Bach FAQ 166
Bach & AI ... Johann Sebastian Bach Meets Artificial Intelligence..
Three portraits of Bach in one hour: AI can do that with a text of only around 200 words. Well ... and then a particularly intensive post-processing is necessary. Post-processing? That's right, without it, AI cannot yet perform satisfactorily at the end of 2525. © Peter Bach, Jr..
Artificial intelligence, or AI: Never before has there been such a huge transformation in electronics in our everyday lives, both in business and in our private lives, as with the introduction of AI on a large scale: Both my brother Wolfgang and my wife Renate are “miles,” if not light years, ahead of me when it comes to programming and working with software and electronic devices. And yet I have “guided” both of them to Artificial Intelligence (... AI). To their great surprise, it has inspired them both. For me and my project, Artificial Intelligence and Johann Sebastian Bach have opened up three exciting areas. As a conservative Bach fan, I ask for your forgiveness: This page of my Bach website is also a “hobby within a hobby.” And that means?..
With these lines, I am naturally addressing the entire spectrum of visitors to this page in the field of music and image generation. This includes people who are not even familiar with the abbreviation AI. And those who, when reading my explanations ... further down ... may even start to yawn. I myself had to read up on the subject first. So this offer is more for easy-going Bach fans. By the way: I had another funny coincidence while Googling:... ..
Of all people, Dr. Dr. h.c. Joscha Bach gives a general lecture on AI in a video. And I found it: a 45-minute lecture ... and I don't understand a word of it. But dozens of comments express pure enthusiasm. So I guess the problem is me after all..
First things first: All illustrations on this, my page, were created using Artificial Intelligence. And all in a comparatively ultra-short "production time". Each work is based on a whole potpourri of ideas, instructions, and sentences, each with only around 200 words. So there are no "real" portraits of Johann Sebastian Bach on this site. They don't exist anyway. With one exception. Nor are there any real pictures of the three women in Johann Sebastian Bach's life, starting with Maria Barbara Bach..
Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach? No, no, no. I'm curious to see if Google is interested in this Maria Barbara. And whether she will one day appear in the search results. Text length as an "work assignment"? A whole 200 words. Added to this is the intensive post-processing by an artist who knows what she's doing. Namely, my wife Renate. © Peter Bach, Jr..
Johann Sebastian Bach with his second wife, Anna Magdalena Bach? Again, a categorical “no”! Both are only allowed to “pose” here because it is an experimental FAQ. How long did it take to create this "work of art"? All in all, around 60 minutes. How many words were needed? Three more than for the previous image, namely "... with a long braid". Truly breathtaking. © Peter Bach, Jr..
And who, please, is this lady at Bach's side? In any case, it is not organist Buxtehude's daughter, Anna Margaretha Buxtehude. Johann Sebastian Bach did not want to marry her because she was ten years older than he was. And ... because he had already decided on Maria Barbara Bach at that time. So who was it? The lady in the artwork above this caption. © Peter Bach, Jr..
More on the topic of “Johann Sebastian Bach and AI"..
Bach & AI ... Three Fascinating Fields..
1.
You have already been introduced to the first area of AI that fascinates me. This is the creation of paintings, drawings, and works of art that you can create by entering just a few short sentences into a search field. For my project, this is an incredible enrichment of the range of illustrations available in some areas. For example, FAQ 105, which deals with musical works, including those by Bach, that we sent to extraterrestrials. Today, it is completely illustrated with Artificial Intelligence. The same applies to the page you are currently reading ... FAQ 166..
It was exciting even at a very early stage, when AI was not yet the hype that the media reflects today. The question was who owns the copyright of an artwork produced with AI. For example, if you use software to raise the corners of Bach's mouth so that he smiles. Is it the property of the person who "sends" the work to the design software? Or does the copyright belong to the programmers who provide this software? Or to the company behind the website? Today, it has been clarified: With a subscription to this AI, you can do anything with the results ... even commercially. If you then also "tinker" extensively with the results of the AI, then your own publication is protected again, despite the use of AI..
The article on persoenlich.com, the online magazine for decision-makers and opinion leaders, is also an exciting read. It's about using AI and human skill to create a photo of Bach. One that comes close to his actual appearance. Of course, it is based on the only authentic painting, namely the one by Haußmann. The artist from Switzerland, who was enthusiastic about the project, came across an artist from India. The end result is a great pleasure to read. Then there is the video, with Bach, showing how Haußmann painted Bach – an actual deepfake – but finally in a positive sense. It is simply sensational. The article ends with the question of whether the effort was worth it. My “verdict”: absolutely!..
2.
This, my website, was created in 2012 and in the following years. Then, in 2024 and 2025, a major relaunch and overhaul was due. This meant that a lot of things had to be checked again: from spelling to facts and information. And AI, or more precisely Microsoft Pilot ... for example ... helped with this..
Of course, all AI results always had to be checked again meticulously and several times. But artificial intelligence as an answer offers more than "just" the actual result anyway. There is always valuable additional knowledge "included". Here is just one exciting example of this. It happened exactly one week before these lines were written..
It was about FAQ 154: "How do we know that Bach didn't just write music for the church"? So I searched for "evidence" of Bach's piety ... I thought of the Bibles that Bach is said to have owned ... and Artificial Intelligence came into play. My AI told me: "Bach owned 50 Bibles. Some of the originals can be seen in the Bach House in Eisenach“. I contacted Dr. Hansen, the director of the Bach House in Eisenach. He said: ”No, there were fewer than that“. He offered to provide me with a specialized article on this "discipline" (... "Bach Bibles") written by a Bach specialist from the Bach Archive..
I was pleased, but I didn't want to wait that long. So I googled again and consulted “my AI.” Another answer from the Artificial Intelligence was that Bach's will lists 53 theological writings: professionally written and traceable on a Google results page. With this information, I consulted my AI once again and asked how many of the 53 theological works mentioned were Bibles, and the result was eight..
It's like being at a flea market, searching almost obsessively for "treasures": one work of art after another came into being as AI and I “worked hand in hand.” And I just couldn't stop. Then came the perfect post-processing ... and it worked with every piece: better and better. © Peter Bach, Jr..
30 minutes of brainstorming, 200 words of continuous text, a few minutes of waiting. Then professional editing. And there it is: “Johann Sebastian Bach and female musicians, as well as a black grand piano”. © P. Bach Jr..
“Paint Johann Sebastian Bach in Andy Warhol style” is, of course, not the entire task assigned to my AI. It could certainly be a little more detailed. Well ... then I waited a few minutes. Finally, the complex, professional post-processing took place. © Peter Bach, Jr..
So, two areas are "covered". AI provides Bach information (... first) and Bach illustrations (... second). But there is another area that may be or become exciting for Bach fans..
The Third Area “Bach Meets AI”..
The third area related to Bach is the widely known novelty that AI, or Artificial Intelligence, brings with it. And what creative people, nerds, GEMA, and artists are so concerned about: How do you deal with music created by AI?..
The crux of the matter: Artificial Intelligence, AI, must learn and is programmed to do so. Without understanding the knowledge in depth, it can be roughly summarized that AI needs a lot of information and “results” from third parties in order to learn. Artificial Intelligence obtains this from the internet. And it “steals” it as a matter of course. This is not so obvious with images, and it is also difficult to trace with information. Even if parts of the results have clearly been “borrowed” from specific publications, determining authorship is very difficult, borderline, and of too little interest to matter..
But it's different with music. Because there are big players involved. First, there are the many successful music producers, composers, and performers alive today. “Music and AI” ... this topic has been popping up more and more recently when you’re channel surfing on TV looking for something exciting to watch. So I decided it was time to read up on the subject. That way, I can accompany you on your journey through “Bach and AI"..
Hard to believe: Just changing the name of a famous artist creates the image above. Replace the word “Warhol” in the sentence “Draw Johann Sebastian Bach in Warhol style” with “Pop Art” and you get another “gem". The same works with Dalí, Miro, Haring, Picasso, Monet, Kandinsky, Munch, and so many others. I came up with some of them myself, while others were provided by ... AI, of course. © Peter Bach, Jr..
Bach, Music, & AI... the Story Continues..
First, Lauren Hannah-Murphy, Program Manager at Google AI, honors the Baroque superstar Bach and has the first “Doodle” created. What is a Doodle? I'll find out. Will I google it? No. I'll ask ChatGPT: “What is a Doodle?”..
"Doodles are popular because of their accessible and informal nature, especially among amateur artists and illustrators. Some Google Doodles are animated or interactive and tell stories or invite users to play. Google Doodles are special, artistically designed variations of the Google logo that are displayed on the search engine's home page on special days (... such as holidays, anniversaries, or birthdays of famous people)."..
Unfortunately, Google ranks itself at number 1 for the keyword on its own search page. I won't know if this bothers me until my page appears among the top five results for the keywords “Bach,” “AI,” and “artificial intelligence.” Click here to go there..
The German magazine Stern provides the first exciting article, which you can read without having to pay for it. It refers to the first Google Doodle in my last section. It dates from 2019, when AI was still a “nerdy thing”: not yet found in every household, nor among the top 20 percent of internet users. However, these, my lines were written at the end of 2024. So that was five years later. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the Stern article, except that you can compose a few notes in the style of Bach. Is it worth reading? Not really. Nevertheless, here it is..
The topic “Bach meets AI”: another illustration. Ten such works were created with just a few sentences. How? Artificial Intelligence always starts from scratch with a new task. The tool does not refer to the previous answer, the previous content, or the previous image. © Peter Bach, Jr..
Much more exciting is the Deutschlandfunk article “Neural Network - New Bach Chorales from the Computer.” This is a comprehensive read that is exciting for both professionals and Bach fans, conservative and serious. For me, it's beyond my Bach horizon, but for anyone interested ... it's worth reading. It's from 2017, but that doesn't matter. Copyright didn't play a big role at that time in terms of the use and integration of AI..
The next event involving Bach and AI took place in 2023: It was certainly a Bach fan. He called on the Leipzig City Council to use AI to create a new Bach work for € 25,000. By petition. The petition was rejected for the reason that “AI is too stupid for Bach”. However, this quote is an interpretation by the Bild Newspaper. Here is the very short article. There is still no mention of copyright..
My clear favorites: pictures of Bach in the style of Dalì and Warhol. You learn more with each work. But that doesn't mean you can skip careful post-processing. Even the most modern AI still has some room for improvement. © Peter Bach, Jr..
You can find some exciting reading on the topic of “Bach, Law, and AI” on radio FM4 on ORF. “Who owns the rights when Artificial Intelligence composes music?” A lawyer takes an exciting look at this question. It is anything but easy to answer. You can read the moderately long article in detail here. Dr. Paul Fischer gives it his best shot. Incidentally, Dr. Fischer is not just “any” lawyer. He is the head of the Austrian AKM. In essence, this is the GEMA, so to speak, in Austria..
First of all, Fischer believes that, in principle, only works composed by humans are subject to copyright..
The first level of consideration when looking at a piece of music produced by AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is therefore quite simple to begin with. After all, such a piece of music is not audibly different from analog or conventionally produced music, that is, music that is composed and played. What does that mean and what are the consequences?..
Let's assume that a musician, and from now on even people who have no idea about composing, uses Artificial Intelligence to create a piece of music that is very reminiscent of the music of Abba, the Beatles, or even Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart. Then, with the publication of “his or her” work, whether with a music publisher, on YouTube, or other “stages,” two options open up for him or her. Firstly, they can “announce” that what the listener is enjoying was created by Artificial Intelligence and therefore – and this is important – was not composed by him or her, that is, by a human being..
According to the usual definition of all professionals involved, this work cannot be protected. Anyone can perform it on stage, modify it, and even “earn money” from it. And they can do so without the “musician” from the section above on this page receiving any money for it. Or being able to sue for a fee. Of course, in this case, no musical sequences may originate from a known or unknown piece by another musician..
Secondly, however, this person, that is, the AI user mentioned above, can also simply claim that he or she invented this musical work ... conservatively, with a pen on paper or, nowadays, on a computer. In other words, they came up with it. In other words, he or she composed it. He or she does not mention the AI: the AI “falls by the wayside”, so to speak. Then this work is protected: No one is allowed to use it without permission... that is, perform, sell, or modify it. Incidentally, for this copyright protection to be effective, the author does not have to be a member of GEMA or in a similar institution all over the world. Nor does he or she have to mark the work with a small copyright symbol ©..
Works, photos, paintings, and even pieces of music are protected even without explicit reference. However, in order to obtain money from a user who has used the piece without consultation, a composer who is not affiliated with GEMA or such an institution worldide must engage a lawyer at his or her own risk. And possibly even sue. If he or she loses, it could cost a lot of money..
If it remains unknown that the AI fan used AI, then the possibility that the company that programmed the AI could assert claims is also eliminated. After all, how could a lawyer or a court prove with certainty that a musician or AI fan did not compose and write down his or her work in their head?..
Of course, this is annoying for musicians, composers, and heirs of musicians with high financial input living today, such as the surviving relatives of Elvis or Michael Jackson. That's a lot of millions going down the drain (... a pun on my “Bach-über-Bach website”, as the German translation is "down the Bach"). The article by Dr. Paul Fischer, the aforementioned lawyer at AKM, provides a very detailed account of this. The interview took place between him and editor Katharina Seidler. Click here to read the full article..
At the beginning, the question is whether AI is even capable of expressing heartbreak and similar human emotions just as well as a human being can through music. However, this is completely irrelevant, because if it is composed worse than by a human, no one will be interested in the result. Fischer explains what I mentioned above: Only human works are “suitable for protection” at all. He then raises the question of when we can actually talk about AI. And at what point in the evolution of AI. Today? Five years ago? In 100 years?..
However, this raises the question of whether AI works can still be defined as worthy of protection in terms of music. According to Fischer, lawyers and academics are currently racking their brains over this issue..
Finally, however, another perspective emerges. Namely: the programming of an AI that achieves its high quality only by being “fed” famous examples. The AI then “researches” the internet itself to find useful audio material. This AI then comes across Bach, Mozart, Elvis, or Michael Jackson. For all four artists, it is important that such AI is not only guided by sheet music, but also searches for audible music. And this is almost always played by musicians who are still alive today or who have not been dead for very long. Ancient recordings on shellac records of music that has been dead for around 100 years are the exception..
“The law lags behind technology,” says Fischer, "when it comes to considering whether AI is a "machine personality. And therefore even has rights. So the fundamental question is whether robots can have rights at all. And that would be of epoch-making significance, not only for composing music. The question arises, in huge letters, whether self-driving cars can murder. And whether they can then be punished. It sounds like science fiction. Jules Verne sends his regards"..
“A second option,” he writes, “is to grant protection under ancillary copyright law.” But for me, that is completely out of the question. Because if the composer does not publish that he or she used AI, it doesn’t apply at all. So I do not agree with the lawyer that it could be a good middle ground between copyright for a computer and “no protection at all”..
Training data is what Fischer calls the music that AI needs in order to imitate the style of a band or composer: It involves an incredible amount of training data from the depths of the internet. It's about data mining. Only the composer of a musical work can authorize the collection and use of his or her musical ‘inventions’. With a positive option in favor of all music creators: It would be the "opt-out option" that prohibits the crawling of one’s own works. In order to supply AI with it..
The article provides further information, including details of an experiment conducted by artist Holly Herndorn, Smart Contracts. One particularly interesting section deals with the use of one's own voice. At ÖBB (... Austrian Federal Railways), all train announcements are made in a standardized voice by an artist well known among professionals. This situation has given rise to a special niche. It is the unmistakable voice of artists. And of celebrities, too. So what happens when AI not only composes in the style of Elvis Presley's works, but also sings with his voice? Can this artificial product then be marketed “free of charge”?..
If you are particularly interested in this, I have a few more examples for you: I would like to elaborate on this in three areas. In the world of investment, there is a highly successful US entrepreneur named Warren Buffet. He has a very recognizable voice. Listen to him yourself. Just click on the link here..
In the comedy world, Lisa Eckhart definitely has a unique and recognizable voice. And in politics, we have Donald Trump. All three “candidates” are 100% recognizable when you hear them. Even if you can't see them. Now for the special feature: Warren Buffett did not speak in this video... it was AI. It was only through a report on public television that I became aware that this bad habit is already a reality. And not, as I assumed above, a problem in the future. The proof? Take a look at the “disclaimer” at the beginning of the Buffett video. You'll need to pause the video to see it! There you can read what's going on. It explains that it's not Buffett commenting, but AI: unacceptable. Because you usually never read this note! And even this note is omitted by some deepfake voice cloners. See for yourself... by clicking here..
The best source for the current state of affairs in music is, of course, the statements made by GEMA itself on its website. Naturally, this information is presented from GEMA's perspective and may therefore not be entirely neutral in its wording. However, it is a substantial amount of reading material and fascinating reading at that. It also includes background information, analysis, and even FAQs. OpenAI is the opponent in the legal battle. It will be interesting to see how this lawsuit develops. Find out more here..
It should be clear to anyone who has even a passing familiarity with copyright law that texts may not be used verbatim for the setting of musical works. Nevertheless, here is the link to a report by BR24. Opponents here are also GEMA and OpenAI..
The Legal Data portal also addressed this issue in November 2024, and the article is worth reading..
Sound and Recording offers a report that is well worth reading. And goes a little deeper. Assuming you have some PC knowledge, you will learn more if you are familiar with music production. A little..
An article by Dr. Walter Späth on Anwalt.de is also extremely interesting. You can read it here in two minutes..
Of course, you can also obtain information from the highest authorities: The Federal Ministry of Justice offers reading material and information..
There are four more offers to choose from: firstly, that of the consumer portal: Of course, with this amount of reading material, some things are mentioned twice. But an internet search is always about that one sentence that cannot be found in other publications. And that is what makes the difference. That is why this paragraph also includes reading material from another law firm, “Rödel & Partner”..
Finally, this page also lists the offerings from Decoder.at. With its content, you are sure to be up to date..
There is indeed a “latecomer.” And this is where you can find it..
Now One More Thing: Marvel with Me and Please, Once Again... Bear with Me..
Do you know that feeling? You become obsessed with searching further and further because you are so impressed by the results. That happens in photo archives, at flea markets, in stores, and even when searching on Google. It was the same for me with this page..
What do you need? A subscription to AI software if you really enjoy “painting with AI”. And you need a short, concise text, for example, “Paint Johann Sebastian Bach in Andy Warhol style” (... and about 190 more words)..
The result inspires many who are creativity-minded. Well, very conservative Bach fans may shake their heads at this and the following motifs. And some genuine artists may too. But: It is not a question of portraying Mr. Bach realistically. The well-known Bach painter Rentsch (... he died in Weimar in 1723, so he lived during Bach's time) and his colleague in another era, Mr. Ihle, who lived and worked mainly in Esslingen am Neckar from 1702 to 1774, did not do this either. It is very likely that neither of them ever saw the young and very young Bach when he looked like he does in both paintings. And the two sculptures in Arnstadt, Dornheim, and Mühlhausen do neither reflect Bach's realistic appearance..
On the other hand, the words above not only produced a result in a few minutes, but each one produced another in the following minutes. Of course, it is important that we, like the designer of the Bach monument in Mühlhausen, “come as close as possible” to Bach's facial expression (... as in Haußmann's portrait). However, that was explicitly not the goal..
Then the following motifs are also not about emulating the big-name artists such as Miro, Warhol, Picasso, or Dali. How could that be possible?! Only the results in relation to so little text and at this speed of production are significant. Of course, some artworks require a little additional text. But ... this are often just three or four words such as “... add a cat” or “add planets”..
I am also enthusiastic about these “works of art” because my relationship with images of Bach began in 2012 when we traveled to Paris together. A 1,200-kilometer round trip. Solely to have a caricature of Bach drawn on the Place du Tertre, behind the Sacré Coeur church. This was because I was having trouble finding a high-quality portrait of Bach at the time. Shortly afterwards, my cousin in the USA painted the Bach portrait that has graced this website ever since. Between 2012 and 2024, I had more Bach portraits painted so that I could illustrate my website pages..
So please – this is my sincere request –enjoy the incredible results, which I would only like to share on this specific page and in two other FAQs on my website. Anything else would be too frivolous..
Well then, have fun!
Peter Bach, Jr..
A completely different style ... but it's always Bach. © Peter Bach, Jr..
No, this church does not exist anywhere. Except in my imagination. And likewise, there is no such portrait of the Leipzig Thomaskantor. © Peter Bach, Jr..
Once again in Salvador Dalí style ... I can't get enough of it. © Peter Bach, Jr..
For once, without any commentary. © Peter Bach, Jr..
In the style of Friedensreich Hundertwasser. © Peter Bach, Jr..
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