127.—SECURING MUSIC UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
Of the two hundred and forty-seven men of the name of Bach who were known as musicians, there were over fifty who were distinguished as composers and performers. In that part of Germany where the most of these quiet, home-loving people lived, they had been for generations so prominent in local musical affairs that the town musicians were. known as "the Bachs," even after there had ceased to be any of the name among them.
But of all the Bachs, John Sebastian was "the" Bach. He is generally known as simply "Sebastian," for the name "Johann" is found so constantly in the family that to use it alone would fail to distinguish the particular "Johann" that was meant. Out of the twenty-three most prominent Bachs, the first name of sixteen was "Johann" and six of them was labeled as "Johann Christoph." But there was only one "John Sebastian," and it is an incident in his early youth that we here relate.
At the age of ten years, little John Sebastian lost both his parents and was taken from Eisenach to Ohrdruff, where he made his home with his elder brother, one of the "John Christophs." The little fellow had begun his musical study with his father, and now continued under the tuition of his distinguished elder brother. Even at this age, his great genius began to manifest itself, for he would come to his lessons with his music learned by heart. Soon he began to aspire to higher and more difficult music than his teacher would allow him. It seems that John Christoph had laid away on the upper shelf of a certain cupboard a manuscript volume of pieces by Buxtehude, Frohberger, Pachelbel and other noted composers of that day, and this book the little Sebastian modestly requested be given him for study. His brother curtly refused and locked up the cupboard. But the young seeker after knowledge was not to be so easily defeated.
Determined to gain possession of the coveted treasure, he one night managed to get his hands through the openings of the latticed cupboard door, and, rolling up the manuscript, drew it out. Then for six months he would utilize the moonlight nights copying the music, and each night would again place it back in its proper place. But at the end of that time his nocturnal occupation was discovered and the brother was cruel enough to confiscate the result of his hard labor, and, it is said, burned it before the boy's eyes.