cantata ‘Gott ist mein Konig’. This, incidentally, was the only one of Bach’s cantatas to be published during his lifetime. This success gave Bach the hope to put in a long and detailed report, proposing a complete renovation and improvement of the organ. The council agreed to carry the proposals out, and Bach was given the job as supervising the work, for not only now was he a brilliant player, but he became an expert on constructing organs. The court orchestra consisted of twenty-two players. Bach’s function was mainly a violinist, however he also played harpsichord. Bach, on occasion, wrote some of the music that was played. During this period he wrote strictly for the organ, and he was rapidly becoming known throughout the country. As time went on, people were coming to see him far and wide. During the later years of his life Bach gradually withdrew inwards, producing some of the most profound statements of the baroque musical form. Bach’s creative energy was conserved for the highest flights of musical expression: the Mass in b minor, the Canonic Variations, the Goldberg Variations, and of course the Musical Offering displaying the art of canon. Bach had overworked in poor light throughout his life, and his eyesight now began to fail him. On the advice of his friends, Bach put himself in the hands of a visiting celebrated English ophthalmic specialist, John Taylor(who also operated on Handel). Two cataract operations were performed on his eyes, and their weakening effect was aggravated by a following infection. Then, on the morning of the 28th of July, 1750, he woke up to find he could bear strong light again, and see quite clearly. The same day he had a stroke, followed by a severe fever. He died. Bach was buried in St. John’s Cemetery which stood one block outside the town’s Grimma Gate in the early morning of July 31, and the absence of any tombstone his grave was s...
