Altbachisches Archiv, also Alt-Bachische Archiv (ABA, old-Bachian archive), is a collection of 17th-century vocal music, most of which was written by members of the Bach family.
History
Johann Ambrosius Bach, Johann Sebastian's father, supposedly started to collect compositions by his relatives. Johann Sebastian Bach's obituary starts with an overview of the composers whose works are contained in the Altbachisches Archiv. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Sebastian's son and co-author of his obituary, retained the collection and gave it its name. After his death the largest part of the collection came, via de [Georg Pölchau; Georg Pölchau], in the possession of the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin. In 1935 that set was published as the Altbachisches Archiv, edited by Max Schneider, an edition which was reprinted in 1966.[1] The original manuscripts went lost during the second World War, only to be rediscovered in Ukraine in 1999, after which they were returned to the Sing-Akademie.[2]
Max Schneider (editor). Altbachisches Archiv: aus Johann Sebastian Bachs Sammlung von Werken seiner Vorfahren Johann, Heinrich, Georg Christoph, Johann Michael u. Johann Christoph Bach. (Das Erbe deutscher Musik, Series I). Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig 1935, reprint 1966.
