Day Three: Bachaus, and the sights of Eisenach
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The w eather today was much cooler than the previous few days, and the number of us on the higher floors of the Schloßhotel were grateful for such a gorgeous morning. After a lively breakfast with the table of late-risers, we headed up to the conference room for two presentations on varied and interesting topics.
The discussion began on Bach and piety, which was met with thoughtful glances and engaging questions. After a short break, another presentation on the various tuning systems from Bach's time had the participants furiously drawing diagrams in their notebooks, as they learned about meantone, pythagorean, equal, and well-tempered systems of tuning.
We headed over to the Bachaus after lunch, observing the many facets of Bach's period through music, drawings, and writings. In fact, we were even able to witness a period instrument concert where one participant was able to power the organ while our guide played a Bach prelude on it! At the end of the tour, a number of us were interested in a machine that compared nine different interpretations of a single Bach piece, each a different orchestra and conductor.
After dinner, we continued our rather new tradition of night walks, discovering a lake, the SDC building (from 1969), and the Stasi headquarters building, which had been renovated and transformed into a current day Bach music center. We even happened upon a communist statue, surrounded by a retaining wall and furnished with a quote from Bertolt Brecht, comparing the individual to the communist party.
Once again, the history behind this quaint city continued to inspire and impress.
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Another Year! Bach for Teachers 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Although it's b een two days since we arrived in Eisenach, the adventures of the participants have been multitudinous and tremendous. Our first morning getting oriented to a new time zone, we enjoyed a pleasant breakfast at the Schloßhotel, and headed right off to discussion. The group is a kaleidoscope of abilities, and the conversations from our discussions have carried over into lunch and the early afternoon!
That first day's afternoon we spent taking a tour of our surroundings, the scenic city of Eisenach, Germany. Our tours took us to the Luther Statue, the Bachaus, and a graveyard where a modern headstone has been erected honoring the Bach family. Our dinner together was again filled with reflections and thoughts on the sights and history we had experienced. After dinner, the group split between going to bed early and taking a walk at night.
 The second day, we took the journey to Wartburg Castle, which is located right near the city. The slope was steep, and many of the participants (including myself!) had to take breaks along the way as we climbed the  mountain to the castle. However, the difficult journey was worth the reward, and we were able to explore the castle and take pictures of the stunning view.
The tour of the castle itself was informative and interesting, and we saw the place where Martin Luther translated approximately 22 pages a day of the New Testament from Greek to German. Once again, upon descending the mountain, our thoughts rested in the quiet wonderment of the history singing from the walls and floors of this landmark.
As dinner was ending, a gentle rain began to fall, and many of us gathered in the courtyard to continue our dinner discussions under an umbrella.
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Welcome to the 2010 NEH Institute on J. S. Bach
Sunday, June 27, 2010
I am hopeful that you will find this a good space to share photos and stories of the 2010 Institute on J. S. Bach. And for those friends and family at home, you can check in here to see what we're up too!
We arrived just in time for the Germany/England match in the World Cup -- after a 4-1 win, the celebratory horns and noises filled the air for a good hour. Many of us joined the locals in the "Public Viewing" with large screens put into place for the event. With each successful goal, free shots were distributed to the hundreds gathered.
Most of us have arrived today, so a good night's sleep is in order before the institute begins in earnest tomorrow. More to come ...
Hilde Binford /
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