ACT ONE
Scene One
BACH sits at a harpsichord, in a wig, playing meditatively to himself. It is dark – late at night.
He takes his wig off, scratches his head.
He reaches out, takes a sip from a glass of brandy on the harpsichord.
Continues to play.
He is playing ‘Sheep may safely graze’. He pauses occasionally, refines the melody, rewinds and plays a phrase repeatedly – sticking on an ornamentation – until he is satisfied and moves on forward through the tune.
MARIA BARBARA, about six months pregnant, comes to stand on the threshold, watching BACH, as he feels his way through the melody.
BARBARA. Bastian.
BACH stops without turning to face her –
It’s keeping Gottfried awake.
He finishes the phrase he was playing.
It’s when you play the same thing again and again. He says he’s waiting for you to finish it. He says Mummy my eyes won’t close.
BACH plays the resolving phrase.
BACH. Same here. I need it for tomorrow.
BARBARA. Why?
BACH. The Duke’s ordered it for the Duke’s birthday. Not his birthday, the other Duke’s. Weissenfels’. To play after the
Duke’s hunt. Not our Duke. The first Duke. Weissenfels. He’s obsessed with hunting. Both Dukes.
BARBARA. Who’s Weissenfels?
BACH. This other Duke.
BARBARA. The fat one?
BACH. They’re all fat. The unmarried one. The one who looks like a great tight-mouthed baby.
BARBARA. Oh, that one.
BACH. Has three Saxon flunkeys who help him do all the things he has trouble doing any more. Like fellating himself. He has much better musicians than we do.
He plays the next phrase.
BARBARA. Nice. Very simple.
Beat.
Too simple?
BACH. It’s got to be simple because our oboeist is going to have to play it on the flute and he’s multi-talentless. If I can just get hold of a couple of recorders I’ll give them the top part.
He continues playing.
They said to let my inspiration run free and that the budget is strictly fifty thaler.
They kiss you, then they fuck you.
He begins to play the ‘B’ section – taking the melody into a minor key.
BARBARA. Oh. Why make it minor?
BACH. More interesting.
BARBARA. Does it have to be interesting?
BARBARA shivers, cranes to look in the room.
The fire’s nearly out.
BACH. Give it a blow.
She walks over, blows on the embers, which glow on her face. They dim. She blows again.
BARBARA. No. It’s gone.
BACH. Doesn’t matter. I don’t need the fire. I’m not cold. Go to bed, give Gottfried a cuddle from me.
Beat.
BARBARA. Love. You upset Katharina today.
BACH stops playing.
BACH. It’s quite hard to do this and talk.
BARBARA. You’re incredibly grumpy with her and she has feelings.
BACH. She doesn’t have feelings. She doesn’t give a shiny shit.
BARBARA. She does have feelings and she’s an enormous help. She’s wonderful with the children. Especially Gottfried.
BACH. It’s Gottfried who’s wonderful. With her. I heard him. He’s unbelievably patient for a three-year-old.
BARBARA. Can you stop contradicting me? You’re always disagreeing and saying there’s a better way to do everything.
BACH. That’s not contradicting, that’s one-upmanship.
Beat.
How did I hurt her feelings?
BARBARA.…You hurt my feelings, because she’s my sister. Even if she doesn’t realise, I can see you’re being horrible to her.
Beat.
Come to bed.
BACH is still. Pause. In the pause we hear the whisper of the violin’s question in the Chaconne (at 2:18 in Hilary Hahn’s recording).
It’s been months.
Pause. The whisper of the violin’s answer.
I need comfort.
In the silence, the violin’s question is repeated.
Then – the same answer.
BACH. You don’t need comfort.
BARBARA. I do need comfort, sometimes.
He turns around, looks at her. Takes her in properly.
She puts her hand on her bump.
…What if it happens with this one?
Beat.
BACH. Why would it?
BARBARA. Because of the twins.
I wish we’d buried them closer together.
Pause.
BACH. They’re safe with God.
Beat.
BARBARA. Come to bed.
BACH. I will.
BARBARA. Please.
BACH. I will.
BARBARA moves to the door, to leave. He starts to play the first section again. She turns back.
BARBARA. Will there be singing? In this piece?
BACH. Yes.
BARBARA.…What voice?
BACH continues playing the major section.
BACH. For this?… Soprano.
BARBARA, unseen by him, looks at him sadly.
…It’s good for hope, trust.
BARBARA. Yes.
She continues to look at him as he plays. A soprano voice joins the melody, soaring: ‘Schafe können sicher weiden, wo ein gutter Hirte wacht…’ – ‘Sheep safely graze, where a good shepherd watches…’
ANNA MAGDALENA, twenties, appears – singing the soprano aria. BACH rises from the harpsichord, conducting her – rapt.
BARBARA watches, sadly.
Scene Two
BACH is conducting his choir of boy singers. They are singing ‘Wachet! Betet! Betet! Wachet!’
He interrupts them in frustration.
BACH. Flat!! Flat flat flat flat flat!
They stop singing.
I know this sounds obvious but you are all meant to...