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Portrait of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach

Wilhelm Friedemann Bach

Bach's eldest son, a gifted musician but with a flawed character.

From "Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life, Art, and Work" by Forkel, Johann Nikolaus

Core Belief

"The value of the moment and the brilliance of immediate inspiration outweigh the need for careful composition and lasting legacy."

Worldview

He sees the world as a place of fleeting opportunities and immediate pleasures, and as one where even great talent can be squandered.

Personality

Described as possessing an original genius close to his father's, but also as preferring extemporization to composition, and having a dissolute and unsteady character.

Other Characters from Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life, Art, and Work

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