Bach FAQ 20
Why Did Johann Sebastian Bach Marry Two Times?..
Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach were happily married. During this time, they had seven children. Part of Bach’s duties at the court of Prince Leopold in Köthen included accompanying the prince on his travels, which could sometimes last for quite some time. It is worth noting that Bach felt so at home in Köthen that he himself wrote that he could very well imagine living, playing music, and composing there for the rest of his life. Things turned out differently..
Upon returning from one of his trips with his prince, who was also a friend, he did not learn until he entered his home that his wife had died during his absence. It is not known what illness claimed her life. Another blow for Johann Sebastian Bach was that his wife had, of course, already been buried..
Of course, the question remains whether Bach ultimately married a second time because he had to manage all the children, the household, and his career. That was a perfectly common reason for marriage at the time. Single fathers and mothers were a rather unusual “phenomenon” around 1700. Nevertheless, the opinions of Bach’s biographers differ significantly..
If in doubt, I tend to agree with the view that Bach married a second time because he had fallen in love with Anna Magdalena. After all, his wedding to her took place a full year and a half after the death of his first wife. By then, the children from his first marriage had certainly settled into life in a household without a mother. And Bach, too, had certainly organized his household over those 18 months in such a way that it functioned more perfectly with each passing week. Precisely because, in a large family, as siblings grow older – as difficult as it is – they eventually get used to the absence of a mother..
Anna Magdalena was an artist too, she was an educated singer, and she earned good money at the court of Köthen too. So she didn't marry as well for the reason, somebody had to care about her. So the question is left open, why actually Johann Sebastian Bach married a second time..
Anna Magdalena, his second wife, had been an artist herself. More specifically, she was a trained singer. She also earned a good living at the court in Köthen. So she certainly did not marry him simply to ensure that she would be "financially secure" from that point on. This leaves the question open as to why Johann Sebastian Bach married a second time. One reason of both is certainly true. That is also possible, that he had fallen in love with Anna Magdalena. Perhaps both options were equally valid..
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