Greetings to you all:
This morning, on the 95th anniversary of the birth of my treasured friend and
mentor, Joseph Machlis, author of The Enjoyment of Music, I added two
entirely new sections to The Face Of Bach.
The first is a discussion of the painting that is said by some to be a
portrait of Bach and 3 of his sons. As you can tell by the title of the
section, I definitely do not agree, and, what's more, I am confident that my
evidence for identifying the subjects as members of another musical dynasty,
one to which Sebastian Bach and his family were close, will withstand
challenge.
The Portrait That Does NOT Depict J. S Bach With Three Of His Sons
The second new section is an analysis of the painting that is purported to be
a portrait of Bach at the age of about 30, midway through his term of duty in
Weimar. This justifiably well-loved image graces the covers of countless
recordings and is an illustration to be found in myriad books and articles.
But is it an accurate depiction of the face of Johann Sebastian Bach?
That is the question for which I have to give an answer that brought no
gladness into my heart.
The Portrait in Erfurt Alleged to Depict Bach, the Weimar Concertmeister - Is
this young man really Johann Sebastian Bach?
I hope that this finds all of you well and thriving as summer's end draws
nigh!
I apologize to those of you who inevitably have received more than one copy
of this announcement.
My best always,
Teri