referred to as being “gifted with good understanding, with art and skill, which make them respected and listened to in the churches, schools, and all the township, so that through them the Master’s work is praised.” Little is known of the life of Ambrosius beyond the fact that he is mentioned in the church register at Dornheim as “the celebrated town organist and musician of Eisenach.” Six children were born, the youngest being Johann Sebastian.

Johann Christoph Bach (No. 12) was Court musician to Count Ludwig Günther at Arnstadt. The first thing we hear of him relates to a kind of action for breach of promise of marriage brought before the Consistory at Arnstadt by Anna Cunigunda Wiener, with whom he had “kept company” and exchanged rings. The Consistory (a spiritual court) decided that Bach must marry her, but, with the independence of character which was peculiar to his family, he refused and defied them—an unheard-of thing for a musician to do in those days—declaring that he “hated the Wienerin so that he could not bear the sight of her.”[3] The case lingered for two and a half years, and ended in his favour. He remained single for many years afterwards, marrying eventually a daughter of the churchwarden of Ohrdruf.

Quarrels between Gräser, the town musician, and Johann Christoph Bach led to the dismissal of all the Court musicians on account of the disunion which made it impossible for music to prosper. For a time, therefore, he had to make a meagre living by “piping before the doors,” but after the death of the Count his successor reappointed Bach “Court musician and town piper.” At this time Adam Drese was Capellmeister at Arnstadt, and there exist catalogues of the Court musicians which are of interest as showing the kind of musical establishment that prevailed at the petty courts in Germany. One of these catalogues gives the names of seven singers, four violinists, three viola players, a contrabassist, and the organist Heinrich Bach (No. 6).

There were trumpeters, and extra singers from the school, who could also play stringed instruments, so that on occasion a very respectable string orchestra was available, consisting of twelve violins, three alto violas, three tenor violas, two bass viols, and a contrabasso. The violoncello does not seem to have been represented. Christoph Bach’s income in later life was sufficient not only to raise him above want, but to enable him to leave something to his family, on his death, in 1694, at the age of forty-eight.

Johann Christoph composed many chorale-vorspiele for the organ, of which forty-eight are preserved in a MS. formerly belonging to Spitta. The themes are worked out on the same lines as those of John Sebastian, but in a more elementary form. His vocal compositions are, however, much in advance of his instrumental works, and he seems certainly to have been the most important member of his family before his great nephew appeared.

Johann Michael Bach (No. 14) was an accomplished organist. His character may be imagined from the account of his appointment to the organistship of Gehren near Arnstadt, when we are told that after his examination, the authorities thanked the Count for having sent them a peaceable, retiring, and skillful performer. He was also made parish clerk, and his income from the two posts amounted to 74 gülden, 18 cords of wood, 5 measures of corn, 9 measures of barley, 3½ barrels of beer, some land, and a house free of rent. Besides being a composer he made clavichords and violins. His youngest daughter became Sebastian Bach’s first wife. A cantata on “Ach! bleib bei uns, Herr Jesu Christ” by him is preserved in the Bach archives in the Royal Library at Berlin, “full of interesting details and ingenious ideas.”[4] It is scored for four voices, two violins, three violas, bassoon, and organ, and is preceded by a “sonata.” Twelve of his motets are preserved, but they are incoherent in structure, being composed in a time of transition. Some of them are to be accompanied by strings which double the various voice parts, and ten of them are interwoven with chorales. In “Das Blut Jesu Christi” for five voices “the deep feeling of the compositions overcomes us with irresistible power, and one forgets the imperfection of the body in the beauty of the soul which shines through.”[5] Four of the motets are for double chorus and in some one can feel “the romantic spirit of Sebastian Bach.”

Johann Günther Bach (No. 15) was a good organist, and deputised for his father when absent from Arnstadt. Little is known of his life, but Hilgenfeldt says he is mentioned as a capable instrument maker as well as organist.

Johann Jacob Bach (No. 16) did not follow the musical profession.

Johann Christoph Bach (No. 17), also born at Erfurt, was cantor and organist of Unterzimmern near Erfurt. In 1698 he succeeded Michael Bach in the Cantorship at Gehren. He was threatened with removal by the Arnstadt authorities on account of his temper, though the threat was never carried out. He died in 1727.

Johann Bernhard Bach (No. 18), born at Erfurt, was at first organist in his native town, then at Magdeburg and afterwards succeeded Johann Christoph (No. 13) in 1703, as Court and town organist at Eisenach, and was also made Chamber Musician to the Duke of Sax-Eisenach. Of his compositions there remain four suites for