The all-new Bach: A Pictorial Biography

Published in Germany in 2021, this pictorial biography was written by Prof. Dr. Michael Maul, Artistic Director of Bachfest Leipzig, and a senior researcher at Bach-Archiv Leipzig. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is one of the most important figures in music history, and was for many years called the "Father of Western Classical Music". The term "father of music" does not mean that Bach invented Western classical music, but rather how he combined more than 1,500 years of musical elements, including his most prevalent contemporary musical styles, to create more than a thousand masterpieces that have profoundly influenced the development of Western Classical Music since his time. We see Bach today as a great man (or even a saint), but he was in fact a man of flesh and blood and emotions, just like us, and experienced many of life's ups and downs. This biography is a collection of more than 140 pictures from nearly 30 libraries, museums and archives throughout Germany, arranged in the form of a picture and a story, with interesting facts about Bach's life by year.

Bachfest Malaysia obtained the exclusive publishing right for the Chinese/English version

Bachfest Malaysia was founded in 2015, with the aim of “making quality music accessible; enriching cultural life”. The Malaysia Bach Festival Singers and Orchestra has performed monumental works by Bach, such as St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, Mass in B minor, among others, in addition to presenting numerous lecture concerts, establishing community-based choir Mendelssohnchor Malaysia, producing documentary film Encountering Bach, and now publishing the Chinese/English version of Michael Maul’s Bach pictorial biography. Not only does Bachfest Malaysia enthusiastically promoting Bach’s music, but also making quality music accessible through educational projects. 

The book is translated by conductor Dr. David Chin, the Artistic Director of Bachfest Malaysia, and will be published this year (2022) in English and Chinese. We hope that this book will break through the language barrier and promote Bach's musical story to the Chinese community worldwide, in order to fulfill our mission of "Making quality music accessible and enriching cultural life".

Author | Prof. Dr. Michael Maul (Right)

Prof. Dr. Michael Maul (born 1978), musicologist, Artistic Director of the Leipzig Bach Festival and Senior Scholar at the Bach Archive Leipzig, author of award-winning monographs, numerous scholarly essays on 17th and 18th century music history and the audio biography »Universum Johann Sebastian Bach« on Deutschlandfunk Kultur. His podcast »Die Bach-Kantate mit Maul und Schrammek« (The Bach Cantata with Maul and Schrammek) is considered »trend-setting« by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and the Süddeutsche Zeitung sums up: »One approaches Bach the human being, [...] finally the work in a cheerfully entertaining way. With every piece of information, one becomes more curious, and in the end, there is the music itself. Delightful!« 

Chinese Translator | Dr. David Chin (Left)

Dr. David Chin is the founder and Artistic Director of Bachfest Malaysia, and the conductor of the award-winning Malaysia Bach Festival Singers and Orchestra, as well as Mendelssohnchor Malaysia. He has recently been appointed as a Senior Fellow of Bach-Archiv Leipzig. In 2020, Dr. Chin produced >>Encountering Bach<<, a documentary film on the life and music of J.S. Bach filmed exclusively in Germany. He has been commissioned by Bach-Archiv Leipzig to produce a Chinese version of the monumental Bach database website. David has conducted all the major works by J.S. Bach and more than three dozens of Bach cantatas. In addition, he has also led choirs and orchestras around the world in numerous major works by composers ranging from the Renaissance era to the 21st century and world-premieres.

You are invited to join us in promoting quality music!

In order to make this publication possible, we need to raise a total of RM120,000. You are cordially invited to support this publication project, you will not only get to learn more about the life and works of this music legend, but also continue to join Bachfest Malaysia in promoting quality music and music education, creating a richer and more diverse-cultural life for you and me.