Leopold and Bach: The Kothen Period

Leopold and Bach: The Kothen Period Prince Leopold von Anhalt-Kothen survives in most portraits as a sweet, somewhat decadent, Mona Lisa. He has chubby cheeks, pursed lips, and happy, inquisitive eyes. His wig is full and powdered an exquisite white; he wears a full set of armor with a neck sash and hair ribbon; he is never seen as being old, only vibrant and young. Leopold died at an early age but is immortalized through …

…Unfortunately, most of it has been lost. The Kothen period is known as the secular period for Bach. For a man revered almost as a saint in later centuries, this period is somewhat surprising. When Prince Leopold died at the age of 34, he and Bach were still close. Bach was honorary Kappelmeister of Kothen until the prince passed away in 1728. Theirs was a special relationship marred by politics and the inevitability of change. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**