Chronik der Anna Magdalena Bach

Anna Magdalena, the second wife of Johann Sebastian Bach relates: “He was a conductor, director of the chamber musicians at the court of Anhalt-Cöthen. My father was court and field trumpeter in Weissenfels, and my brother was a trumpeter in Anhalt-Zerbst where I had sung a few times, at the director’s discretion, with the orchestra. And soon I was engaged as a singer at the princely court of Anhalt-Cöthen. His wife had died the year before and, from this marriage, three sons and one daughter were still alive: Catharina Dorothea, Wilhelm Friedemann, Carl Philipp Emanuel and Johann Gottfried Bernhard. Father had began working on a little book for the piano for Friedemann in which, besides other exercises, two special opuses were added for the benefit of studious, musical young people. Soon he started on a small book for piano for me too. He worked under a graceful prince, who loved and was well versed in music, presuming he would be able to spend his lifetime at his court. However, this Serenissimus perchanced to marry a princess from Berenburg and as his inclination for music appeared to be growing lukewarm, especially since the new princess did not seem interested in the arts; God arranged for him to be appointed ‘Directore Musices’ and ‘Cantor’ at the Thomas School in Leipzig.”



Translated from: Festival-Programmblatt der 18. Internationalen Filmfestspiele Berlin 1968