ceptional, authorities
calling him the greatest organist in Germany after his father. He is
sometimes spoken of as the "Halle Bach," from having been music director
of a church there.

The "father of modern piano music" was also the father of a large family,
not less than twenty children having been born to him. The most
celebrated of his twelve sons was Carl Philipp Emanuel, who is called the
"Berlin Bach," having lived there in the court service for nearly thirty
years. Emanuel was a prolific composer in all styles, and occupies an
important place in the history of music. Another son, Johann Christoph
Friedrich, was a composer and also chamber musician to Count von Lippe at
Bueckeburg, from which circumstance he is called the "Bueckeburger Bach."
Sebastian's youngest boy, Johann Christian (the Bach family evidently
never wearied of the name of Johann), called the "Milanese" and afterward
the "English" Bach, composed a large number of works,--songs, operas,
oratorios, what not. He lived and worked at one time in Milan, where he
was organist of the cathedral, and from there went to London, where he
died in 1782. The daughters of Sebastian Bach--there were only eight of
them--mostly died young, nor did they exhibit any special musical talent,
and, after his sons' careers were ended, no one bearing the name has, we
believe, won distinction in the art.

The Bach family were as a rule both sincerely pious and fond of innocent
pleasure. Their tribal feeling was strong, and it was a custom to meet
together once a year at Erfurt, Eisenach, or Arnstadt, and spend a day in
friendly intercourse, exchanging news and relating experiences. Of
course on these occasions they devoted some of the happy hours to music,
and a favourite pastime was the singing of "quodlibets"--a kind of
musical medley--wherein portions of several well-known songs would be
dovetailed together.

[Illustration: Morning Devotions in the Family of Bach. From painting by
Toby E. Rosenthal.]

Bach's home life was a happy one. Both his marriage ventures turned out
well, and he was beloved by children and pupils alike. His large family
circle was often added to by friends and visitors, who enjoyed his never
failing hospitality, especially toward musicians. In the midst of all
his occupations, he found time for music in the family circle, and a
German-American artist has produced a charming work showing the great
composer seated at the clavichord and