For 35 years, Peter Wollny felt an 'inner duty' to uncover the truth about two mysterious organ compositions attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach. In 1992, while researching in a dusty library, he stumbled upon two intriguing sheets of music that sparked his curiosity. The graduate student at Harvard University had been studying the life and music of Bach's eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, but the unusual style of these two works stood out from the rest.
As Wollny delved deeper into the documents, he realized that they defied the conventions of mainstream composition during that era. The composers' use of bold techniques, such as stretching the ostinato bass motif to 16 bars, was unprecedented. This sparked his fascination with the handwriting of the original author and led him to notice unique characteristics that only a handful of people could replicate.
The handwriting matched another document from 1727, written by Salomon Günther John, who applied for an organist job in Schleiz, Thuringia. A letter from John described learning his instrument under Bach's guidance, adding weight to the theory that these works were composed by a young student rather than the famous teacher.
However, there were too many small mistakes in the notation to be attributed solely to a novice composer. The breakthrough came when Wollny discovered a court document written by John dated 1716, which matched the handwriting with absolute certainty.
For Wollny, this revelation was not just about unearthing lost works but also about acknowledging the complexity of artistic creation and the role of human error in the creative process. As he reflected on his journey, he acknowledged that technology may one day make such discoveries easier and more efficient. Nevertheless, he remains content with having fulfilled his 'inner duty' to uncover the truth.
The rediscovery of these two lost organ works not only sheds light on Bach's compositional style but also highlights the dedication and perseverance required of musicologists like Wollny in their pursuit of artistic truth.
As Wollny delved deeper into the documents, he realized that they defied the conventions of mainstream composition during that era. The composers' use of bold techniques, such as stretching the ostinato bass motif to 16 bars, was unprecedented. This sparked his fascination with the handwriting of the original author and led him to notice unique characteristics that only a handful of people could replicate.
The handwriting matched another document from 1727, written by Salomon Günther John, who applied for an organist job in Schleiz, Thuringia. A letter from John described learning his instrument under Bach's guidance, adding weight to the theory that these works were composed by a young student rather than the famous teacher.
However, there were too many small mistakes in the notation to be attributed solely to a novice composer. The breakthrough came when Wollny discovered a court document written by John dated 1716, which matched the handwriting with absolute certainty.
For Wollny, this revelation was not just about unearthing lost works but also about acknowledging the complexity of artistic creation and the role of human error in the creative process. As he reflected on his journey, he acknowledged that technology may one day make such discoveries easier and more efficient. Nevertheless, he remains content with having fulfilled his 'inner duty' to uncover the truth.
The rediscovery of these two lost organ works not only sheds light on Bach's compositional style but also highlights the dedication and perseverance required of musicologists like Wollny in their pursuit of artistic truth.
! i mean can you even imagine stumbling upon something that's been hiding for 300+ years? it's crazy to think about how one piece of research can lead to an entire new understanding of history and art... i love how Peter Wollny is all about being thorough and not jumping to conclusions, too many little mistakes could've thrown everything off 
. but at the same time, i can see why he was so drawn to it - those bold techniques sound super interesting!
! 35 years of digging and you finally uncover the truth? That's dedication, bro! I mean, sure, mistakes happen, but the fact that these works have been lost for so long is a testament to how much we can learn from our past. It's like, Bach's music was already this rich tapestry, and we just had to pick at it with tweezers 
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. Like, he didn't just do it for the recognition or the fame (although that's cool too), but because he genuinely wanted to uncover the truth. It's all about respecting the art and the people behind it, you know?
. It's like, music isn't just about the notes on a page; it's about the person who wrote them 
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. Bring on the next discovery! 
. And then the thing is, he's not just saying "oh, these look like they were written by someone else", nope, he's digging deep and finding all this evidence to support his theory 
, we still need people like Wollny who are willing to take a closer look and don't just accept things at face value. It's about perseverance and dedication 
. And I think that's something we can all learn from, not just in musicology but in life in general.
. i wonder what other secrets are hiding in plain sight just waiting for someone like wollny to come along and uncover them 
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THE FACT THAT IT WAS A YOUNG STUDENT RATHER THAN BACH HIMSELF WHO WROTE THEM IS JUST MIND-BLOWING!!! 
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The fact that Wollny was able to track down a court document with handwriting matching Salomon Günther John's adds this whole new layer of authenticity to the story. It's like, the truth is finally out, and it's amazing! Technology might make these discoveries easier in the future, but I think Wollny's dedication to uncovering the truth is what makes this discovery so special 
but what i love most is wollny's dedication and perseverance, he wasnt afraid to question everything and follow his passion even when it seemed impossible 
and can u believe this one guy actually helped us learn more about the art of musicology?! 
and now we get to enjoy them thanks to his dedication. And can you believe the handwriting match? 
. it's like, we need more proof or something? and what about the court document from 1716? was that just a coincidence or what? 
. I'd love to see some more sources or expert analysis on this before I buy into it 
. But seriously, Peter Wollny is just the coolest for doing all this detective work and solving the mystery of those lost organ compositions. I love how he thinks outside the box and acknowledges that even the most brilliant composers make mistakes – it's like, yeah, we're human, folks!