Bach was not famous in his own time, certainly not an international superstar like Handel. Mendelssohn did organize a performance of the St. Matthew Passion, and that concert did much to popularize Bach. But it would be inaccurate to call Bach “forgotten” up to 1829, and Mendelssohn is not solely responsible for launching Bach’s posthumous career. Though the myth of Mendelssohn “discovering” Bach might lead one to imagine him as a musical Indiana Jones stumbling across a dusty manuscript, eyes widening as he gradually realizes its brilliance, that just wasn’t the case.
How “forgotten” was Bach? – Not Another Music History Cliché!
Werd Bach vergeten?
