| Abstract |
Albert Schweitzer, humanitarian, philosopher, physician, theologian, and scholar, was also an acclaimed organist and world authority on Bach. In 1949, Schweitzer asked Edouard Nies-Berger, organist of the New York Philharmonic, to assist him in editing the final three volumes of the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach, an undertaking Schweitzer had begun years earlier with Charles-Marie Widor. The author, a fellow Alsatian who had known Schweitzer since childhood, chronicles their collaboration during the final decade and a half of Schweitzer's life and presents his candid observations of this extraordinary man and the people around him. From his reminiscences of their warm friendship emerges a fascinating portrait of this complex yet very human genius. In addition to the very personal descriptions of their relationship this book contains many photographs of Schweitzer from the author's personal files as well as a number by Erica Anderson, now housed in the Special Collections Research Center at Syracuse University. |
