The post at Weimar, which he now obtained, was that of Court-organist and chamber-musician to Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Saxe-Weimar. Forkel says that he made a journey to Weimar, and so pleased the Duke with his organ-playing, that the post was at once offered to, and accepted by him. “Here,” says Hilgenfeldt, “he devoted himself to acquiring that overwhelming mastery of the organ for which his fame is assured for all time: and he also laid the foundation for his future greatness as a composer.”
His circumstances were now very favourable. His employer was a man of wide culture and refinement, deeply interested in music and other branches of art, but more particularly in church music. He was religious, and took much interest in religious matters; and in all things he and Bach were in the closest sympathy. Bach’s position at Weimar was much the same as that of Franz Liszt at the same Court in the nineteenth century.[27] It is interesting to observe how this small and poor Court for such a long period was famous for its encouragement of art and literature. Bach in the first decades of the eighteenth century, Goethe and Schiller in the last quarter of the eighteenth and first part of the nineteenth, Liszt and Wagner later on, besides many lesser men, received help and encouragement at this remarkable Thuringian “Residenz.”
Bach, as we have seen, was appointed organist and “Kammermusikus” (chamber-musician)--his salary for the first three years being 156 gülden, 15 groschen (£15, 13s. 3d.), which was always punctually paid, but in 1711, 1713, and 1714 it was considerably increased.
The organ of the castle was small, but had a good pedal. There were 9 stops on the Great, 8 on the Choir, and 7 on the Pedal. The pitch was a minor third below the kammerton or ordinary pitch.
As Kammermusikus Bach played the harpsichord and violin, and afterwards became “Concertmeister” or leader. The number of musicians was about twenty-two, including singers, but the latter could also play some instruments, and many members of the band performed on several. The orchestra would also be occasionally strengthened by the addition of the town musicians. Johann G. Walther was organist of the town church, and a great friendship sprang up between the two men. He was connected with Bach by marriage, his mother being a Lämmerhirt. One of his chorales has been erroneously ascribed to Bach. It is Peters, vol. 245, Book vi., No. 24--“Gott der Vater wohn’ uns bei.”