Guide to Bach Tour

Contents

Description | Events in Life History of J.S. Bach | Performance Dates of J.S. Bach’s Vocal Works | Features of Interest | Information & Links | Photos | City Map

Description

Halle (also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish from Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia) is the biggest town in the German Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, in the southern part of the state on the river Saale (245,000 inhabitants).

The name Halle derives from the Celtic word for salt, like that of it's namesake in Westphalia, Hallein and Hallstatt in Austria and Schwäbisch-Hall in Germay, while the name of the river Saale contains the Germanic root for salt. Salt-making has been conducted in Halle since at least the Bronze age.

The town was first mentioned in 806. It became a part of the bishopric principality of Magdeburg in the 10^th century and remained so until 1680, when it was annexed by Brandenburg together with Magdeburg.

After World War II Halle was the capital of the short-lived administrative region of Saxony-Anhalt (until 1952), when the "Länder" were abolished in the GDR. As a part of East Germany (until 1990), it was the capital of the administrative district ("Bezirk") of Halle. When Saxony-Anhalt was reestablished as a Bundesland, Magdeburg became the capital.

Halle has a long musucal tradition. The creation at the end of the 13^th century of the Brotherhood of Musicians and Fife Players (Spylleuten und Pfeiffern), and the foundation of an opera in 1654 by the Duke Augustus, illustrate the age-old support of music shown by the municipality. Georg Frledrich Händel was born in Halle in 1685. Organist at the cathedral in 1702, he composed many sonatas and cantatas before moving, after a period in Italy, to north aermany and then, in 1710, to London, where he set up residence. His compositions quickly won him an enthusiastic reception from the general public and, more importantly, royal favour and patronage. In 1726, he took British citizenship, after which he was appointed composer of the Chapel Royal. One of his major interests was the composition of large-scale choral works, of which perhaps the most famous example is the oratorio Messiah. The city pays a tribute to the master of German Baroque music in the annual Händel Festival.

In 1713 J.S. Bach attempted, unsuccessfully, to obtain the post of organist at Halle's Marktkirche (a position. Ironically enough, that went to hls eldest son Wilhelm Friedemann 30 years later). In June 1729 J.S. Bach invited G.F. Händel, who was visiting with his mother in Halle, to come to Leipzig, in vain. J.S. Bach himself ill, sent his son Wilhelm Fridemann to Halle.

Events in Life History of J.S. Bach

Date/Year	Event
Weimar (1708-1717)
Dec 1713	Competition for organist post at Halle
Feb/Mar 1714	Offer of Halle post declined
Apr 29-May 2, 1716	Organ examination in Liebfrauenkirche, Halle
Leipzig (1731-1740)
Apr 1740	Visit to Halle
Leipzig (1741-1750)
Apr 16, 1746	Appointment of son Wilhelm Friedman as organist of the Liebfrauenkirche, Halle

Performance Dates of J.S. Bach’s Vocal Works: None.

Features of Interest

Information & Links

Giebichenstein Castle: first mentioned in 961, west of the city centre on a hill above the Saale river. Moritzburg: a newer castle, built in 1503; residence of the bishops of Magdeburg; destroyed in the Thirty Years' War, then a ruin for centuries, rebuilt in 1904; today an Art Gallery.
Dom (Cathedral): a steepleless building, originally a church within a Dominican monastery (1271).
Liebfrauenkirche: where J.S. Bach examined the organ in 1716.
Marktkirche: a triple-aisle hall-church with no chancel. Here J.S. Bach tried unseccesfully to obtain the post of organist in 1713-1714.
Marktplatz: a huge square dominated by the belfries of the Marktkirche and the Roter Turn (red tower), built in the 15^th century.
Moritzkirche: a triple-aisle hall-chirch, built 1388-1511.
Händel-Haus: the great comoser’s birthplace has been trasformed into a museum.
Technisches Hallorn –und Salinemuseum: the museum recounts the history of exploitation of the local salt mines and the cultural development of the “Hallorn”.

Halle (Official Website) [German]
Halle (Saale) - City information
Halle Tourist [German]
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt (Wikipedia) [various languages]
Cityreview: Sachsen Anhalt > Halle [German]
Halle (Saale) (Meinestadt) [German]

Prepared by Aryeh Oron (March 2004)

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Last update: ýMarch 21, 2004 ý16:25:06