Leuven Bells - Abdij van Park: Luc Rombouts: Bij de Bachs for coffee

Talk-concert by Luc Rombouts (carillon) and Prof. Dr. Maarten Larmuseau (geneticist and genealogist at KU Leuven) For this concert, Luc Rombouts has arranged music by Bach for the carillon - not just by the famous Johann Sebastian, but also by his great-uncles, second cousins, sons, and grandson, all of whom bore the name Bach. They wrote fantastic music that long remained in the shadow of Johann Sebastian's brilliant genius. In total, from the 16th to the 19th century, more than fifty members of the Bach family were active as professional musicians, mainly in Thuringia. There must therefore have existed something like a 'Bach gene'. Because of this special story, the well-known geneticist and genealogist Maarten Larmuseau will share some remarkable findings with the audience, alternating with the music. Among other things, he will answer questions about the extent to which musical talent is hereditary, the relationship between nature and nurture in musical performance, and why only the Bachs in the male line became famous as composers. He will also answer the question of whether cantor Jacob Bach, whose tombstone you can see in the Leuvense Sint-Peter's Church, is or is not a leaf on the famous Bach family tree.