10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Bach

Just to get you excited about The Bach Festival, we thought you might want to know a little more about the man behind the music.

• ·      Bach fathered 20 children, only 9 of which survived him
• ·      He spent about a month in jail after disrespecting the Duke of Weimar by accepting employment elsewhere
• ·      Bach traveled frequently, but he never actually left Germany
• ·      Bach once pulled a sword on a bassoonist who had accused him of slander
• ·      He was often invited to inspect the mechanics of church organs
• ·      Bach married his second cousin
• ·      Several of Bach’s children became professional musicians and composers
• ·      Bach was orphaned when he was 10
• ·      Despite living near each other, Bach and Handel never actually met
• ·      During Bach’s life, he was famous for being an organist, not for being a composer