The team of 'Bach Ad Infinitum' has reached its 250th episode by now. The first broadcast took place on 5 November 2012. Now, a good two years later and 250 hours of entertaining radio further
it is time to stand still and draw up the balance.
This time not only anchor Joop van Zijl takes place in the tight studio of the Concertzender, but also programme maker and compiler Govert Jan Bach, who squeezed himself next to Joop. A microphone is being added. For Joop an opportunity to question Govert Jan about 'Bach Ad Infinitum'.
These two together are notorious at the Concertzender. When they run into each other once every two weeks, they go all out when they catch up and go through every detail of what will be recorded that week. They discuss concerts, make corrections and check statements. Director Benno Wormgoor waits with a broad
grin for the two to be ready. 
Early-Music co-ordinator Irene Stolp has come from the editorial room to the studio for this recording. Benno waves his arm to indicate that Joop can start with his announcement.
From Mahler to Bach
"Why did you want to make this programme? Because your name is Bach?"
Govert Jan explains that he was asked to do the programme. Initially he wanted to make a series about Gustave Mahler,
also because he was in the board of the Gustave Mahler Foundation at the time. Director Sem de Jongh of the Concertzender suggested to make a series of programmes about J.S Bach. So Govert Jan dropped Mahler and with his team
fully dedicated himself to Bach.
"What was actually the purpose of 'Bach Ad Infinitum'? Was is a kind of self-
gratification, did you just needed to express yourself? Or did you find it more important to teach people about Bach? To be honest, you can't turn on a classic channel nowadays or you'll hear music from Johann Sebastian Bach..."
Nice Guy
Govert Jan believes that everything is a bit self-gratificating and there has been made a lot of effort to make Bach more known to the public. "It seems that it increases every day, the Matthäus, the Johannes, instrumental music; every
month five or six Bach CDs get released. You can't keep track of it all, but I do
think it's important to re-adjust the Bach image a little. Bach gets mostly por-
trayed as a grumpy man, almost blind and on a moment when he almost didn't compose anymore. For our programme we use the portrait of Bach from 1715
from his period in Weimar, a portrait that is 'angezweifelt' by the scholars. In
there you'll see a vital and nice fellow with whom you would like to go on a night out. You see the enormous vitality that also reflects in the music of Bach. The
Bach image in the Netherlands is mostly linked to the heavy, gloomy Calvinism
that especially comes up in the Johannes Passion, and that is a shame... Bach
also had an other side with vital music. Weinachtsoratorium, Hohe Messe with
the trumpets and all the fuga's and of course all the terrific fun worldly music he wrote . There is always gravitas, well-thought out but good music. Bach isn't
heavy. Music of Mahler can be heavy. In the ninth of Mahler you die a bit yourself. Bach knows how to give a push in his heaviest music themes; you'll get through
it, you will come out better..."
In the 250th episode of 'Bach Ad Infinitum' you will hear the rest of the interview. There is no rerun of this episode but in stead we will broadcast the continuation
of the conversation between Joop van Zijl and Govert Jan Bach next week.
Broadcasts:
Bach Ad Infinitum 250 part A: Friday 27 March 2015, 13:00 – 14:00h (CET)
Bach Ad Infinitum 250 part B: Friday 3 April 2015, 13:00 – 14:00h (CET)
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