Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid Read Free Page B

I hear that they all now stand unfit for use in various corners of the Royal Palace."] The musicians went with him from room to room, and Bach was invited everywhere to try them and to play unpremeditated compositions. After he had gene en for some time, he asked the King to give him a subject for a Fugue, in order to execute it immediately without any preparation. The King admired the learned manner in which his subject was thus executed extempore: and, probably to see hew far such art t could be carried, expressed a wish to hear a Fugue with six Obligato parts. But as it is not every subject that is fit for such full harmony, Bach chose one himself, and immediately executed it to the astonishment of all present in the same magnificent and learned manner as he had done that of the King. His Majesty desired also to hear his performance en the organ. The next day therefore Bach was taken to all the organs in Potsdam, as lie had before been to Silbermann's fortepianos. After his return to Leipzig, he composed the subject, which he had received from the King, in three and six parts. added several artificial passages in strict canon to it, and had it engraved, under the title of "Musikalisches Opfer"
    [Musical Offering], and dedicated it to the Inventor.'

    FIGURE 3. The Royal Theme.

    When Bach sent a copy of his Musical Offering to the King, he included a dedicatory letter, which is of interest for its prose style if nothing else rather submissive and flattersome. From a modern perspective it seems comical. Also, it probably gives something of the flavor of Bach's apology for his appearance.2

    MOST GRACIOUS KING!

    In deepest humility I dedicate herewith to Your Majesty a musical offering, the noblest part of which derives from Your Majesty's own august hand. With awesome pleasure I still remember the very special Royal grace when, some time ago, during my visit in Potsdam, Your Majesty's Self deigned to play to me a theme for a fugue upon the clavier, and at the same time charged me most graciously to carry it out in Your Majesty's most august presence. To obey Your Majesty's command was my most humble dim. I noticed very soon, however, that, for lack of necessary preparation, the execution of the task did not fare as well as such an excellent theme demanded. I resoled therefore and promptly pledged myself to work out this right Royal theme more fully, and then make it known to the world. This resolve has now been carried out as well as possible, and it has none other than this irreproachable intent, to glorify, if only in a small point, the fame of a monarch whose greatness and power, as in all the sciences of war and peace, so especially in music, everyone must admire and revere. I make bold to add this most humble request: may Your Majesty deign to dignify the present modest labor with a gracious acceptance, and continue to grant Your Majesty's most august Royal grace to

    Your Majesty's
    most humble and obedient servant,
    THE AUTHOR
    Leipzig, July 7 1747

    Some twenty-seven years later, when Bach had been dead for twentyfour years, a Baron named Gottfried van Swieten-to whom, incidentally, Forkel dedicated his biography of Bach, and Beethoven dedicated his First Symphony-had a conversation with King Frederick, which he reported as follows:

    He [Frederick] spoke to me, among other things, of music, and of a great organist named Bach, who has been for a while in Berlin. This artist [Wilhelm Friedemann Bach] is endowed with a talent superior, in depth of harmonic knowledge and power of execution, to any 1 have heard or can imagine, while those who knew his father claim that he, in turn, was even greater. The King

    is of this opinion, and to prove it to me he sang aloud a chromatic fugue subject which he had given this old Bach, who on the spot had made of it a fugue in four parts, then in five parts, and finally in eight parts.'

    Of course there is no way of knowing whether it was King Frederick or Baron van Swieten who