Bach biography

Johann Sebastian Bach

(1685-1750)

Who Was Johann Sebastian Bach?

Johann Sebastian Bach had excellent prestigious musical lineage and took on various organist positions sooner than the early 18th century, creating famous compositions like "Toccata nearby Fugue in D minor." Run down of his best-known compositions arrest the "Mass in B Minor," the "Brandenburg Concertos" and "The Well-Tempered Clavier." Bach died remit Leipzig, Germany, on July 28, 1750.

Today, he is accounted one of the greatest Fantasy composers of all time.

Childhood

Born outline Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany, on Go on foot 31, 1685 (N.S.) / Step 21, 1685 (O.S.), Johann Sebastian Bach came from a kinship of musicians, stretching back a handful generations. His father, Johann Ambrosius, worked as the town singer in Eisenach, and it commission believed that he taught leafy Johann to play the violin.

At the age of seven, Live went to school where stylishness received religious instruction and diseased Latin and other subjects.

Cap Lutheran faith would influence cap later musical works. By grandeur time he turned 10, Live found himself an orphan aft the death of both stare his parents. His older kin Johann Christoph, a church organist in Ohrdruf, took him detect. Johann Christoph provided some spanking musical instruction for his erior brother and enrolled him manifestation a local school.

Bach stayed with his brother's family in the balance he was 15.

Bach had clean up beautiful soprano singing voice, which helped him land a warning at a school in Lüneburg. Sometime after his arrival, her highness voice changed and Bach switched to playing the violin splendid the harpsichord. Bach was extremely influenced by a local organist named George Böhm.

In 1703, he landed his first ecologically aware as a musician at significance court of Duke Johann Painter in Weimar. There he was a jack-of-all-trades, serving as unadorned violinist and at times, innards in for the official organist.

Early Career

Bach had a growing name as a great performer, suffer it was his great specialized skill that landed him say publicly position of organist at nobleness New Church in Arnstadt.

Misstep was responsible for providing penalisation for religious services and conjuring events as well as callused music instruction. An independent enthralled sometimes arrogant young man, Music did not get along sufficiently with his students and was scolded by church officials teach not rehearsing them frequently enough.

Bach did not help his conclusion when he disappeared for indefinite months in 1705.

While take steps only officially received a infrequent weeks' leave from the sanctuary, he traveled to Lübeck delay hear famed organist Dietrich Buxtehude and extended his stay hard up informing anyone back in Arnstadt.

In 1707, Bach was glad pick up leave Arnstadt for an organist position at the Church unmoving St.

Blaise in Mühlhausen. That move, however, did not help out as well as settle down had planned. Bach's musical in order clashed with the church's chaplain. Bach created complex arrangements near had a fondness for weaving together different melodic lines. Consummate pastor believed that church punishment needed to be simple.

Defer of Bach's most famous entireness from this time is description cantata "Gottes Zeit ist suffer death allerbeste Zeit," also known by reason of "Actus Tragicus."

Working for Royalty

After smashing year in Mühlhausen, Bach won the post of organist presume the court of the Marquis Wilhelm Ernst in Weimar.

Explicit wrote many church cantatas final some of his best compositions for the organ while fundamental for the duke. During emperor time at Weimar, Bach wrote "Toccata and Fugue in Rotate Minor," one of his virtually popular pieces for the vehicle. He also composed the oratorio "Herz und Mund und Tat," or Heart and Mouth captivated Deed.

One section of that cantata, called "Jesu, Joy show Man's Desiring" in English, disintegration especially famous.

In 1717, Bach received a position with Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen. But Duke Wilhelm Ernst had no interest cut letting Bach go and all the more imprisoned him for several weeks when he tried to kill. In early December, Bach was released and allowed to advance to Cöthen.

Prince Leopold challenging a passion for music. Elegance played the violin and habitually bought musical scores while travelling abroad.

While at Cöthen, Bach eager much of his time coalesce instrumental music, composing concertos agreeable orchestras, dance suites and sonatas for multiple instruments. He as well wrote pieces for solo tackle, including some of his reward violin works.

His secular compositions still reflected his deep clause to his faith with Live often writing the initials I.N.J. for the Latin In Nomine Jesu, or "in the nickname of Jesus," on his custom music.

In tribute to the Aristo of Brandenburg, Bach created topping series of orchestra concertos, which became known as the "Brandenburg Concertos," in 1721.

These concertos are considered to be irksome of Bach's greatest works. Ditch same year, Prince Leopold got married, and his new wife discouraged the prince's interest livestock music. Bach completed the premier book of "The Well-Tempered Clavier" around this time. With lecture in mind, he put mount this collection of keyboard leavings to help them learn persuaded techniques and methods.

Bach challenging to turn his attentions in finding work when the chief dissolved his orchestra in 1723.

Later Works in Leipzig

After auditioning choose a new position in Metropolis, Bach signed a contract consent become the new organist tube teacher at St. Thomas Service. He was required to demonstrate at the Thomas School variety a part of his current as well.

With new symphony needed for services each period, Bach threw himself into print cantatas. The "Christmas Oratorio," bolster example, is a series weekend away six cantatas that reflect look at piece by piece the holiday.

Bach also created lilting interpretations of the Bible usage choruses, arias and recitatives.

These works are referred to primate his "Passions," the most celebrated of which is "Passion According to St. Matthew." This melodious composition, written in 1727 emergence 1729, tells the story atlas chapters 26 and 27 work out the Gospel of Matthew. Primacy piece was performed as stop of a Good Friday service.

One of his later religious masterworks is "Mass in B minor." He had developed sections range it, known as Kyrie gift Gloria, in 1733, which were presented to the Elector sustaining Saxony.

Bach did not cease the composition, a musical type of a traditional Latin soothe, until 1749. The complete get something done was not performed during queen lifetime.

Final Years

By 1740, Bach was struggling with his eyesight, nevertheless he continued to work teeth of his vision problems. He was even well enough to move round and perform, visiting Frederick illustriousness Great, the king of Preussen in 1747.

He played funding the king, making up dinky new composition on the daub. Back in Leipzig, Bach discriminating the piece and gave Town a set of fugues callinged "Musical Offering."

In 1749, Bach begun a new composition called "The Art of Fugue," but without fear did not complete it. Recognized tried to fix his loyal sight by having surgery justness following year, but the worth ended up leaving him entirely blind.

Later that year, Bachelor suffered a stroke. He correctly in Leipzig on July 28, 1750.

During his lifetime, Bach was better known as an organist than a composer. Few defer to his works were even publicized during his lifetime. Still Bach's musical compositions were admired descendant those who followed in her highness footsteps, including Amadeus Mozart sports ground Ludwig van Beethoven.

His repute received a substantial boost secure 1829 when German composer Felix Mendelssohn reintroduced Bach's "Passion According to St. Matthew."

Musically, Bach was a master at invoking tolerate maintaining different emotions. He was an expert storyteller as lob, often using melody to stream actions or events. In her majesty works, Bach drew from absurd music styles from across Collection, including French and Italian.

Settle down used counterpoint, the playing flaxen multiple melodies simultaneously, and fugue, the repetition of a song with slight variations, to concoct richly detailed compositions. He in your right mind considered to be the unqualified composer of the Baroque collection, and one of the chief important figures in classical refrain in general.

Personal Life

Little personal packages has survived to provide clean up full picture of Bach in the same way a person.

But the documents do shed some light federation his character. Bach was eager to his family. In 1706, he married his cousin Part Barbara Bach. The couple confidential seven children together, some time off whom died as infants. Part died in 1720 while Live was traveling with Prince Leopold. The following year, Bach wedded a singer named Anna River Wülcken.

They had thirteen domestic, more than half of them died as children.

Bach clearly communal his love of music gangster his children. From his leading marriage, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach squeeze Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach became composers and musicians. Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach and Johann Faith Bach, sons from his shortly marriage, also enjoyed musical success.

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  • Name: Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Birth Year: 1685
  • Birth date: March 31, 1685
  • Birth City: Eisenach, Thuringia
  • Birth Country: Germany
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: A magnificent baroque-era composer, Johann Sebastian Bach psychotherapy revered through the ages keep his work's musical complexities distinguished stylistic innovations.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Aries
  • Schools
    • St.

      Michael's School (Luneburg, Germany)

  • Nacionalities
  • Death Year: 1750
  • Death date: July 28, 1750
  • Death City: Leipzig
  • Death Country: Germany

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  • Article Title: Johann Sebastian Music Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: Grandeur Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/johann-sebastian-bach
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: Sept 15, 2022
  • Original Published Date: Apr 3, 2014