...Thuringia, Germany, Johann Sebastian Bach had a prestigious musical lineage and took on various organist positions during the early 18th century, creating famous compositions like "Toccata and Fugue in D minor." Some of his best-known compositions are the "Mass in B Minor," the "Brandenburg Concertos" and "The Well-Tempered Clavier." Bach died in Leipzig, Germany, on July 28, 1750. Today, he is considered one of the greatest Western composers of all time. Childhood Born in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany, on March 31, 1685 (N.S.) / March 21, 1685 (O.S.), Johann Sebastian Bach came from a family of musicians, stretching back several generations. His father, Johann Ambrosius, worked as the town musician in Eisenach, and it is believed that he taught young Johann to play the violin. At the age of 7, Bach went to school where he received religious instruction and studied Latin and other subjects. His Lutheran faith would influence his later musical works. By the time he turned 10, Bach found himself an orphan after the death of both of his parents. His older brother Johann Christoph, a church organist in Ohrdruf, took him in. Johann Christoph provided some further musical instruction for his younger brother and enrolled him in a local school. Bach stayed with his brother's family until he was 15. Bach had a beautiful soprano singing voice, which helped him land a place at a school in Lüneburg. Sometime after his arrival, his voice changed and Bach switched to playing the violin...
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...number of works, from the simplest lute piece to his wonderful Cantatas and on to the massive Passions and Masses profess the enormous genius. It is true that his music fell out of favor after his passing, but a few decades later we find the great composers from Beethoven through Liszt (and many more) being greatly influenced by the master Bach. Bach's works. His pieces require a very good finger independence technique, clear tone, legato (without pedal), cerebral difficulty (fugues). Have you ever listened to his six keyboard partitas? Goldberg variations? If Baroque music had consisted only of harmonies like those of Handel and Vivaldi, great as they are, the next generation might have started looking for different ways to sound new and fresh. We can't know, of course. There are a plethora of words that can describe Bach’s musical genius Bach's influence in music would be the equivalent an actor winning the holy trifecta of an Emmy for television, a Tony for stage productions, and an Academy Award for movies. As it is Einstein only tackled a piece of the whole puzzle; Bach was the ultimate initiator of all that we recognize today. Bach was influential during the baroque era. Bach's music was the foundation upon which modern music is derived from. His hard work and dedication in supporting himself at an early age is an example to today's...
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...Bach was born in Germany on March 21, 1685 into a family of many musicians that went way back in his family. Johann Ambrosius Bach and Elizabeth Lammerhirt Bach were the names of Johann Sebastian’s parents. During Bach’s childhood his father is the one who taught him how to play the violin. Along with playing the violin Bach could also sing very well. Bach and his family were Lutheran and whenever they went to their church Bach would sing in the church choir. Sadly, Bach’s parents passed away within a year of each other, shortly before Bach’s tenth birthday. Once both of his parents passed away Bach had nowhere to go so his brother Johann Christoph Bach decided to adopt him. Christoph was “a church organist in Ohrdruf” (Johann Sebastian Bach). Even though Christoph is the one who gave Bach organ lessons, Bach...
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...Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Saxe-Eisenach, on 21 March 1685 O.S. (31 March 1685 N.S.). He was the son of Johann Ambrosius Bach, the director of the town musicians, and Maria Elisabeth Lämmerhirt.[10] He was the eighth child of Johann Ambrosius, (the eldest son in the family was 14 at the time of Bach's birth)[11] who probably taught him violin and the basics of music theory.[12] His uncles were all professional musicians, whose posts included church organists, court chamber musicians, and composers. One uncle, Johann Christoph Bach(1645–93), introduced him to the organ, and an older second cousin, Johann Ludwig Bach (1677–1731), was a well-known composer and violinist. Bach drafted a genealogy around 1735, titled "Origin of the musical Bach family".[13] Bach's mother died in 1694, and his father died eight months later.[5] Bach, aged 10, moved in with his oldest brother, Johann Christoph Bach(1671–1721), the organist at St. Michael's Church in Ohrdruf, Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.[14] There he studied, performed, and copied music, including his own brother's, despite being forbidden to do so because scores were so valuable and private and blank ledger paper of that type was costly.[15][16] He received valuable teaching from his brother, who instructed him on the clavichord. J.C. Bach exposed him to the works of great composers of the day, including South German composers such as Johann Pachelbel (under whom Johann Christoph had studied)[2] and Johann Jakob Froberger;...
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...B AC H ’ S P R E L U D E A N D F U G U E I N C M I N O R : A S T U DY O F T H E VA R I O U S E D I T I O N S AVA I L A B L E T O A N A R T I S T There is made available to any serious student of Bach a huge number of editions of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Bach’s WTC has been published in hundreds of different editions over the past century and there is much debate over stylistic interpretation. Bach originally did not provide many directives in his compositions. However, there is a deluge of editions now available to the public with many added musical elements such as dynamics, fingerings, and articulations. This presents an interesting dilemma to those interested in purchasing the work for use. Which edition is appropriate? Which would you tell someone to buy? What follows is an analysis of three editions of Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in c minor from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, in light of these questions. As most choices of editions are made by piano teachers for their students, the edition chosen will aim to be one most appropriate for this demographic. One’s choice of which edition to use lies, in part, with whether one has a predilection for historical accuracy or for embellished interpretations. Bach rarely provided directions for tempo, articulation, dynamics or phrasing, and therefore the addition of these into any edition is a matter of interpretation by the editor based upon informed and professional judgement. Czerny’s 1837 edition is...
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...name one single composer as being the greatest, would be like determining which grain of sand on the beach is the most important. They are all equally important to making the beach look as beautiful as it is. The composer that drew my attention was Johann Sebastian Bach. He was undoubtedly one of the greatest composers of his time. Throughout his lifetime, Bach was an outstanding organ player. Born in 1685 to musical parents, Bach was the youngest of eight children. His family was a musical family, so the young Bach was set off for a career in music from a young age. He learned to play the organ and harpsichord at an early age. His parents died when Bach was only ten years old. Fortunately enough for young Johann, he had a brother that took him in. His older brother, Johann Christoph, was able to further Bach’s musical training. While living in Luneburg, Bach obtained a position in the choir at St. Michael’s School. Bach remained in Germany his entire life, never leaving once. Throughout German, however, Bach held numerous positions during his career at churches, and in the Country’s courts. St. Boniface Church hired Bach in 1703 as the church organist. During this time, Bach took a leave of...
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...Kellie Holley MUS 101 / 01402 February 10, 2013 Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach was born March 21, 1685 in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany. He was the youngest child of Johann Ambrosius Bach and Elisabeth Lämmerhirt. Johann Ambrosius Bach was a string player, employed by the town council and the ducal court of Eisenach. After his parents’ death, he was looked after by his older brother, Johann Christoph, who had been a pupil of Johann Pachelbel. It was from his brother that he received his first formal organ lessons. From 1703 to 1707, Bach was appointed as organist at the Neue Kirche (New Church) in Arnstadt. During this time he composed such works as Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello dilettissimo (1704; Capriccio on the Departure of His Most Beloved Brother), the chorale prelude on Wie schön leuchtet (c. 1705; How Brightly Shines), and the fragmentary early version of the organ Prelude and Fugue in G Minor (before 1707). In 1707 Bach obtained a post at the Blasiuskirche in Mühlhausen in Thuringia. He moved there soon after and married his cousin Maria Barbara Bach on October 17, 1707. At Mühlhausen he produced several church cantatas, all cast in a conservative mold, based on biblical and chorale texts. The famous organ Toccata and Fugue in D Minor and the Prelude and Fugue in D Major may also have been composed during this time, as well as the organ Passacaglia in C Minor. Cantata No. 71, Gott ist mein König (God Is My King), printed around...
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...Bach was born in Eisenach 1685 and died in Leipzig July 1750. He was born in a musician family. His father, Johann Ambrosuis Bach taught him violin and basic music theory as well as harpsichord. His father died when he was 10 years old and he kept learning organ with his brother Johann Christopher Bach who was a student of Pachelbel. Bach himself was an organist in church and court. In 1714 he became a concertmaster in Weimer when he wrote sacred cantatas. When he became a court music director in 1717 and composed solo and ensemble sonatas and pedagogical works. Bach moved to Leipzig in 1723 where he was in charge of many duties. He was in charge of four churches and was a director of Leipzig collegium musicum. This is when he wrote a huge number of religious music and concertos and chamber works. He taught many students Latin and music and composed keyboard music including pedagogical works. As director of the church, he composed, rehearsed and copied music for church services. He also wrote music for weddings, funerals and other ceremonies....
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...A Concert Review of “Bach at Noon” at the Grace Church in New York City on April 22nd, 2015 This concert review will examine the various aspects of “Bach at Noon” at the Grace Church in New York City on April 22nd, 2015. The make-up of this ensemble is base on the organ playing of Patrick Allen (organist and Master of Choristers at the Grace Church), as well as a historical discussion about the works of Bach by Phillip Lamb. The primary instrument used in this performance was a Bicentential Organ named the Opus 65 IV, 77 stops, 96 ranks. This instrument provided the primary musical presentation of Bach’s music as a form of mediation for churchgoers from 12:20-1250pm. Bach’s music is categorized as a form of German baroque music, which was...
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...Johann Sebastian Bach is arguably considered to be the greatest composer in the history of western art music. However, he wasn’t great in his own time. Only a few of his works were published during his lifetime. Most thought he was old fashioned. He did not invent any new genres, but he did perfect current styles. He didn’t become super-famous until his works were revived in the early 1800s. He was a master of counterpoint, improvisation, and in every genre, except for opera. He helped make the organ a solo instrument, and not just part of the basso continuo group. “He is considered to be the best composer of the Baroque era.” Bach was born on March 21, 1685 in Eisenach, Germany. He was born into a family with many musicians. Bach’s...
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...21 November 2013 Keyboard Suites of Handel and Bach The period from 1600 to 1750 gave western music some of its most well-known and beloved works. During this time, referred to as the Baroque Period, these pieces were written by some of the most prolific composers of all time. These musicians came from across Europe. Frenchmen, Italians, Englishmen, Germans, and others all made great contributions and advancements toward the development of music as we know it. However two of these men were perhaps the most important of all - George Frideric Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach. While both of these men were born in Germany, the details of each of their employment in the musical profession includes vast differences in both the method by which they acquired their influences and the countries in which they held positions. The purpose of this essay is to use the details of each composer's life, prior to composition of the pieces in question, and musical examples from within the composition written from each man to differentiate and highlight specific writing styles and habits. Furthermore, two pieces will be from a genre that both Bach and Handel wrote in fairly extensively, the keyboard suite, will be used as these musical examples. Bach's English Suite No. 4 in F major (BWV 809) and Handel's Keyboard Suite No. 1 in A major (HWV 426) are the works that will be used. From Bach's Birth to His Time in Cothen Johann Sebastian Bach was born in 1685 to a family of musicians in Eisenach...
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...John Sebastian Bach was a dominant composer. He was an important and influential composer of the Baroque time. He was a German composer during 1685-1750. His family was very musical oriented and so that made him born into the music industry and it was not a surprise that he took on the family legacy. Bach lived an interesting life not only through his music. John father twenty children within his two marriages that he had. He was the eighth child of his parents so he was used to having a big family. His uncle and parents taught him how to play the organ and violin at a young age. Bach had a rough childhood. His mother died and eight months after that his father died. Bach had to move in with his brother which they both studied music together....
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...Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and organist born on March 21, 1685, to a very gifted family. Bach was interested in music from childhood, he took music lessons from his Father and later brother Johann Christoph. Bach's education was largely a matter of being self-taught through independent studies. Bach married twice in his life, the first time was to his cousin Maria Barbara Bach who blessed him with 7 children although some of them passed away young. Maria passed away and Bach remarried in 1721 to Anna Magdelena Wulken and she blessed him with 13 children and some of these children passed away as well. Bach is known for being an organist but in 1703 he started off playing the violin in the private orchestra of the Prince at...
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...Johann Sebastian Bach composed numerous amounts of church cantatas in his lifetime and is known for several of them. His German background influenced many of his works as he lived in different cities throughout Germany in his lifetime. Although, he composed so many cantatas and other types of work, only fewer than a dozen were published in his lifetime as his music was regarded as old-fashioned. Many have noticed that “the dramatic and emotional force of his music, as evidenced in the Passions, was remarkable in its day and has spoken to succeeding generations with increasing power…. Bach’s music is supreme—to quote Wagner: ‘the most stupendous miracle in all music’.” Bach was born in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany on March 31, 1685. Coming from a family of musicians definitely aided him to become who he was. He studied religion, Latin, and other subjects in school starting at the young age of seven. Most of his pieces will reflect his strong North German Protestant religion, which was very...
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...Born into a musical family, Bach received his earliest instruction from his father. After his father's death in 1695, Bach moved to Ohrdruf, where he lived and studied organ with his older brother Johann Christoph. He also received an education at schools in Eisenach, Ohrdruf, and Lüneburg. Bach's first permanent positions were as organist in Arnstadt (1703-1707) and Mühlhausen (1707-1708). During these years, he performed, composed taught, and developed an interest in organ building. From 1708-1717 he was employed by Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Weimar, first as court organist, and after 1714, as concertmaster. During this period, he composed many of his best organ compositions; in his capacity as concertmaster, he was also expected to produce a cantata each month. In Weimar, Bach's style was influenced by his study of numerous Italian compositions (especially Vivaldi concertos). Bach's next position, as Music Director for the Prince Leopold of Cüthen (1717-1723), involved entirely different activities. Since the court chapel was Calvinist, there was no need for church compositions; Bach probably used the Cüthen organs only for teaching and practice. His new works were primarily for instrumental solo or ensemble, to be used as court entertainment or for instruction. Among the important compositions at Cüthen were the Brandenburg Concertos, the first volume of Das wohltemperirte Clavier (The Well-Tempered Clavier), the "French" and "English" Suites for harpsichord (although the "English"...
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