Bach FAQ 53
How Much Did Johann Sebastian Bach Earn?..
In Talers, in Ducats, in Ruble, Euro or Dollars?..
In any case, I believe that earnings aren’t easy to compare. That’s because you have to take into account the cost of living, the standard of living, and the economic conditions of the respective era. Whenever you’re assessing an income. A German teacher earns € 4,000 a month, while an American teacher earns $ 50,000 a year … it’s not that simple. The cost of living is the key factor. Just think about the price of a home in Germany. Compare the price of a house in Munich to the price of a house “somewhere” in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. So, it doesn’t work that way..
In general, it can be said that Bach was by no means rich, nor was he by any means wealthy. He was able to live very comfortably on his salary and the additional income he earned from playing at weddings, funerals, and celebrations. And he was also able to provide well for his family. This assessment certainly holds true because, to take 1735 as an example, the status symbols we know today – such as annual vacations, expensive cars, designer clothes, and high-tech gadgets – did not yet exist. And yes, there were already expensive clothes, and people could own horses, land, and real estate ... but you get my point..
The fact is that Johann Sebastian Bach began his job in Mühlhausen after an incredible fire that destroyed many houses. Because the cost of living became increasingly expensive for him and his family afterward – and for other reasons – he moved on to Weimar..
In a letter to his school friend from his days in Ohrdruf and Lüneburg, he wrote from Leipzig in despair that the high prices, that is, the cost of living in Leipzig, were so much higher that they wiped out the extra income he earned compared to his salary in Köthen..
The fact that his second wife did not live in prosperity during the ten years following Johann Sebastian Bach’s death also attests to the fact that he had not saved up a fortune, or, more precisely, not even a reasonable minimum income. However, this should not lead to the conclusion that Anna Magdalena lived and died in poverty. Discoveries in the 21st century have revealed that Bach likely held some shares (... stocks) in silver mines. However, very few people realize that such shares often required an additional financial contribution, rather than representing a fortune, however small. Ultimately, this discovery also does not tell us how many shares there were. Nor do we know how much money could ultimately be raised from them, or whether they yielded any profit at all..
One final indication of the Bachs’ financial situation in 1750 is the fact that Bach was initially “hastily buried”. There wasn’t even enough money for a proper funeral. And there was no money for a headstone either. Nothing else can really shed light on the question of what Bach actually earned. Even though I still owe you an answer here as to how many talers he likely received in Leipzig or “elsewhere.” I do, however, hope to convey a sense of what this master earned..
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