BWV 30 Gavotte

Recently the first car ever was found in a shed in Leipzig.
The news made me think about passages in letters that Elias Bach, the secretary of Johann Sebastian Bach, wrote. He mentions a singing bird (einen Hänfling) and yellow flowers which would become precious gifts for Anna Magdalena Bach. She was especially fond of yellow carnations (gelbe Nelcken in German).
Elias wrote to his mother in Schweinfurt that Anna could be most pleased with several yellow carnations & that she was is a great enthusiast of gardening.
Anna was more happy than a child with Christmas when she did receive six of the prettiest carnation plants via Friedrich von Meyern from Halle. She took great care that not one of the plants did wilt.
The Bach family lived within the city walls of Leipzig. Where did Anna Magdalena had her garden? If she only grew carnations indoors, Ellias would likely have written that’s she was a great enthusiast of plants.
Are there still descendants of these yellow flowers to be found in a Leipzig garden? I feel a strong urge to stroll around Leipzig neighbourhoods, planning an bio archaeological search: the hunt for Magdalena's flowers. Who likes to join? Carnations blossom in May and June. How did they look like in the 18th century? Around the middle of the 18th century yellow carnations were generally considered new and desirable. The colour yellow in the cultivated carnations was possibly brought about by crossing the wild-growing sulfur carnation. I spotted some on still lives. Let’s connect with incarnated history. Seriously.
The flowers are possibly to be found not far from the shed which sheltered the very first car. This quest for a garden find is in need for an insta Bellingcat operation.
Where did Anna Magdalena park her vehicle?
Paper bird crafted by Joost Witte - a St. Nicolas gift.
Singing in canon by a linnet, whose melodies Anna loved so much. Notice how similar and connected they are with the main theme of this beautiful aria! Bach could foresee Messiaen's quest: been there, done that.
I would also like to quote a vision from Lincoln in the Bardo, the polyphonic novel by George Saunders, about the first car, strangely dark related to this all: “An old geezer of nearly a hundred, blessedly free of all desires (for man, food, breath) being driven to church in some sort of miracle vehicle, before which stood no horse, and which went about on rubber wheels, loud as some perpetually firing cannon.”
Contrary intended meaning of yellow flowers can be found in The Master and the Margarita by Bulgakov. There they stand for misery, betrayal and the madhouse. It is said that one should never give yellow flowers to a lover in Russia. Which is mad in itself. Do not ruin life with symbolism. It is there to enjoy.
Enjoy & whistle BWV 30 Gavotte with a frivolous perpetually hopping songbird motif - transcribed for guitar duo; score available:
www.sonolize.c...
Check out these free Bach scores for guitar duo:
/ 324-bach-for-duo-50658834
Weißmantel, Johann Nicolaus: Des Blumisten Erster Theil, in welchem die Nelke oder Grasblume 1) ihre Wartung und Behandlung durchs ganze Jahr, 2) die Schönheitsregeln derselben, 3) Beschreibung einiger vorzüglichen Nelken, deutlich und vollständlig abgehandelt werden, Leipzig 1779
The first part of the florist, in which the carnation or grass flower 1) its maintenance and treatment throughout the year, 2) the beauty rules of the same, 3) description of some excellent carnations, are clearly and completely dealt with, Leipzig 1779
Carl August Ludwig von Behr/Münzel, Friedrich, Das Ganze der Nelkenzucht oder System der Nelke nach der Naturaufgestellt, Leipzig 1810 in diesem Werk findet sich der schöne Kupferstich eines Nelkentheaters
The whole of carnation cultivation or the carnation system set up according to nature, Leipzig 1810. In this work there is a beautiful copper engraving of a carnation theatre.
Über das Privatleben von Johann Sebastian Bachs ,,Frau Liebste" Anna Magdalena: "Eine große Liebhaberin von der Gärtnerei" Anna Magdalena Bach zum 300. Geburtstag Maria Hübner - Leipzig