7 Johann Sebastian Bach 7visited Weissenfels, and in February 1713 he took part in a
court celebration there that included a performance of
his first secular cantata, Was mir behagt, also called the
Hunt Cantata (BWV 208). On March 2, 1714, Bach became
the concertmaster at Weimar; as such, he was charged
with composing a cantata every month.
Bach’s development cannot be traced in detail during
the vital years 1708–14, when his style underwent a profound
change. From the series of cantatas written in 1714–16,
however, it is obvious that he had been decisively influ-
enced by the new styles and forms of the contemporary
Italian opera and by the innovations of such Italian con-
certo composers as Antonio Vivaldi. His favourite forms
appropriated from the Italians were those based on
refrain (ritornello) or da capo schemes in which wholesale
repetition—literal or with modifications—of entire sections
of a piece permitted him to create coherent musical
forms with much larger dimensions than had hitherto
been possible. These newly acquired techniques hence-
forth governed a host of Bach’s arias and concerto
movements, as well as many of his larger fugues; they also
profoundly affected his treatment of chorales.
Among other works likely composed at Weimar are
most of the Orgelbüchlein (Little Organ Book), all but the
last of the so-called 18 “Great” chorale preludes, the earliest
organ trios, and most of the organ preludes and fugues.
The “Great” Prelude and Fugue in G Major for organ (BWV
541) was finally revised about 1715, and the Toccata and
Fugue in F Major (BWV 540) may have been played at
Weissenfels.
The Köthen Period
Late in 1717 Bach left Weimar to begin his new appoint-
ment as musical director to Prince Leopold of Köthen. In