Otto Bettmann Books

Bach, the "holy cantor" church musician, has been often described in books. But the real Bach, the "eminently astute manager of his life," is frequently buried in endless, uninteresting detail. In contrast, Dr. Otto Bettmann's new book, Johann Sebastian As His World Knew Him, shows Bach with all his human the capable management of his vast family - two wives and twenty children - Bach's humor, his considerable business acumen, the all too human touches of eroticism, even his attitude toward death.With illustrations throughout and organized as an A to Z compendium of Bach's life and his glorious music, this book covers every significant subject about the master, including his faith and secretiveness, his interests in numerology and calligraphy, his roles as cantor and capellmeister, and more. Bettmann explains why for nearly eighty years after the death of the world's greatest composer, Bach sank into oblivion.

This book explains why the "good old days" were only good for a privileged few and why they were unrelentingly hard for most. Sobering, actually.