Francis Hueffer

“ It is thus that Bach has vivified the rigid forms of the fugue with the fire of individual passion. About the peculiarities of his style, from a technical point of view, we can speak no further. How his style and his genius, neglected by his contemporaries, and obscured by other masters, like Haydn and Mozart, starting from a different basis and imbued with a different spirit, have ultimately been destined to exercise a potent spell on modern art, we have indicated
already. ”

“ In 1850, a century after his death, a society was started for the correct publication of all of Bach s remaining works, to which music owes the rescue from oblivion of some of its sublimest emanations. Amongst those who have vastly contributed to establish the rapport between our master s genius and modern lovers of art, we also mention Dr Robert Franz, himself one of Germany s greatest lyrical composers, who has edited and adapted to the resources of the modern orchestra several of Bach s most beautiful works. ”

“ By practising the music thus become his own on the pianoforte, he made himself master of the technique of an instrument, the capabilities of which he was destined to enlarge and develop by the works of his own genius. In 1698 his brother died, and Bach, at the age of fourteen, saw himself thrown on his own resources for his further means of support. ”