Johann Sebastian Bach(1685 — 1750)
Johann Sebastian Bach
Saint-Empire romain germanique, duché de Saxe-Eisenach
6 min read
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, and harpsichordist of the Baroque period. A master of counterpoint, he left behind an immense body of work spanning both sacred and secular music, regarded as a pinnacle of Western music.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born in 1685 in Eisenach into a large family of German musicians
- Appointed Cantor of St. Thomas Church (Thomaskirche) in Leipzig in 1723
- Composed the Brandenburg Concertos (1721), dedicated to the Margrave of Brandenburg
- Author of the St. Matthew Passion (1727) and the Mass in B minor
- Died in Leipzig in 1750, the year conventionally marking the end of the Baroque period
Works & Achievements
A collection of 24 preludes and fugues in every key, showcasing the possibilities of musical temperament. A landmark of keyboard music.
Six concertos for varied instrumental combinations, the pinnacle of the German Baroque concerto.
A vast sacred work for soloists, double choir, and orchestra recounting the Passion of Christ. One of the masterpieces of religious music.
A grand Latin Mass, the sum of Bach's vocal and contrapuntal art, completed near the end of his life.
A set of thirty variations for harpsichord over a single bass line, a feat of virtuosity and invention.
A set of fugues and canons built on a theme proposed by Frederick II of Prussia.
A scholarly, unfinished work exploring all the resources of the fugue on a single theme. The culmination of the art of counterpoint.
A radiant choral work composed for the liturgical feasts of Leipzig.
Anecdotes
As a teenager, the young Bach is said to have secretly copied out by hand, by moonlight alone, a precious collection of scores belonging to his older brother, who had refused to lend it to him. The nightly effort, carried on for months, is thought to have permanently damaged his eyesight.
In 1705, at the age of twenty, Bach walked nearly 400 kilometres to hear the famous organist Dietrich Buxtehude in Lübeck. He extended his leave from four weeks to four months, which earned him serious reproaches from his employers on his return.
Bach was the patriarch of an immense dynasty of musicians: he had twenty children by his two wives, about ten of whom reached adulthood. Several of his sons, such as Carl Philipp Emanuel and Johann Christian, became renowned composers, at times more famous than their father during his lifetime.
In 1717, during a stay in Dresden, a musical duel was planned between Bach and the French virtuoso Louis Marchand. On the morning of the contest, Marchand is said to have left the city in secret, preferring flight to a confrontation with the German organist.
In 1747, invited to the court of Frederick II of Prussia, Bach improvised a fugue on a difficult theme proposed by the king himself. Back home, he developed this theme into a learned work, *The Musical Offering*, which he dedicated to the sovereign.
Primary Sources
For a well-appointed church music, one needs singers and instrumentalists in sufficient number; the present state of music is altogether different from what it once was.
He was the greatest organist and harpsichordist ever heard; his mastery of harmony and counterpoint reached perfection.
Preludes and fugues in all the keys and semitones, for the use and benefit of musical youth eager to learn.
A royal theme, with its elaborations, humbly dedicated to His Majesty.
Key Places
Town in Thuringia where Bach was born in 1685 into a family of musicians. He spent his childhood there until the death of his parents.
Small town where the young Bach obtained his first post as organist at the New Church in 1703. It was from here that he set off on foot to hear Buxtehude.
Ducal court where Bach served as organist and concertmaster from 1708 to 1717. He composed a large part of his organ works there.
Court of Prince Leopold of Anhalt where Bach was Kapellmeister from 1717 to 1723. There he produced brilliant instrumental music, including the Brandenburg Concertos.
City where Bach was Cantor of St. Thomas from 1723 until his death in 1750. There he composed his great sacred works and is buried.
Residence of Frederick II of Prussia where Bach was received in 1747. His visit gave rise to The Musical Offering.