THE STUDY OF THE CREATIVE WORK OF JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH IN THE WRITINGS OF CHRISTOPH WOLFF IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF BACH SCHOLARSHIP

Abstract

The article analyzes the creative legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach as interpreted in the works of one of the leading contemporary Bach scholars, Christoph Wolff, and examines his scholarly contribution within the context of the development of Bach studies as an independent field of musicology. The relevance of the research is обусловлена the need for a critical reassessment of established biographical and stylistic models formed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as by the growing importance of interdisciplinary and source-based approaches to the study of the composer’s heritage. The article traces the key stages in the formation of the Bach scholarly tradition – from the earliest academic biographical studies by Johann Nikolaus Forkel and the fundamental synthetic work of Philipp Spitta, to the conceptual interpretations of Albert Schweitzer and the rhetorical-aesthetic studies of André Pirro. Particular attention is given to research focused on the compositional process, source studies, and stylistic influences – especially those related to the Italian tradition–as represented in the works of Kimberly Marshall. The central part of the article is devoted to an analysis of Christoph Wolff’s scholarly methodology. His major publications – Bach: Essays on His Life and Music, The New Bach Reader, and Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician – are examined as milestones in the development of modern Bach studies. Wolff proposes a comprehensive approach to Bach’s figure, integrating biographical research, source criticism, stylistic analysis, and intellectual-historical perspectives. He critically revises traditional periodizations of the composer’s output, emphasizing the continuity of Bach’s artistic development and the importance of geographical and cultural factors. Special attention is paid to Wolff’s interpretation of Bach as an intellectual and thinker whose musical creativity correlates with the philosophical and scientific ideas of the early modern period, particularly concepts of the cognition of nature and universal principles of art. The comparison between Bach and Isaac Newton, first advanced by the composer’s contemporaries and conceptually developed by Wolff, underscores the scale of Bach’s intellectual ambitions and the universality of his musical thinking. In conclusion, the article demonstrates that Christoph Wolff’s scholarly legacy is of fundamental importance for shaping the modern image of Johann Sebastian Bach as a multidimensional figure. His research is shown to be highly significant not only for theoretical musicology but also for performance practice and the broader cultural context