J.S. Bach: “Die Katze lässt das Mausen nicht” from “Coffee Cantata,” BWV 211
Bach spent his last 27 years (1723-1750) in Leipzig writing mostly sacred music. As Kapellmeister of the Thomaskirche (St. Thomas Church), he was expected to compose new works for the church. In contrast, much of Bach’s secular music was written when he held court positions, such as at Weimar and Köthen. But we are going to look this week at a secular work from Bach’s Leipzig days.
Leipzig in Bach’s time was an interesting city (and still is). It was gripped by the coffee craze that spread across Europe. Some say it started when the Ottomans were defeated at Vienna in 1683 and left their coffee beans behind, but there were coffeehouses in many parts of Europe before then. Coffee was clearly an Ottoman import, however. The coffeehouses became meeting places where people discussed issues of the day – kind of like what Starbucks might be without WiFi and smart phones.
The most popular coffeehouse in Leipzig was Café Zimmermann, a 5-minute walk from the Thomaskirche. This coffeehouse was home to the Collegium Musicum founded by Telemann, and so it became the site of another new phenomenon – the public concert. Bach took on the role of director of the Collegium Musicum in 1729-1739.
Bach’s light-hearted “Coffee Cantata” tells the story of a young girl who (rather scandalously) frequents the coffeehouse. After being warned by her father that such practices will prevent her from finding a husband, she concludes that she would rather have her coffee. The video features numerous scenes of Leipzig today.
If you’re interested in learning more about Leipzig, check out Professor Carol’s slideshare presentation:
