Johann Sebastian Bach 1685 1750 German composer organist

Johann Sebastian Bach 1685 -1750

• German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity. • Although he did not introduce new forms, he enriched the prevailing German style with a robust contrapuntal technique, an unrivalled control of harmonic and motivic organisation, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. – Contrapuntal--two or more voices enter at different times, and (especially when entering) each voice repeats some version of the same melodic element.

• Bach's abilities as an organist were highly respected throughout Europe during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognized as a great composer until a revival of interest and performances of his music in the first half of the 19 th century. He is now generally regarded as one of the main composers of the Baroque style, and as one of the greatest composers of all time.

Bach’s childhood years • Born in a long line of musicians: his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all church organists or town musicians in Germany. • Bach's mother died in 1694, and his father eight months later. The 10 -year-old orphan moved in with his oldest brother, Johann Christoph Bach (1671– 1721), the organist at the Michaeliskirche in nearby Ohrdruf. There, he copied, studied and performed music, and apparently received valuable teaching from his brother, who instructed him on the clavichord. • At the age of 14, Bach, along with his older school friend George Erdmann, was awarded a choral scholarship to study at the prestigious St. Michael's School in Lüneburg, not far from the northern seaport of Hamburg, one of the largest cities in the Holy Roman Empire.

• At age of 18, Bach became church organist in Arnstadt (1703 -1708) • Weimar Years (1708– 17) – Bach became the court organist and concertmaster at the ducal court in Weimar – marked the start of a sustained period of composing keyboard and orchestral works – From the music of Italians such as Vivaldi, Corelli and Torelli, he learned how to write dramatic openings and adopted their sunny dispositions, dynamic motorrhythms and decisive harmonic schemes. – Bach inducted himself into these stylistic aspects largely by transcribing for harpsichord and organ the ensemble concertos of Vivaldi; these works are still concert favourites.

• In Weimar, he had the opportunity to play and compose for the organ, and to perform a varied repertoire of concert music with the duke's ensemble. • A master of contrapuntal technique, Bach's steady output of fugues began in Weimar. – The largest single body of his fugal writing is Das wohltemperierte Clavier ("The well-tempered keyboard"—Clavier meaning keyboard instrument). – It consists of two collections compiled in 1722 and 1744, each containing a prelude and fugue in every major and minor key.

Cöthen (1717– 23) • Bach began once again to search out a more stable job that was conducive to his musical interests. Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen hired Bach to serve as his director of music. • Prince Leopold, himself a musician, appreciated Bach's talents, paid him well, and gave him considerable latitude in composing and performing. • The prince was Calvinist and did not use elaborate music in his worship; thus, most of Bach's work from this period was secular, including the Orchestral suites, the Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello and the Sonatas and partitas for solo violin. The well-known Brandenburg concertos date from this period.

Leipzig (1723– 50) • In 1723, Bach was appointed Cantor of St. Thomas's Lutheran Church in Leipzig, as well as Director of Music in the principal churches in the town. • Apart from his brief tenures in Arnstadt , this was Bach's first government position in a career that had mainly involved service to the aristocracy. • At Leipzig, Bach rehearsed, conducted, and composed compositions for chorus, soloists, and orchestra for each Sunday and holiday of the church year. – Cantatas (200) and Mass in B minor

Musical style • Created masterpieces in every baroque form except opera. – Instrumental and Vocal • Exposure to South German, North German, Italian and French music, and his apparent devotion to the Lutheran liturgy. • The most obvious was his successful striving to become the leading virtuoso and improviser of the day on the organ. Keyboard music occupied a central position in his output throughout his life, and he pioneered the elevation of the keyboard from continuo to solo instrument in his numerous harpsichord concertos