Johann Sebastian Bach, his Life, Art, and Work Part 12

(6) COMPOSED AT LEIPZIG: 1735-50

APPENDIX III. THE BACHGESELLSCHAFT EDITIONS OF BACH'S WORKS

The Bachgesellschaft was founded on December 15, 1850, issued its first volume in 1851, and was dissolved on January 27, 1900, upon the publication of its sixtieth and concluding volume. The Society had fulfilled its fundamental purpose-the publication of Bach's works-and on the very date of its dissolution the Neue Bachgesellschaft was founded with the object of popularising Bach's music by publis.h.i.+ng it in practicable form and by holding Bach Festivals. A secondary object, the foundation of a Bach Museum at Eisenach, in the house in which Bach was born, already has been achieved. Bach Festivals have been held at regular intervals-at Berlin in 1901, Leipzig in 1904, Eisenach-in connection with the opening of the Museum-in 1907, at Chemnitz in 1908, Duisburg in 1910, Breslau in 1912, Vienna in 1914. The publications of the new Society necessarily are unimportant by the side of those of its predecessor. It has, however, brought to light and published a Cantata overlooked by the old Bachgesellschaft. (See New B.G. XIII. (2).)

The publications of both Societies are quoted here by their year of issue-I., II., III., and so forth. When more than one volume has been published in a single year they are differentiated thus: XV.(1), XV.(2).

When a volume appeared upon a date subsequent to the Vereinsjahr it bears, the date of the Preface is indicated in a bracket, e.g. 1872[1876].

The editorial work of the original Bachgesellschaft was undertaken, in unequal proportions, by ten editors during fifty years. Of the Society's sixty volumes three were edited by Moritz Hauptmann (1851-58), one by Carl F. Becker (1853), two by Julius Rietz (1854-56), twenty-seven by Wilhelm Rust (1855-81), one by Franz Kroll (1866), eleven by Alfred Dorffel (1876-98), six by Paul Graf Waldersee (1881-94), five by Ernst Naumann (1886-94), two by Franz Wullner (1887-92), and two by Hermann Kretzschmar (1895-1900).