In 1695, when Johann Sebastian was not quite ten years old, his father died. He lost his mother at an earlier period.(47) So, being left an orphan, he became dependent on his eldest brother, Johann Christoph, Organist at Ohrdruf,(48) from whom he received his earliest lessons on the Clavier.(49) His inclination and talent for music must already have been pronounced. For his brother no sooner had given him one piece to learn than the boy was demanding another more difficult. The most renowned Clavier composers of that day were Froberger,(50) Fischer,(51) Johann Caspar Kerl,(52) Pachelbel,(53) Buxtehude,(54) Bruhns,(55) and Böhm.(56) Johann Christoph possessed a book containing several pieces by these masters, and Bach begged earnestly for it, but without effect. Refusal increasing his determination, he laid his plans to get the book without his brother’s knowledge. It was kept on a book-shelf which had a latticed front. Bach’s hands were small. Inserting them, he got hold of the book, rolled it up, and drew it out. As he was not allowed a candle, he could only copy it on moonlight nights, and it was six months before he finished his heavy task. As soon as it was completed he looked forward to using in secret a treasure won by so much labour. But his brother found the copy and took it from him without pity, nor did Bach recover it until his brother’s death soon after.(57)
Being once more left destitute,(58) Johann Sebastian set out for Lüneburg with one of his Ohrdruf schoolfellows, named Erdmann(59) (afterwards Russian Resident at Danzig), and entered the choir of St. Michael’s Convent. His fine treble voice procured him a fair livelihood. But unfortunately he soon lost it and did not at once develop another. (60)
Meanwhile his ambition to play the Organ and Clavier remained as keen as ever, and impelled him to hear and practise everything that promised him improvement. For that purpose, while he was at Lüeburg, he several times travelled to Hamburg to hear the famous organist,(61) Johann Adam Reinken.(62) Often, too, he walked to Celle to hear the Duke’s French band play French music, which was a novelty in those parts.(63)
The date and circumstances of his removal from Lüneburg to Weimar are not precisely known.(64) He certainly became Court Musician there in 1703, when he was just over eighteen years of age.(65) But in the following year he gave up the post on his appointment as Organist to the new Church at Arnstadt, probably desiring to develop his taste for the Organ and realising that he would have better opportunities to do so at Arnstadt than at Weimar, where he was engaged simply to play the Violin.(66) At Arnstadt he set himself assiduously to study the works of the celebrated organists of the period, so far as his modest means permitted him, and in order to improve himself in composition(67) and Organ playing,(68) walked the whole way to Lübeck to hear Dietrich Buxtehude, Organist of St. Mary’s Church in that city, with whose compositions he was acquainted already. He remained there about three months,(69) listening to the celebrated Organist, but without making himself known to him, and returned to Arnstadt with his experience much increased.