knowledge of the many other Baroque composers referred to and to Bach's vast panoply of works will enjoy it even more. It's a big read so make sure you have lots of time to spare.