An interesting and detailed work, covering the immigration of the Zilm family from Goltzen, Brandenburg, Prussia to South Australia in 1838. Giving a brief overview of each main Zilm and their descendants up to 1984. With black and white pictures of Zilm portraits, Zilms at work it is a fine document symbolising the struggle, faith and development of Old Lutheran pioneers in a new land free to worship and live as they pleased. I have copies if Zilm descendants are interested.

This intelligently written and insightful play takes modern drama to new, unchartered heights. Through his carefully meditated blend of moving original music and innovative stage manipulation, Shaffer is able to execute his own 'take' on the myth that is the life, love and losses of the infamous Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In doing so, he highlights the theme of creative genious and allows us the readership to gain understanding of the creative mindset. And through priveledged glances into the wars of the internal mind and poetic symbolism, we are able to view the protagonists not as bland 'puppets', but as three dimensional characters. Ingeniously written. A veritable feast of comic insights and puesdo-tragic episodes. Amadeus can not fail to please.

Amadeus, in my opinion, is Shaffer's masterpiece. Shaffer explores the familiar theme of man versus God at a new depth, but it is his treatment of the theme of mediocrity that gives this play its true bite. I find myself in this play and my guess is that you will too. Much like court composer Antonio Salieri, I am good at what I do and I am grateful that I have been endowed with the ability to excel professionally. Still, I am the not best (no matter how much I wish it for myself.) I am, however, blessed or cursed , depending on your perspective, with the ablity to recognize someone who has been given that special gift just as Antonio Salieri realizes the incredible musical talents of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Being truthful, like Salieri, I too can grow jealous, especially when I must work hard at something that comes so easily to someone gifted.

Traveling with Antonio Salieri as he deals with his own talents in the face of Mozart's is a rich, rewarding experience. It is a pleasure I urge you not to deny yourself and I promise that the play offers a much deeper character study than the film. If I had the option to give this 10 stars, I would. It is truly a masterpiece of late twentieth century theatre.

The book shows the relationship between Salieri, God, and Mozart, the talented musician. Even though the plot is mostely invented, it shows really nicely how cruel a vow with God can be if one is so grim to get his own success. It's interesting, how this play is connected with true facts, which you only understand knowing a bit of the real history of Mozart. We really liked the play, because it's thrilling and shows some important psychological aspects. Especially the relation between Mozart and his father is quite interesting. It's worth reading it, we really do recommend this great play. Lisa

Do not answer this to quickly. This book gives insight to the heart of a child where no other book that I have read has. Arnold brings out the best in parents to help them in the raising of children. Arnold challanges the ME centered life and shows the way to real parenting. This book should be read by young and old.

As a professional who works with children, I must say that this excellent book boldly confronts many of the problems children face today. Some of the issues are age-old, such as the child who does not fit in, while other issues like Ritalin and school violence have grown in recent years. In a hopeful, yet realistic way the author gives sound advice for all of us who interact with children. I will treasure and use this resource in my work, as well as in my family as my own child grows. Parents and anyone who works with children, I highly recommend this book!

There's nothing more heart-warming than a baby's first smile or a four-year-old's innocence and love. And there are few things more heart-breaking for parents than seeing a teenager drift away into isolation, rebellion, and hostility. Reading Endangered won't guarantee success in parenting, but this book offers more real, practical help than anything else I've seen. The advice is not theoretical, not religious, and not easy to follow, because it requires sacrifice from parents. But if you love your children enough to spend some effort, Endangered will give you a lot to think about and try out.

When I saw that The Well-Tempered Clavier had only received four and half stars, I asked myself "if one of the supreme masterworks of one of the greatest composers of all times only gets four and a half stars, what the heck gets five stars?"

I love this music, and I like the Dover edition. It's true, it's not quite as legible as the Henle Urtext edition (what is?), but it's about as good a version of the score, there are fewer page turns, and, since it's a fraction of the price of the Henle edition, you can afford to buy two copies, one for writing in, and one for when you want to look at a clean score.

Amazon's current price comes out to less than five cents a page. You can't photocopy it for less!

I've bought several copies over the years, so that I could give them away to people I thought would enjoy them.

No single work of music, by any composer, has brought me as much enjoyment. I'm buying another copy today so that I can have one in my office and one at home.

I'll stop raving now ...

This is the text to get if you're studying Bach's preludes and fugues. As both a pianist and an organist, this is a book i can take from one instrument to the other. It has a no-nonsense approach and gives you just what you need to play. I had used another text of the Well Tempered Clavier and prefer this one above it. At this price, it should be a must in any pianist's or organist's library.

Another incredible bargain from Dover. Although I think their edition of the Beethoven complete string quartets (in a single volume!) is probably the best buy in all of music, this edition of The Well Tempered Clavier is a strong competitor. (If only it had included The Art of Fugue!) This is the edition I recommend for my students because of the clarity, absence of artificial or misleading editorial markings, ease of page turns, and cost. It is not perfect; what edition EVER is--in this case, one of my quibbles is that of all the minor key fugues, only ONE (g# minor) ends without a piccardy (raised) third--it simply must be an oversight, and interestingly the accidental already present in the key signature is repeated unnecessarily. Surely B natural should have been B sharp in the final measure. Regardless of the slight problems, this is the single best tool to learn Baroque counterpoint in general and fugue specifically. No textbook I know of is capable of demonstrating the fluidity of form, nor describing the sophistication of melodic and contrapuntal writing that Bach employs. Every book I know of oversimplifies or even avoids the issues that Bach so admirably handles. The answers are here, in the music, not in a text. Absolutely invaluable for the serious music student.

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid debates, beautifully, the question of consciousness and the possibility of artificial intelligence. It is a book that attempts to discover the true meaning of "self."

As the book introduces the reader to cognitive science, the author draws heavily from the world of art to illustrate the finer points of mathematics. The works of M.C. Escher and J.S. Bach are discussed as well as other works in the world of art and music. Topics presented range from mathematics and meta-mathematics to programming, recursion, formal systems, multilevel systems, self-reference, self-representation and others.

Lest you think Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, to be a dry and boring book on a dry and boring topic, think again. Before each of the book's twenty chapters, Hofstadter has included a witty dialogue, in which Achilles, the Tortoise, and friends discuss various aspects that will later be examined by Hofstadter in the chapter to follow.

In writing these wonderful dialogues, Hofstadter created and entirely new form of art in which concepts are presented on two different levels simultaneously: form and content. The more obvious level of content presents each idea directly through the views of Achilles, Tortoise and company. Their views are sometimes right, often wrong, but always hilariously funny. The true beauty of this book, however, lies in the way Hofstadter interweaves these very ideas into the physical form of the dialogue. The form deals with the same mathematical concepts discussed by the characters, and is more than vaguely reminiscent of the musical pieces of Bach and printed works of Escher that the characters mention directly in their always-witty and sometimes hilarious, discussions.

One example is the "Crab Canon," that precedes Chapter Eight. This is a short but highly amusing piece that can be read, like the musical notes in Bach's Crab Canon, in either direction--from start to finish or from finish to start, resulting in the very same text. Although fiendishly difficult to write, the artistic beauty of that dialogue equals Bach's music or Escher's drawing of the same name.

As good as all this is (and it really is wonderful), it is only the beginning. Other topics include self-reference and self-representation (really quite different). The examples given can, and often do, lead to hilarious and paradoxical results.

In playfully presenting these concepts in a highly amusing manner, Hofstadter slowly and gently introduces the reader to more advanced mathematical ideas, like formal systems, the Church-Turing Thesis, Turing's Halting Problem and Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem.

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, does discuss some very serious topics and it can, at times, be a daunting book to handle and absorb. But it is always immensely enjoyable to read. The sheer joy of discovering the puns and playful gems hidden in the text are a part of what makes this book so very special. Anecdotes, word plays and Zen koans are additional aspects that help make this book an experience that many readers will come to feel to be a turning point in their lives.

Like every other book written by Hofstadter, Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, has an index and a bibliography that must be noted as exceptionally well done.

Although filled with English wordplay, this book is in no way tied to the American origin of its author. For years, it was thought that Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, would be impossible to translate, but so far, it has successfully been translated into French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Swedish, Dutch and Russian.

A profound and beautiful meditation on human thought and creativity, this book is indescribably gorgeous and definitely one of a kind.

Writing a book is an art. However, this normally does not refer to nonfiction books, especially scientific ones. Douglas R. Hofstadter's literary marvel is the exception. It is a philosophy book that reads like music, a work of art that many consider second to none.

Gödel, Escher, Bach (GEB) debates the question of consciousness and the possibility of artificial intelligence. It is a book that attempts to discover what "self" really means. Introducing the reader to cognitive science, GEB draws heavily from art to illustrate fine points in mathematics. The works of M.C. Escher and J.S. Bach are discussed, in addition to other works of art and music. The topics presented range from mathematics and meta-mathematics to programming, recursion (in math as well as in computing), formal systems, multilevel systems, self reference, self representation, and others.

I first read GEB some 20 years ago as a high school senior/college freshman. Even though I was a mathematically inclined physics major, an amateur classical musician, and a lightning-fast reader, the book still took me a year to finish. This is the sort of weighty tome where one reads a chapter, and then sets the book aside for awhile to let things settle in. It's no wonder that a poll by New Scientist magazine of highly-regarded scientists had to be rephrased as "EXCEPT for Godel Escher Bach, what scientific or technical book would you take to an uninhabited island?"

I will cheerfully confess that I cannot remember all of the details of the book, and that there were times when I simply couldn't get at what Hofstadter was trying to explain. Still, some of Hofstadter's writing has stayed with me the past two decades--his classic analogy of Godel's theorem with a stereo system, his discussion of the difficulties of creating an "accurate" translation (using the beginning of "Crime and Punishment"), his wondrous tying-together of math, music, and art. The totally math-phobic will find these, and many other concepts, readily accessible and even symbol-free. Wish I could say as much for some "general audience" philosophy books!

OK, young fool falls in love with married girl. Becomes friend of the couple. Husband starts to get annoyed. Hero declares his love and then commits suicide. You can read that in the paper once in a while. So, why is this a great novel and a landmark of Romantic literature? Because it has a lot to make us think. A famous fact related to this book is that, short after it was published, a series of suicides took place in Europe, mostly by young guys in the same situation as Werther. That should set clear the influence and strenght of the novel. It is extremely well written; the scenery is gorgeous -rural, upper class Germany in the Eighteenth century. The book is written as a secret diary addressed to a trusted friend, and to any readers, young or old, it will strike a chord in their hearts. Tell me, who is there that never experienced dreams of punishing that insensible beloved from school by committing suicide and then have her cry and repent at the funeral? But most of us are still here, with her or, most likely, with someone else or alone. We survived love's infatuation; Werther did not, and he is now a prototype of unlimited love (or lack of maturity, depending on your point of view). I prefer to see it as a great story written, at an early stage, by one of the greatest geniuses of all time. "Werther"

What is it about this particular novella which inspired a series of youthful suicides throughout Europe soon after its publication? Why did Napoleon insist on keeping the French translation with him during his campaign in Egypt? How did Goethe succeed in capturing the poignancy of the human heart, while fascinating a jaded but "enlightened" 18th century public? The young German author touched a universal chord with this slender volume, in which he offers tender insight on such diverse Romantic subjects as Love, Religion, Nature and Man's relationships with God and his fellow men. Why do critics consider it a classic of both German and World Literature?

Presented in a quaint literary style, this story consists of confidential diary entries and letters to a trusted friend, Wilhelm, by a senstitive protagonist, with the addition of editorial notes. (The latter results from the inveitable drawbacks of first-person narratives.) The plot unfolds as Werther, a young nobleman who interests himself in the daily activities of the peasantry, is enjoying an extended holiday in a scenic area of Germany. Free to savor the magnificent natural beauty around him, Werther is soon dazzled by the numerous charms of the delightful Charlotte--daughter of a local town dignitary. This paragon of feminie virtue and attraction appears more sensual and maternal than truly sexual.

Alas, the incomparable Lotte is already engaged to absent Albert, due home soon. Is she too naive to understand that in Werther she has acquired an ardent admirer? Is she aware of his easily-inflamed fascination, or the violent depths of his stifled emotions? Is she oblivious or heartless to his passionate despair once her fiance has returned? Just how long can she juggle two lovers, or even control her own dainty heart--which Goethe chastely and tantalizingly hides from us?

Readers will be be swept away on the floodtide of Gothe's untamed emotions, as poor Werther faces the inevitable. Ah, but which act requires or proves the greater bravery: to terminate the heart's torment by the simple act of Suicide, or to accept Life's harshness by continuing a lonely, meaningless existence? Which Hell is it better or nobler to endure: that of rejecting God's gift or that of eternal separation from the Beloved? The strain of a prolonged "menage a trois" can not be permitted to endure--neither from a literary or a moral point of view.

The last entries painfully point the way as Werther's despair cascades into definitive--albeit negative--action. Weep, hope forlornly with this ardent young man, even rage at his fate; then be swept away into the maelstrom of thwarted dreams. Analyze and pity Germany's most famous pre-Romantic hero, as he struggles though this psychological novel, for Goethe plays upon the reader's memory's heartstrings with the skill of Ossian's agonized harper.

I have just finished reading Goethe's Sorrows of Young Werther and I don't think I've read anything so powerfully moving in years. It is at once both tragic and beautiful. The story consists of letters that Werther has written to a friend describing his passion for "Lotte", his charming, but very married, love interest. We watch as the overly-romantic Werther gradually becomes unhinged and finally kills himself when he realizes he can't have his beloved. Besides this lovely, sad story you also get Goethe's beautiful translation of Ossian's poems near the end. Reading this novella brought back memories of how I once had such passionte yearnings for the loves of my own life --- before I thankfully (and regretfully) got more worldly-wise. This one will be high on my favorites list and will be re-read often.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up a copy of The Arcanum in a bookstore at the airport. I needed something to read on a four hour flight, and Janet Gleeson's book definitely fit the bill: it kept my attention for the whole four hours. The capsule on the back cover was what really caught my attention. It promised eccentric kings, dungeons and avarice of all kinds. The book did not disappoint! It's as much an entertaining look at how small things make a big difference in history as it is a factual and well-presented history of the introduction of porcelain manufacture in Europe.

Gleeson did her homework, and that enabled her to bring to life a cast of character that might have come out of the most imaginative of novels. Almost before our eyes we can see the Augustus' obsession with porcelain, and finding a way to manufacture it, drive events in European history. We see a young and desperate alchemist/charlatan who couldn't have gotten himself in more trouble if he tried. Gleeson weaves these, and other, figures and their strange tale into a history that reads almost like a novel.

If you enjoy Barbara Tuchman's books, I suspect that you'll like Janet Gleeson's, as well. Aside from the fascinating story, Gleeson provides a technical discussion of the substance of porcelain ware and its manufacture that should appeal to novice and expert alike. I enjoyed this book immensely; it gave the reader the whole package. I recommend it without reservation and I'll definitely be looking to read more books by this author.

Janet Gleeson's THE ARCANUM is a fascinating history of the "discovery" of porcelain by the Europeans. During the reign of Augustus the Strong, European royalty strived for political and financial superiority over one another. Their quest for riches led to the "science" of alchemy: turning lead into gold. He who had the power would rule absolutely, or so they thought.

Joseph Bottger was brought to the imperial court at Augustus' behest to unlock the secrets of alchemy. During his endless experiments, he stumbled upon a process for creating porcelain which in turn gave rise to the Meissen factory of world renown today. Bottger at one point attempted escape, and was captured and returned to the castle's laboratory. He was spared his life only because he was able to convince Augustus of the potential wealth the manufacture of porcelain could bring. So began Bottger's lifelong work of refining the porcelain's quality with particular regard to the purity of its color and opacity.

He spent decades in the bowels of the palace, for weeks at a time under inhumane working conditions. The firing rooms and the ovens they contained produced not only unbearably high temperatures, but noxious and often fatal fumes that would be likened to today's black lung disease suffered by coal miners.

Ms. Gleeson's tale is not only one of great wealth, but of the dire consequences that befell the not only Augustus, but all of Europe. Wars were fought not only for religion, but also for the desire to control the porcelain markets.

Educational and quite suspenseful. Excellent history lesson, Ms. Gleeson!

Janet Gleeson's writing is alive. Her research is remarkable. She puts us in the prison cell with Bottger, the alchemist who has failed to create gold and falls into near insanity, despairing over his condition. We experience the heat & toxic fumes of the factories. We have a front row seat to the corruption and greed of the great and mighty. But Gleeson doesn't forget the condition of the ordinary people who are also part of this story. Whether you are a collector of fine porcelain or a student of history, this book is a compelling read. And if you are planning to travel in the area, this book is a must read.

Cries from the Heart was my first introduction to the writings of Johann Christoph Arnold. Arnold has a deep faith, which probably comes somewhat naturally to him. His father was in ministry and his grandfather began a Christian community that stood up to the Nazi regime and had to flee Germany. By training, Arnold is a pastoral counselor, but in truth he is a more than simply a therapist, he is also a believer. He shares both his ministry and faith in this wonderful book. Arnold talks about the reality of pain in our world and offers stories of people who have had to cope in the midst of great tragedy and loss. His book also offers examples of people who suffer with everyday losses and tragedy. Arnold offers hope to people whose lives have been touched by pain, suffering, and hardship, but the hope he offers is not a feel good sort of hope but the assurance that in even life's most tragic and difficult times, people can live with hope.

I began to read this book early in 2002, when the priest sex abuse scandal was first rearing its ugly head in Boston. This was a time when many people of faith had more questions than answers. Even those who are not survivors of child sexual abuse felt hurt and betrayed by all that has happened. While this book did not give answers to the crisis, it did highlight the role of faith and belief when facing life's challenges.

Cries from the Heart was my first introduction to the writings of Johann Christoph Arnold. Arnold has a deep faith, which probably comes somewhat naturally to him. His father was in ministry and his grandfather began a Christian community that stood up to the Nazi regime and had to flee Germany. By training, Arnold is a pastoral counselor, but in truth he is a more than simply a therapist, he is also a believer. He shares both his ministry and faith in this wonderful book. Arnold talks about the reality of pain in our world and offers stories of people who have had to cope in the midst of great tragedy and loss. His book also offers examples of people who suffer with everyday losses and tragedy. Arnold offers hope to people whose lives have been touched by pain, suffering, and hardship, but the hope he offers is not a feel good sort of hope but the assurance that in even life's most tragic and difficult times, people can live with hope.Arnold's suggestions are both practical and helpful and can easily lead a person to prayer and reflection.

I began to read this book early in 2002, when the priest sex abuse scandal was first rearing its ugly head in Boston. This was a time when many people of faith had more questions than answers. Even those who are not survivors of child sexual abuse felt hurt and betrayed by all that has happened. While this book did not give answers to the crisis, it did highlight the role of faith and belief when facing life's challenges which I found to be very helpful.

This book is one of my favorites by J. Christoph Arnold. The stories are all about real people that suffered extreme pain and heartache. It helped me reflect on the heartaches in my own life that I never thought I would overcome. Christoph Arnold has an uncanny way of reaching people through his books in such a simple and profound way, that he reaches our souls with his words. I have recommended this book to everyone I know!

While the translator deserves praise in his efforts of tackling a difficult work, the result is average at best. The excision of text, as has already been noted by other reviewers, is the biggest reason to avoid this translation, but I will admit that it is perhaps the most accessible and easily read translation available. For those with a serious interest in Goethe and Faust, I would recommend the Walter Arndt/Cyrus Hamlin critical edition from Norton. I believe that to be a much more accurate rendering of Goethe's exemplary work.

I apologize for my ingorance if I'm wrong about this, but I don't believe anyone's translated Faust into English without trying to maintain a rhyme scheme. Readers of Homer will appreciate what I'm talking about when they consider Robert Fagles' wonderful new translations that are especially faithful and powerful because they don't compromise word-choice for what, in translation, can only be a synthetic kind of rhyme. I would much prefer a metrically unbalanced, blank verse extremely faithful word-for-word translation of Goethe than the forced-into-rhymed-verse Kaufmann has presented. I don't mean to belittle Kaufmann's abilities - for what his Faust is, it's great, possibly the best. But I feel like it's Kaufmann's Faust, not Goethe's. Some will argue that this is always the case with translation, but can't we come closer? Is the rhyme THAT important to us? I, for one, would gladly sacrifice it to authenticity.
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Actually, Stuart Atkins' translation is not force-rhymed, so that's probably the one to go with.

I want to open up by saying that this particular translation is above all others. The penguin version is awful. Secondly, I will say that "Faust" is beautifully written, putting Goethe on par with Shakespeare. Goethe captures the phenomena of boredom and low capacity of freedom. The Doctor, Faust, has studied philosophy, science, literautre, and so on, but still feels empty and disatisfed. What would you do? Would you, as he does, take company with the Devil?

There is humour, wit, eloquence of language, and detail. There has to be some reason why it is so praised by scholars today. Even Oscar Wilde, who wrote "The Picture of Dorian Gray," borrowed from it.

Be aware, though, of how difficult the play is to read.

This is a very detailed book covering a great deal about the life of Bach. A great deal of insight is on offer regarding the great man's life and times as well as the likely basis under which he produced his work. I have found that reading and re-reading this book has significantly enahnced my understanding of Bach's world - Thuringia in the first half of the 18th century.

There is more detail here in terms of how Bach lived and his day to day relations, both personal and professional, than anyone could possibly need. In terms of factual aspects concerning Bach and his life one could not expect or need anything more that this book and in this regard the book is successful; Christolph Wolff has been more than thorough in his research. So many points of detail are listed that I thought that I would come across one of Bach's laundry lists if I read for long enough. It could be said that there is actually too much detail here which doesn't significantly more forward one's understanding of Bach the man or Bach the musician. However, in an academic book such as this it is generally accepted that a surfeit of information does not constitute a lapse of quality. Concise is not an adjective which could be applied to the author.

However, there are two drawbacks for me in this book. The first is a relatively minor point but the second is very significant.

The first drawback is that the content of the book is, at times, meandering. Wolff seems to move around subjects and themes within a single chapter leaving the reader confused and unsatisfied. While there is plenty of information - sometimes too much even - the underlying structure is confused and confusing. This can appear as a meandering text which sometimes seems to lose the idea of the point it is pursuing. This is more a matter of style than an outright criticim however.

The second drawback is far more significant for me. Most people who would go to the extent of buying and reading this book would have a specific interest in Bach; that is his music represents something special to them. Many such readers will view Bach as a great genius; I am in that camp myself, no doubt so is Christolph Wolff. The main point about Bach is his musical, expecially compositorial skill. Why then is there no analysis of Bach's genius? How and where did it originate and how did it develop in his lifetime? How, in the view of the author, does Bach's genius manifest itself in his works. What is it about Bach which has raised his work to such an exalted level - how is this different to his contemporaries? The author scant regard to where Bach's creativity ebb and flow and how this manifested itself in his work. Little effort seems to be made in this book to consider the work of Bach in terms of how it could be analysed and contrasted - surely this is of primary importance in understanding Bach and his music.

I'm afraid that the dry factual/quantative approach which Wolff takes with regard to Bach's creative process is ultimately unrewarding for me. Most people who listen to Bach would be interested to hear the different musical aspects of, say the Masses. Why is the B Minor Mass considered great and how could it be compared in musical terms to the Mass in F for instance.
Which of Bach's cantatas are the ones to focus on when trying to expand one's understanding of his oeuvre? Merely listing the various Cantata cycles is not sufficient in terms of understanding the qualitative aspects of the music.

While this book gets behind the day to day Bach it does not give any insight into the creative core of Bach. This is certainly not easy given the essentially unknowable aspects of creative genius and the elapsed time since Bach's life - however I would have appreciated some effort on this front.

No book can serve the purposes of all potential readers and what this book covers it does in quality and detail. However an analysis of Bach's life should never be divorced from an analysis of his genius which the author seems to have done here.

Christolph Wolff is clearly a man who understands the life and times of Bach in great detail but I would have preferred to see more focus on the qualitative aspects of Bachs music.

In summary, then an informative and useful factual book but one which misses the opportunity to inform the reader as to the practicalities of the works of the great genius Bach.

J.S. Bach has been my longtime favorite classical composer, but while I knew he was one of the most influential composers in history, I never quite knew why. Moreover, he always seemed to have a tacit reputation as being rule-bound and stern, unlike the more dynamic, perhaps more charismatic, figures of Mozart and Beethoven (the latter's horrible temper notwithstanding). Cristoph Wolff's book has at last provided me with a fuller picture of Bach and his influence.

The subtitle "The Learned Musician" sets a primary theme for the work, namely Bach as the scholar-musician, who was able to pass rigorous theology exams in Latin and whose mastery of organ building was a significant achievement of engineering, math and acoustics, to say nothing of raw musical genius. A motif that crops up in this book is the comparison between Bach and Newton (which was made in Bach's time). Bach thought that there were rules of causality in canons just like there is causality in Nature, and used other musical pieces to explore theological concepts. Musical science is no mere metaphor applied by Wolff to Bach, but is something that the composer himself took very serious, and this was realized even by some of his contemporaries. Likewise Wolff also points out that this does not mean that Bach was some soulless theoretician either. Rather, Bach's work worked within rules of composition, but also broke and surpassed them when necessary. Bach refused to divorce theory from practice, so his collections of music like the Well-Tempered Clavier and the Art of the Fugue served to show how a particular form of music (e.g., the keyboard or the fugue) could be applied in just about any combination imaginable. These compositions were theoretical statements, albeit ones without words. Wolff does not get too bogged down in musical terms: this layman did struggle periodically, and I would understand more if I were a musician, but a lack of music theory would not destroy this books value to you.

Throughout the book Wolff shows how Bach's methodical perfectionism formed a powerful combination when joined with Bach's surprisingly passionate, joyful life. Just as his music was rigorous, Wolff also points out the profound, genuine emotion that goes into them. He also writes about some of Bach's comic cantatas--one in particular was written for a coffeehouse, and was written on coffee addiction. This did much to endear Bach to this college graduate's heart!

Just as important, Wolff presents Bach's musical odysseys within the context of his personal life. Troubles and triumphs with jobs, Bach's family life and personal anecdotes appear throughout the book with a special chapter at the end also dedicated to Bach's later home life. We learn of a man who always entertained guests despite a brutal work schedule, and who also managed to find time to buy his wife singing birds and flowers. Much of his life would sound quite familiar in America (e.g., rebellious sons, moving to a city with a better-paying job, etc.), and does much to remind us that Bach is a man, not some musical force of nature.

In the end, we have a picture of a man who used his art to explore nature and God, but did so with joy and while surrounded with a family to support and superiors to placate in the workplace. Now I have a foundation for appreciating some of his works that I never studied before, namely Bach's Masses and cantatata, and my appreciation for other works. I had previously read and enjoyed Douglas Hofstadter's _Godel, Escher, Bach_ (which I also recommend), and now I can why Hofstadter chose Bach to help him explore the nature of intelligence in both man and computers. Bach was truly a sort of scientist or natural philosopher, and Wolff lets you appreciate how Bach was both a philosopher and composer of beautiful music.

This is unquestionably the single volume Bach biography for non-specialists, although musicologists will find it invaluable as well. Wolff has done a lot of debunking of various Bach myths (i.e., "Bach died while writing the final fugue in Art of Fugue, and dictated the chorale in his last breath"), but stilll has never lost his sense of wonder about this giant. Wolff also does a better job than most of placing Bach in European intellectual history as a whole, not just musical history. His comparison of Bach to Newton, while not original, is apt and insightful. The best thing about this book, however, is that it led me back to the music with several new insights. For example, Wolff's analysis of the famous d minor tocatta (BWV 565) led me to realize just how advanced this very early work is. Highly reccomended.