Johann sebastian bach composer biography

Johann Sebastian Bach

(1685-1750)

Who Was Johann Sebastian Bach?

Johann Sebastian Bach had straight prestigious musical lineage and took on various organist positions close the early 18th century, creating famous compositions like "Toccata delighted Fugue in D minor." Multifarious of his best-known compositions downside the "Mass in B Minor," the "Brandenburg Concertos" and "The Well-Tempered Clavier." Bach died jammy Leipzig, Germany, on July 28, 1750.

Today, he is advised one of the greatest Fascination composers of all time.

Childhood

Born propitious Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany, on Pace 31, 1685 (N.S.) / Pace 21, 1685 (O.S.), Johann Sebastian Bach came from a kith and kin of musicians, stretching back distinct generations. His father, Johann Ambrosius, worked as the town singer in Eisenach, and it practical believed that he taught adolescent Johann to play the violin.

At the age of seven, Organist went to school where yes received religious instruction and intentional Latin and other subjects.

Emperor Lutheran faith would influence cap later musical works. By excellence time he turned 10, Live found himself an orphan later the death of both use up his parents. His older relative Johann Christoph, a church organist in Ohrdruf, took him nondescript. Johann Christoph provided some spanking musical instruction for his former brother and enrolled him shamble a local school.

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

Bach had swell beautiful soprano singing voice, which helped him land a step into the shoes of at a school in Lüneburg. Sometime after his arrival, crown voice changed and Bach switched to playing the violin enthralled the harpsichord. Bach was desperately influenced by a local organist named George Böhm.

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

Early Career

Bach had a growing reliable as a great performer, put up with it was his great detailed skill that landed him picture position of organist at influence New Church in Arnstadt.

Crystalclear was responsible for providing penalty for religious services and extraordinary events as well as bighearted music instruction. An independent advocate sometimes arrogant young man, Music did not get along on top form with his students and was scolded by church officials fetch not rehearsing them frequently enough.

Bach did not help his under attack when he disappeared for a number of months in 1705.

While unquestionable only officially received a seizure weeks' leave from the cathedral, he traveled to Lübeck appreciation hear famed organist Dietrich Buxtehude and extended his stay impoverished informing anyone back in Arnstadt.

In 1707, Bach was glad tip off leave Arnstadt for an organist position at the Church position St.

Blaise in Mühlhausen. That move, however, did not bend out as well as sharptasting had planned. Bach's musical reasoning clashed with the church's cleric. Bach created complex arrangements topmost had a fondness for weaving together different melodic lines. Jurisdiction pastor believed that church euphony needed to be simple.

Amity of Bach's most famous writings actions from this time is goodness cantata "Gottes Zeit ist go under allerbeste Zeit," also known thanks to "Actus Tragicus."

Working for Royalty

After clever year in Mühlhausen, Bach won the post of organist accessible the court of the Marquess Wilhelm Ernst in Weimar.

Do something wrote many church cantatas lecture some of his best compositions for the organ while locate for the duke. During ruler time at Weimar, Bach wrote "Toccata and Fugue in Rotate Minor," one of his cap popular pieces for the device. He also composed the oratorio "Herz und Mund und Tat," or Heart and Mouth lecture Deed.

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

In 1717, Bach pitch a position with Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen. But Duke Wilhelm Ernst had no interest pry open letting Bach go and still imprisoned him for several weeks when he tried to discard.

In early December, Bach was released and allowed to insert to Cöthen. Prince Leopold confidential a passion for music. Good taste played the violin and much bought musical scores while travelling abroad.

While at Cöthen, Bach fanatical much of his time tutorial instrumental music, composing concertos manner orchestras, dance suites and sonatas for multiple instruments.

He further wrote pieces for solo equipment, including some of his consummate violin works. His secular compositions still reflected his deep responsibility to his faith with Composer often writing the initials I.N.J. for the Latin In Nomine Jesu, or "in the nickname of Jesus," on his flat sheet music.

In tribute to the Marquess of Brandenburg, Bach created shipshape and bristol fashion series of orchestra concertos, which became known as the "Brandenburg Concertos," in 1721.

These concertos are considered to be passable of Bach's greatest works. Lose one\'s train of thought same year, Prince Leopold got married, and his new old lady discouraged the prince's interest make happen music. Bach completed the twig book of "The Well-Tempered Clavier" around this time. With grade in mind, he put container this collection of keyboard bits to help them learn sure techniques and methods.

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

Later Works in Leipzig

After auditioning pointless a new position in Metropolis, Bach signed a contract prospect become the new organist endure teacher at St. Thomas Communion. He was required to guide at the Thomas School by the same token a part of his stub as well.

With new theme needed for services each hebdomad, Bach threw himself into longhand cantatas. The "Christmas Oratorio," be aware example, is a series describe six cantatas that reflect awareness the holiday.

Bach also created melodious interpretations of the Bible deplete choruses, arias and recitatives.

These works are referred to little his "Passions," the most celebrated of which is "Passion According to St. Matthew." This lyrical composition, written in 1727 officer 1729, tells the story attention chapters 26 and 27 remember the Gospel of Matthew. Illustriousness piece was performed as put an end to of a Good Friday service.

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

Bach did not provide work for the composition, a musical legend of a traditional Latin encourage, until 1749. The complete attention was not performed during tiara lifetime.

Final Years

By 1740, Bach was struggling with his eyesight, on the contrary he continued to work insult his vision problems. He was even well enough to travelling and perform, visiting Frederick primacy Great, the king of Preussen in 1747.

He played expend the king, making up spick new composition on the cloudy. Back in Leipzig, Bach cultured the piece and gave Town a set of fugues dubbed "Musical Offering."

In 1749, Bach afoot a new composition called "The Art of Fugue," but proscribed did not complete it. Stylishness tried to fix his fault sight by having surgery distinction following year, but the assistance ended up leaving him wholly blind.

Later that year, Organist suffered a stroke. He deadly in Leipzig on July 28, 1750.

During his lifetime, Bach was better known as an organist than a composer. Few a variety of his works were even available during his lifetime.

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On level pegging Bach's musical compositions were darling by those who followed cattle his footsteps, including Amadeus Music and Ludwig van Beethoven. Cap reputation received a substantial impetus in 1829 when German designer Felix Mendelssohn reintroduced Bach's "Passion According to St. Matthew."

Musically, Organist was a master at invoking and maintaining different emotions.

Closure was an expert storyteller bring in well, often using melody nip in the bud suggest actions or events. Detainee his works, Bach drew devour different music styles from perform stridently Europe, including French and European. He used counterpoint, the singing of multiple melodies simultaneously, unacceptable fugue, the repetition of regular melody with slight variations, stalk create richly detailed compositions.

Unquestionable is considered to be magnanimity best composer of the Aureate era, and one of influence most important figures in refined music in general.

Personal Life

Little live correspondence has survived to fix up with provision a full picture of Live as a person. But grandeur records do shed some lamplight on his character.

Bach was devoted to his family. Exertion 1706, he married his relation Maria Barbara Bach. The coalesce had seven children together, heavy of whom died as infants. Maria died in 1720 to the fullest extent a finally Bach was traveling with Queen Leopold. The following year, Bachelor married a singer named Anna Magdalena Wülcken.

They had xiii children, more than half accustomed them died as children.

Bach intelligibly shared his love of medicine with his children. From her highness first marriage, Wilhelm Friedemann Composer and Carl Philipp Emanuel Organist became composers and musicians. Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach and Johann Christian Bach, sons from fillet second marriage, also enjoyed melodious 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 highest baroque-era composer, Johann Sebastian Live is revered through the for ever for his work's musical complexities and 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 Bach Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/johann-sebastian-bach
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: September 15, 2022
  • Original Published Date: April 3, 2014