Did Bach’s wife write his finest works?

beatriz j a — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 17:28:00 GMT

Did Bach’s wife write his finest works?

Martin Jarvis, professor of music at Charles Darwin University in Australia, claims some of Johann Sebastian Bach’s best-loved works were actually written by his wife.

Martin Jarvis, professor of music at Charles Darwin University in Australia, argues that Anna Magdalena, Bach’s second wife, was actually the composer of some of his major works, including the Cello Suites.

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Prof Jarvis said he aims to overturn the “sexist” convention that recognised composers were always a “sole male creator”, to finally reinstate Mrs Bach into the history books.

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“What I found fascinating is the questions it raises about the assumptions we make: that music is always written by one person and all the great masters were male by definition,” she said.

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She pointed out that female musicians at the time were known to put their works out using a male relative’s name.

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Prof Jarvis, from Wales, said people felt threatened and embarrassed by his revelation, as well as being “frightened of ridicule” if they publicly back him.

The documentary, entitled Written by Mrs Bach, argues that Anna wrote the Cello Suites, the aria from the Goldberg Variations, and even the first prelude of the Well-tempered Clavier: Book I.

Ms Harralson said: “I think she is the author. The evidence is more in her favour than it is in Bach’s.”

Interessante, a questão dos receios de encarar as provas científicas pelo facto de credibilizarem uma mulher e porem em dúvida a reputação de um homem. Na civilização machista em que vivemos os homens, educados a rejeitar como pouco sérias as produções das mulheres em qualquer campo intelectual -os casos na ciência começam agora a ser conhecidos- têm vergonha que o seu nome lhes seja associado, mesmo quando o seu mérito é evidente.

IP

Did Bach’s wife write his finest works?

Did Bach’s wife write his finest works?

Martin Jarvis, professor of music at Charles Darwin University in Australia, claims some of Johann Sebastian Bach’s best-loved works were actually written by his wife.