New book on C.P.E. Bach from Markus Rathey

Dr. Markus Rathey, associate professor of music history at the Institute of Sacred Music, was recently named Class of 1960 Fellow at Williams College (Williamstown, Mass.). In the Class of 1960 Fellows Program, Williams College invites outstanding figures to visit the campus. As distinguished fellow he will spend several days in the music department, talk to classes and deliver a public lecture to the college community. Prof. Rathey will visit Williams College in late February 2010 and lecture on “Defeminizing Virtue – Johann Sebastian Bach’s Hercules-Cantata and the Christmas Oratorio.”

A few weeks ago Professor Markus Rathey’s most recent book was published. Titled Kommunikation und Diskurs: Die Bürgerkapitänsmusiken Carl Philipp Emanuel Bachs (Olms 2009), the book explores the relationship between music, philosophy, and patriotism in Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s compositions for the militia in Hamburg in the second half of the 18th century. The study explores a wide spectrum of sources, spanning from the musical sources for Bach’s compositions over philosophical treatises, newspaper articles from the 1780s, to children’s’ books from this time and paints a fascinating and vivid image of music and culture during German Enlightenment.