...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 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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...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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...Viewed by his peers as outdated and irreverent, he would eventually be regarded as one of the greatest musical genius’s who ever lived, nearly 80 years later (Mellers). Today, we know this man as Johann Sebastian Bach, a virtuoso organist and prolific composer from the baroque era of classical music; whose works spanned over 1000 musical pieces and influenced entire generations of western music schools of thought (J.S. Bach). Bach’s importance to western music development wouldn’t have been noticed by his contemporaries, who mostly favored the preclassical styles of homophony which were harmonically simpler in tone and structure (Mellers). His sphere of influence had affected many important composers whose names include: Felix Mendelssohn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven; who themselves made major contributions to the preeminence and development of western music. In terms of originality and complexity, Bach’s compositions represent some of the most sophisticated and ambitious classical pieces to date, which through his rigorous use of counterpoint, tonal control and attention to single moods (called affects) had helped refine western music from a folk-based expressive form to a highly complex and evolved form of musical expression (Tonality). But in order to understand Bach and his well noted contributions, one must also understand his life in the context of the changing musical forms of the era and his personal musical influences which helped define his unique compositional...
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...famous composers from the Baroque period such as Heinrich Bach, Johann Christoph Bach, Georg Philipp Telemann, Johan Sebastian Bach, Johann David Heinichen, and Jan Dismas Zelenka. All of whom were either friends, relatives, or acquaintances of Johan Sebastian Bach. Prior to going to the concert I was not sure what to expect, I have been to concerts and small shows many times, but I have never been to a classical concert. Throughout the concert, I played to role of a perceptive listener which I believe is largely due in part to this class. This class has given me a whole new appreciation for classical music especially pieces from the Baroque Period, but I also listen to every piece of music in a way I have never listened before. I always analyze a musical pieces now, I listen to every piece of music fully giving it a chance, before passing judgment on it, and I now take pride in having a knowledge of a wider variety of musical styles. The instrumentation of the orchestra varied with each piece that was performed. Two Sonatas “a sinque”, by Heinrich Bach consisted of two violins, two violas, and a double bass. In this Sonata there is a 5 part texture evident throughout the piece. The Unity is evident through the double bass and the two violas. The listener is given variety through to violins. The rhythm of the piece was fairly simple with an even tempo. The next piece was composed by Johann Christoph Bach baring the title “Ach, dab ich Wassers g’nug hatte.” This...
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...Eisenach, 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...
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...Hildegard von Bingen Hildegard von Bingen was known for her many works in history. She is also known as Saint Hildegard. I am researching her as a composer but she was not just a composer, she was very multitalented. Hildegard von Bingen was a scientist, philosopher, and a theologian. She was a very smart woman that really wanted to experience many things to expand her mind. Hildegard von Bingen was a German woman born in 1098 in Bermersheim, Germany. As tradition in those parts of Germany when a family has their tenth child, that child will be given to God. So this meant that Hildegard was the tenth child and she will be brought up into the church. So Hildegard von Bingen manly experienced the working of the Christian lifestyle. Hildegard von Bingen was a woman whose musical work sparked minds of others. She was so remarkably different than any other female composer in the medieval era. She gained much experience while being part of the Divine office which she sang. She had many music forms that she used as a composer. Hildegard von Bingen used antiphons, responsories, sequences, and hymns. Hildegard von Bidgen was well known and will never be forgotten as a musical composer. She was laid to rest in 1179 but she still lives on in her musical work. Fierro, N. HILDEGARD OF BINGEN: SYMOHONY OF THE HARMONY OF HEAVEN. 1997. 05 Novmeber 2012 <http://www.hildegard.org/music/music.html>. "Hildegard of Bingen." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2012. Encyclopedia...
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...syllabus for the weekly schedule of completing this chart. | |BAROQUE PERIOD |CLASSICAL PERIOD |ROMANTIC PERIOD |EARLY TWENTIETH- CENTURY | | | | | |PERIOD | |LIST 3 COMPOSERS |JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH |Ludwig van Beethoven |Vincenzo Bellini |Samuel Barber | | | | | | | | |George Philipp Telemann |Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin|Jean-Baptiste Duvernoy |Luciano Berio | | | | | | | | |George Frideric Handel |Christoph Willibald Gluck |Eliza Flower |Benjamin Britten | |For each Composer, list 3 |Johann Sebastian Bach- Wie |Ludwig van Beethoven- |Vincenzo Bellini- |Samuel Barber- Dover | |compositions |schön leuchtet der |Symphony No. 2, op. 36 (D |Adelson e Salvini, Bianca |Beach, Summer Music, and | | |Morgenstern, Ach Gott, vom |Major)," Symphony No. 3 |e Gernando, and Il pirata |Hermit Songs ...
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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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...Baroque Music Period “Baroque music expresses order, the fundamental order of the universe. Yet it is always lively and tuneful. Follow the development of music through this brief outline, from the earliest times to the present day, with baroque music set in historical context.” The style of polyphonic music containing elaborate ornamentation and contrasting elements, that is how Baroque music is defined. The Baroque era in music is not a set style in music but many diverse styles which may be broken down into at least three distinct periods. A renewed interest in art and music was experienced throughout the Renaissance which then led to the Baroque era which was more of a transitional stage leading up to the maturity of classical music in the Classical era which began as Baroque ended. Many people believe that the word baroque came from two different places. Some believe that it came from the word barocco, which is Italian and means bizarre or strange. Others believe that it is Portuguese and it came from the word barroco meaning distorted or irregularly shaped pearl. The barroco was considered more beautiful because of its uniqueness. Either way the name stuck. Instrumental music in the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras were called sonatas, concertos, and sinfonias interchangeably. The order and shape of their movements were often very similar. Works that used between five and seven violins with contino were often called sonatas and concertos, though they were more often...
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...Research Paper Done by: Alain Camous Professor Payne March 7, 2012 ENC 1102 Outline Baroque era was where the most important turn in music took place with its unique arts and its controversial styles to music in its time. I. Definition of Baroque Era A. Can mean different things 1. Bizarre 2. Flamboyant 3. Elaborately Ornamented. 4. Historians meaning a. Used to indicate the particular style in all different forms of art. B. Known as “the age of absolutism” 1. Royals abuse power 2. Throws Bach into jail for asking to leave the job C. Shaping of the world 1. Newton 2. Galileo II. Baroque era music and phases A. Famous composers of the time 1. Johann Sebastian Bach 2. George Frideric Handel 3. Monteverdi 4. Purcell 5. Corelli 6. Vivaldi B. Phases in the Baroque era 1. Early 2. Middle 3. Late III. Early Phase A. Homophonic over Polyphonic 1. Two different melodies rather than many IV. Middle Phase A. Spread from Italy to every country in Europe 1. Influenced churches B. Scales gave a new outlook to music in the world V. Late Phase A. Music composed still played today in band rooms all over the world B. Instrumental music more important than vocal music VI. Characteristics of Baroque A. Seven different categories 1. Unity of Mood a. One basic mood b. Emotional states represented 2. Rhythm a. Beat has...
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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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...music. To 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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...Let go of your Crutches! A persuasive essay on personal responsibility GEN 200 January 23, 2012 Let go of your Crutches! A persuasive essay on personal responsibility The lack of personal responsibility in the United States is mounting in epic proportions continually putting a strain on our social and economic foundations. Some people search for any and every excuse to try and gloss over their poor decision making. Excuses such as poverty, education disadvantages, and deprived childhood rank as the top three. I will briefly discuss these topics and give examples of successful people who overcame these difficulties and much more to become great. Many people like to use the crutches of financial inequality, academic shortcomings, and absentee parents as excuses for their own personal bad decisions (or for criminal acts) to remain wards of the state. Instead of pulling themselves up “by their bootstraps”, they continue to receive government hand-outs, reside in government funded housing, and collect government subsidies. There are many examples of people who have overcome these and even greater hardships; here are three. Poverty: Oprah Winfrey was born to an un-wed teenage mother who was in such grave poverty, that she had to give her up to her grandmother to rear. Her grandmother was also impoverished and at a later date was returned to her mother. Oprah was somewhat of a rebel, going against the social and racial norms of her time,...
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