Children of Fire - Johann-Sebastian

Arguably, most people like getting associated with fame and success. For instance, no less than 7 Greek cities claimed being Homer's birthplace - a claim that could never be proven because the famous poet's life (including his birth) had always been shrouded in mystery. However, for that very reason, that claim could not be disproved, either! Similarly, many German towns proudly call themselves "Bachstadt" - Bach's town - because the prominent composer used to live and work in each and every of them. However, Johann Sebastian Bach's life is properly documented - and it's well known that he was born in Eisenach. His fire was the steady light of the hearth.

The hearth was located in a spacious house with a little but well-manicured garden sporting neat flower beds and a fountain. The house furniture - all kinds of tables and chests - and kitchenware were typical of a 19th century middle class household. Even flower seeds and a bird cage (Bach's second wife loved Nature, and her rooms looked like a garden in their own right) fit perfectly into that concept. All in all, the house could be called unremarkable - but for the fact that it had been built towards the end of the 17th century! It's quite possible that the socioeconomic phenomenon known as "the middle class" appeared in Europe way before the Industrial Revolution it's traditionally believed to owe its existence to. 

One part of the house that defied timelines and ignored architectural styles was the top floor where Music reigned supreme. Most likely, that area looked like a musical instruments museum in Bach's own time, as well - the only difference being that every instrument was directly serving its purpose almost around the clock. In Bach's family, everybody was a musician. The Bachs were held in so high regard that local rulers wouldn't hire a court musician whose last name wasn't Bach! Since little Johann Sebastian's relatives played different instruments, he was able to learn from all of them at the same time. This way, music filled his hands, his ears, his thoughts, his time... In other words, Music filled - and shaped - Johann Sebastian Bach's whole being. The steady light of the hearth became a relay torch that ignited the Flame of Creativity - and Bach's creativity (partially, as opposed to Balzac's) paved the way for self-fulfillment rather than self-destruction because that Flame had Harmony as its guardian angel.