Bach’s 1717 Visit to Leipzig

Six years before he took up the position of Thomascantor and Director of Music in Leipzig, J. S. Bach came to Leipzig from Köthen to examine Johann Scheibe's newly completed organ in the St. Paul's Church at Leipzig University. This chapter briefly describes the city, the churches, and the organs Bach would have encountered and gotten to know for the first time during that visit in early December 1717, setting the scene for the detailed account of Scheibe's organ-building activities in Leipzig. During his tenure in Leipzig, Scheibe renovated, rebuilt, or replaced all of Leipzig's organs. For 25 years, Scheibe and Bach were colleagues.