On May 7, 1747, the wise Prussian monarch Frederick II invited the great composer Bach to his Sans Souci Palace. Upon Bach’s arrival at the court, Frederick II presented his newly purchased Silbermann fortepiano and requested to Bach improvise on it.
“They say you can improvise a 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-voice canons and fugues, is it true?”
“Yes, majesty, It is possible if you learn to.”
Bach was honored and sat down at the fortepiano with excitement in his heart. At that moment, Frederick II presented a simple eight-bar melody, and Bach felt infinite possibilities in it. After letting the theme swell in his mind for a while, he began to improvise a three-voice fugue. His hands ran lightly over the keys, and he continued to pass the theme between the different voices.
As Bach quietly concluded the fugue, Frederick II demanded a six-voice fugue to hear more. Bach, however, declined with reservations, citing his unpreparedness. Eventually, he seemed fully satisfied with Bach’s performance.
The events of that day later became the legend of the birth of the “The Musical Offering”. The moment when the two giants met and competed became an anecdote in the history of music. The anecdote has been told ever since, along with the episode of the fugue improvisation, which required a very high degree of persuasion. (by Claude AI)