When it comes to celebrating famous birthdays, we all love the numbers that end in 0 and 5. But a 329th birthday? Pah.
When it comes to J.S. Bach, however, perhaps we should think again.
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According to an article by The Guardian's Philip Oltermann, Bach's 329th birthday is quite a big deal for scholars and numerologists:
Some researchers claim that the Baroque composer had an obsession with the number 14, the sum of the numeric value of the letters in his surname (B+A+C+H = 2+1+3+8 = 14). The numbers 3, 2 and 9 also add up to 14 - and all this 14 years into the 21st century. Coincidence?
Oltermann goes on to report that the Bach Museum in the composer's hometown of Eisenach, Germany, will feature an exhibition this year that explores J.S. Bach's fascination with numbers and number puzzles. One of the items on display includes a painting in which Bach wears a vest with 14 buttons and holds a drinking cup with a 14-point monogram.
There is some scholarly debate about the 14 obsession, but the idea of a composer being fond of numbers isn't difficult to imagine. You can read Oltermann's entire article about Bach and numerals here.
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