ACT ONE
Scene One
BACH sits at a harpsichord, in a wig, playing meditatively to himself. It is dark â 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 âSheep may safely grazeâ. He pauses occasionally, refines the melody, rewinds and plays a phrase repeatedly â sticking on an ornamentation â 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 â
Itâs keeping Gottfried awake.
He finishes the phrase he was playing.
Itâs when you play the same thing again and again. He says heâs waiting for you to finish it. He says Mummy my eyes wonât close.
BACH plays the resolving phrase.
BACH. Same here. I need it for tomorrow.
BARBARA. Why?
BACH. The Dukeâs ordered it for the Dukeâs birthday. Not his birthday, the other Dukeâs. Weissenfelsâ. To play after the
Dukeâs hunt. Not our Duke. The first Duke. Weissenfels. Heâs obsessed with hunting. Both Dukes.
BARBARA. Whoâs Weissenfels?
BACH. This other Duke.
BARBARA. The fat one?
BACH. Theyâre 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. Itâs got to be simple because our oboeist is going to have to play it on the flute and heâs multi-talentless. If I can just get hold of a couple of recorders Iâll 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 âBâ section â 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 fireâs 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. Itâs gone.
BACH. Doesnât matter. I donât need the fire. Iâm not cold. Go to bed, give Gottfried a cuddle from me.
Beat.
BARBARA. Love. You upset Katharina today.
BACH stops playing.
BACH. Itâs quite hard to do this and talk.
BARBARA. Youâre incredibly grumpy with her and she has feelings.
BACH. She doesnât have feelings. She doesnât give a shiny shit.
BARBARA. She does have feelings and sheâs an enormous help. Sheâs wonderful with the children. Especially Gottfried.
BACH. Itâs Gottfried whoâs wonderful. With her. I heard him. Heâs unbelievably patient for a three-year-old.
BARBARA. Can you stop contradicting me? Youâre always disagreeing and saying thereâs a better way to do everything.
BACH. Thatâs not contradicting, thatâs one-upmanship.
Beat.
How did I hurt her feelings?
BARBARA.âŠYou hurt my feelings, because sheâs my sister. Even if she doesnât realise, I can see youâre being horrible to her.
Beat.
Come to bed.
BACH is still. Pause. In the pause we hear the whisper of the violinâs question in the Chaconne (at 2:18 in Hilary Hahnâs recording).
Itâs been months.
Pause. The whisper of the violinâs answer.
I need comfort.
In the silence, the violinâs question is repeated.
Then â the same answer.
BACH. You donât 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.
âŠWhat if it happens with this one?
Beat.
BACH. Why would it?
BARBARA. Because of the twins.
I wish weâd buried them closer together.
Pause.
BACH. Theyâre 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.âŠWhat voice?
BACH continues playing the major section.
BACH. For this?⊠Soprano.
BARBARA, unseen by him, looks at him sadly.
âŠItâs good for hope, trust.
BARBARA. Yes.
She continues to look at him as he plays. A soprano voice joins the melody, soaring: âSchafe können sicher weiden, wo ein gutter Hirte wachtâŠâ â âSheep safely graze, where a good shepherd watchesâŠâ
ANNA MAGDALENA, twenties, appears â singing the soprano aria. BACH rises from the harpsichord, conducting her â rapt.
BARBARA watches, sadly.
Scene Two
BACH is conducting his choir of boy singers. They are singing âWachet! Betet! Betet! Wachet!â
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...