er, 1707. In 1708, while at Muehlhausen, his
first considerable work, composed for the municipal elector, appeared.
His election at Saxe-Weimar was undoubtedly owing to his playing before
the Duke Wilhelm Ernst, and we can imagine with what pleasure the young
musician, conscious of great power, looked forward to the intellectual
and cultured life for which Weimar was renowned. In the course of a few
years Bach was appointed orchestral and concert director to the Duke.

The liberal atmosphere of Weimar, the appreciation of men whose opinion
was of worth, could but stimulate the mental faculties and widen the
range of thought, and there is a breadth of conception and majesty in
Bach at this period unknown before. With the assiduity of genius he
labored for the realization of his ideal. Palestrina, Lotti, and Caldara
were laid under contribution. The master transcribed the works of these
composers with his own hands, and arranged the violin concertos of
Vivaldi for the harpsichord and organ. It is ever with the greatest
artists. They assimulate all the forms of kindred art, yet never
sacrifice their individuality. The means enabling them to express their
inmost soul must be found, but their soul will alone dictate the form
which its expression will assume.

But Bach is approaching the close of the first period of his career. An
invitation has been given him (1717) to become conductor of the
orchestra at the court of Leopold of Anhalt-Koethen, a prince remarkable
for his benevolence and cultured attainments. Here his duties were
comparatively slight and his leisure abundant. Hitherto he had been
engaged, as it were, in the temple service. At Weimar he had developed
into a great tone-poet of sacred song. With refined strength and
exquisite perception he had gathered up the related parts of song,
weaving them into a unity of impassioned and majestic utterance.

But the great poet must have a wider experience. He must enter, as it
were, into the great deeps of sacred emotion in things natural; he must
perceive in the universe a deeper, a more majestic beauty even than in
the temple. Then he will become a great prophet among his fellows, and
illumine for all time the pathway of life, giving strength to the weak,
consolation to the weary, and song to the blithe and pure of heart. This
is what Bach became in tone. His attention at Koethen was directed
mainly to instrumental music.

We have previously remarked upon the endeavor