Johann Sebastian Bach - booksnow.scholarsportal.info

3^4APPENDIX.Cantor, as it would be impossible to control the youths if they knewthat one could not at once deal with them, and in other respectstoo, it would be hopeless to fulfil the duties of one's office satisfactorily.Your Honours have required to be informed on this matter,and I herewith again make my most humble petition : that yourWorships will protect me in the exercise of my office and ensure methe needful respect; that you will prohibit all undue interference onthe part of the Rector, M. Ernesti; also to restore my honour with thescholars, which has, through the instrumentality of the said Rector, beenwounded ; and that you will give the necessary instructions to defendme against the new school order so far as it militates against me, andprevents me from the due performance of my duties. For the aid thusto be granted to me I shall as ever, remain with profound respect,Yours, &c.,J.S. BACH.prs. 29 Oct., 1737.Praes. d. 13 Dec, 1737.Most Noble, Most Mighty King and Prince,Most Gracious Sovereign,That your Majesty has been most graciously pleased to confer on methe title of composer to your Majesty will command my most humblegratitude through life. As therefore I claim for myself in most humbleconfidence the protection of your Majesty, so I now venture mostrespectfully to beg for the same on account of my present oppressors.My predecessors, the Cantors in the St. Thomas School here, havealways, and according to the traditional usage of the school, possessedthe right to appoint the Prefecti in the Musical Choirs, and that for thewell-founded reason that they, more than any others, were in a positionto know which individual was the most capable, and this prerogative Ihave enjoyed for a considerable time and without question from anyone.Nevertheless, the present Rector, M. Johann August Ernesti, has latelybeen bold enough to fill up a Prefecture without my concurrence,and that with an individual with very little knowledge of music.And when I became aware of his incompetence, and felt under thenecessity of making a change on account of the consequent disorder inthe music, and appointed in his place a more skilful person, the saidRector, Ernesti, not only directly opposed me, but also, to my greatestaffront and humiliation, forbade all the assembled scholars, under painof " baculation," to render me obedience in my arrangements. Now,although I have endeavoured to maintain my well founded prerogativebefore the magistrate here in the enclosure A, and have also imploredthe Royal Consistory here for satisfaction (enclosure B) for the injurydone me, yet from the latter I have received nothing at all, and fromthe former only the instructions herewith enclosed under C. Sincenow, most gracious King and Sovereign, the Council here completelydeprive me of the right I have hitherto enjoyed, as shown by the