Johann Sebastian Bach, Inventionen für Klavier, dreistimmige Sinfonie Nr. 3 BWV 789 und zweistimmige Invention Nr. 11 BWV 782, Autograph Beethovens

The source of counterpoint

Amongst the most persistent Beethoven legends is the remark attributed to him that he made about J. S. Bach, "Nicht Bach, sondern Meer sollte er heißen!" ("He should not be called stream but rather sea!" - a play on words, as the German word "Bach" means stream). Even if this remark had been invented, the message would, however, still be appropriate. As with everyone interested in music at the time, Beethoven greatly revered Bach's art. As early as 1801, he congratulated the Leipzig publisher Franz Anton Hoffmeister on his project to publish all of Bach's works, and also put his name down for a set. In July 1809 Beethoven asked Breitkopf & Härtel to send him a copy of all of J. S. Bach's scores, which they had in stock at the time. Johann Sebastian Bach was not known by the general public to the same degree as he is today until he was "rediscovered" by Mendelssohn (performance of the St. Matthew Passion in 1829). However, he was still well-known to musicians and lovers of music. The homage paid to the composer and the study of his works, in particular of his counterpoint, remained uninterrupted. It is therefore no wonder that Beethoven occupied himself with Bach. As with all of the composers from whom Beethoven wished to learn something, he copied out interesting works or solutions to problems. In his last ten years in particular Beethoven increasingly returned to counterpoint. The leaf shown here is from the time around 1817 and has also been connected with the Piano Sonata op. 106 which was written around the same time. The last movement of the sonata is an expansive fugue - Beethoven possibly spent time studying Bach's fugues as a preparation for this movement. (J.R.)