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"Silbermann is one-of-a-kind in his profound mathematical and mechanical understanding of the art of building organs," said composer and cantor at Leipzig's Thomaskirche Johann Kühnau, during Silbermann's time. Johann Sebastian Bach, German composer and organist Copyright: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Bach could not even convince Silbermann to change his ways Johann Sebastian Bach, Kühnau's successor as Thomaskantor, met Silbermann in 1746. Bach was supposed to survey an instrument built by Silbermann's pupil Zacharias Hildebrandt for Naumburg's St. Wenzel's Church. The encounter revealed some of the little information available about Silbermann's character traits. Bach, who enjoyed composing in keys that were unusual at the time, wanted Silbermann to tune his instruments differently. But Silbermann stuck to his guns and to his mean tone tuning.

Imagine a shadow coup started in the 1950's as envious former Communists in a certain think-tank observed America's explosive economic growth after World War 2 and reasoned to themselves, "How dare they? Why not us?" This small handful of people, 10-20, decided to outdo America. But they had the ruthlessness of Hitler and Stalin and wanted triumph fast. So they studied great world leaders, especially dictators, and came to a conclusion that scared them: almost all leaders who attempted what they were planning wound up slain in a bunker at the end of it. These people decided, "That will not happen to us. We will hide ourselves and never name The Operation. This way we will never be stopped. The masses cannot hunt and kill what has no face and no name."

Kia Tamatane