youtube biography johann sebastian bach

Johann Sebastian Bach

(1685-1750)

Who Was Johann Sebastian Bach?

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.

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 seven, 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 violin and the harpsichord. Bach was greatly influenced by a local organist named George Böhm. In 1703, he landed his first job as a musician at the court of Duke Johann Ernst in Weimar. There he was a jack-of-all-trades, serving as a violinist and at times, filling in for the official organist.

Early Career

Bach had a growing reputation as a great performer, and it was his great technical skill that landed him the position of organist at the New Church in Arnstadt. He was responsible for providing music for religious services and special events as well as giving music instruction. An independent and sometimes arrogant young man, Bach did not get along well with his students and was scolded by church officials for not rehearsing them frequently enough.

Bach did not help his situation when he disappeared for several months in 1705. While he only officially received a few weeks' leave from the church, he traveled to Lübeck to hear famed organist Dietrich Buxtehude and extended his stay without informing anyone back in Arnstadt.

In 1707, Bach was glad to leave Arnstadt for an organist position at the Church of St. Blaise in Mühlhausen. This move, however, did not turn out as well as he had planned. Bach's musical style clashed with the church's pastor. Bach created complex arrangements and had a fondness for weaving together different melodic lines. His pastor believed that church music needed to be simple. One of Bach's most famous works from this time is the cantata "Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit," also known as "Actus Tragicus."

Working for Royalty

After a year in Mühlhausen, Bach won the post of organist at the court of the Duke Wilhelm Ernst in Weimar. He wrote many church cantatas and some of his best compositions for the organ while working for the duke. During his time at Weimar, Bach wrote "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor," one of his most popular pieces for the organ. He also composed the cantata "Herz und Mund und Tat," or Heart and Mouth and Deed. One section of this cantata, called "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" in English, is especially famous.

In 1717, Bach accepted a position with Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen. But Duke Wilhelm Ernst had no interest in letting Bach go and even imprisoned him for several weeks when he tried to leave. In early December, Bach was released and allowed to go to Cöthen. Prince Leopold had a passion for music. He played the violin and often bought musical scores while traveling abroad.

While at Cöthen, Bach devoted much of his time to instrumental music, composing concertos for orchestras, dance suites and sonatas for multiple instruments. He also wrote pieces for solo instruments, including some of his finest violin works. His secular compositions still reflected his deep commitment to his faith with Bach often writing the initials I.N.J. for the Latin In Nomine Jesu, or "in the name of Jesus," on his sheet music.

In tribute to the Duke of Brandenburg, Bach created a series of orchestra concertos, which became known as the "Brandenburg Concertos," in 1721. These concertos are considered to be some of Bach's greatest works. That same year, Prince Leopold got married, and his new bride discouraged the prince's interest in music. Bach completed the first book of "The Well-Tempered Clavier" around this time. With students in mind, he put together this collection of keyboard pieces to help them learn certain techniques and methods. Bach had to turn his attentions to finding work when the prince dissolved his orchestra in 1723.

Later Works in Leipzig

After auditioning for a new position in Leipzig, Bach signed a contract to become the new organist and teacher at St. Thomas Church. He was required to teach at the Thomas School as a part of his position as well. With new music needed for services each week, Bach threw himself into writing cantatas. The "Christmas Oratorio," for example, is a series of six cantatas that reflect on the holiday.

Bach also created musical interpretations of the Bible using choruses, arias and recitatives. These works are referred to as his "Passions," the most famous of which is "Passion According to St. Matthew." This musical composition, written in 1727 or 1729, tells the story of chapters 26 and 27 of the Gospel of Matthew. The piece was performed as part of a Good Friday service.

One of his later religious masterworks is "Mass in B minor." He had developed sections of it, known as Kyrie and Gloria, in 1733, which were presented to the Elector of Saxony. Bach did not finish the composition, a musical version of a traditional Latin mass, until 1749. The complete work was not performed during his lifetime.

Final Years

By 1740, Bach was struggling with his eyesight, but he continued to work despite his vision problems. He was even well enough to travel and perform, visiting Frederick the Great, the king of Prussia in 1747. He played for the king, making up a new composition on the spot. Back in Leipzig, Bach refined the piece and gave Frederick a set of fugues called "Musical Offering."

In 1749, Bach started a new composition called "The Art of Fugue," but he did not complete it. He tried to fix his failing sight by having surgery the following year, but the operation ended up leaving him completely blind. Later that year, Bach suffered a stroke. He died in Leipzig on July 28, 1750.

During his lifetime, Bach was better known as an organist than a composer. Few of his works were even published during his lifetime. Still Bach's musical compositions were admired by those who followed in his footsteps, including Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. His reputation received a substantial boost in 1829 when German composer Felix Mendelssohn reintroduced Bach's "Passion According to St. Matthew."

Musically, Bach was a master at invoking and maintaining different emotions. He was an expert storyteller as well, often using melody to suggest actions or events. In his works, Bach drew from different music styles from across Europe, including French and Italian. He used counterpoint, the playing of multiple melodies simultaneously, and fugue, the repetition of a melody with slight variations, to create richly detailed compositions. He is considered to be the best composer of the Baroque era, and one of the most important figures in classical music in general.

Personal Life

Little personal correspondence has survived to provide a full picture of Bach as a person. But the records do shed some light on his character. Bach was devoted to his family. In 1706, he married his cousin Maria Barbara Bach. The couple had seven children together, some of whom died as infants. Maria died in 1720 while Bach was traveling with Prince Leopold. The following year, Bach married a singer named Anna Magdalena Wülcken. They had thirteen children, more than half of them died as children.

Bach clearly shared his love of music with his children. From his first marriage, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach became composers and musicians. Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach and Johann Christian Bach, sons from his second marriage, also enjoyed musical success.

QUICK FACTS

• 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 is revered through the ages for his work's musical complexities and stylistic innovations.
• Astrological Sign: Aries
• St. Michael's School (Luneburg, Germany)
• Nacionalities
• Death Year: 1750
• Death date: July 28, 1750
• Death City: Leipzig
• Death Country: Germany

CITATION INFORMATION

• 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

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The Life and Legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach

By Leipzig Bach Archive

Bach-Archiv Leipzig

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is one of the most influential musicians of all times - in 2011, the New York Times named him the most important composer in the history of music. Although the story of his life still holds some white spots, his life and legacy are being kept alive - especially in Leipzig, where he served as Thomaskantor for 27 years.

Wedding Quodlibet BWV 524 (1707/1708) by Johann Sebastian Bach Leipzig Bach Archive

A life for music

Bach came from the largest family of musicians in music history, with well over 100 musical family members documented. Music was always present and performed at annual family reunions and large family gatherings. In such a context, this Wedding Quodlibet BWV 524, a satirical collage of various songs, must have been composed by Bach at the age of about 22. Bach developed his own personal style early on, among other stations while working in Weimar, Köthen and eventually Leipzig. 

City View of Eisenach (1650) by Caspar Merian Leipzig Bach Archive

"I was obliged to be industrious; whoever is equally industrious will succeed equally well." (Johann Sebastian Bach) Bach spent the first few years of his childhood in Eisenach, where his father Johann Ambrosius was the town musician director. Eisenach was the home of the Dukes of Saxe-Eisenach and had about 6,000 residents at the time. Following his parents' death, Bach left the town in 1695 and from then on lived with his older brother in Ohrdruf.

Bach was made organist at the Weimar court in 1708. In 1714, the Duke promoted him to concertmaster which required him to compose one cantata each month for the court chapel service. In Weimar, a scholar of the Bach Archive made the most spectacular Bach discovery of the last decades. In a collection of the Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek that had previously remained unnoticed by Bach researchers, the scholar discovered a hitherto unknown work in 2005: a birthday aria that Bach had composed for the Weimar Duke in 1713.

Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen (c. 1720) by Unknown Leipzig Bach Archive

"He was a gracious Prince, who both loved and knew music." (Johann Sebastian Bach on Prince Leopold) In Köthen, Bach had reached the highest stage in his career. As the Kapellmeister, music director to the princely court of the young, music-loving Leopold, he could freely work on his music in an inspiring and creative environment from 1717 to 1723. But he was also destined to experience the worst event in his life in Köthen. In 1720, his first wife Maria Barbara died while Bach was on a trip for work. The following year he married court singer Anna Magdalena.

"Eternity, thou thundrous word" BWV 20 (soprano part) (1724) by Johann Sebastian Bach Leipzig Bach Archive

As Thomaskantor and music director of the city of Leipzig, Bach was responsible for the music performances in the Leipzig churches. He composed most of the pieces himself, with older members of the St. Thomas Choir assisting him in finishing the vocal performance parts and during rehearsals. Researching manuscripts by the St. Thomas Choir members helps us today to more accurately date Bach's works. Many of the original vocal performance parts remained in St. Thomas School after Bach's death. In 1951, they were donated to the Bach Archive to be stored permanently.

Presentation of the score BWV 20 (2017) Leipzig Bach Archive

The autograph scores which served as templates for the vocal performance parts were often hastily composed by Bach. Crossed-out sections and corrections give Bach researchers insight into the creative process behind the compositions. After Bach's death, his scores were divided among his sons and eventually released across the world. In 2016, the Bach Archive was first able to purchase the cantata autograph "O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort" [O eternity, thou word of thunder] BWV 20 —after it had traveled from Hamburg to Berlin, Leipzig, Frankfurt, New York, and London—from the Basel Paul-Sacher Stiftung.

The Leipzig Town Hall (c. 1720) by Peter Schenk Leipzig Bach Archive

"Here the authorities are odd and little interested in music" (Johann Sebastian Bach) In August 1730, as a result of an ongoing dispute with the Leipzig City Council and repeated interventions from the Town Hall into the cantor's responsibilities, Bach wrote his famous "Draft of a well-appointed church music". With this memorandum, the Thomaskantor wanted to show the city council the consequences of the current anti-music school policy. Effective cultural policy decisions to fill vacant places in the St. Thomas Choir boarding school would lead to increasing member shortages for cantata performances. Bach complained about this situation, which he thought was unsustainable, and made suggestions for improvement.

Goldberg Variations BWV 988 (1741) by Johann Sebastian Bach Leipzig Bach Archive

From 1726, Bach published his compositions for piano and organ in several parts as a "clavier exercise". In 1741, the fourth and final part appeared in the Goldberg Variations . The link between this work and Bach's pupil Johann Gottlieb Goldberg can be traced back to an anecdote from Johann Nikolaus Forkel. In his biography of Bach written in 1802 he states that Goldberg had to play variations for his employer Hermann Carl von Keyserlingk, the Russian ambassador at the Dresden court, each night "for restlessness".

Art of Fugue BWV 1080 (1752) by Johann Sebastian Bach Leipzig Bach Archive

"What I have to say about Bach's lifework: Listen, play, love, worship and - shut up!" (Albert Einstein) Through The Art of Fugue , Bach wanted to establish his musical legacy. Today, the work is still famous for having the greatest set of counterpoints in music history. He had even started preparing for the printing of the work and first rounds of corrections himself. However, after Bach's death, the work had to finally be printed by his son Carl Philipp Emanuel. The work was published in the spring of 1751. A second edition followed as early as 1752.

Portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach (1748) by Elias Gottlob Haußmann Leipzig Bach Archive

If Johann Sebastian Bach has shaped the evolution of classical music like hardly any other composer, no painting has shaped our modern Bach picture as much as the portrait Elias Gottlob Haußmann created of the Thomaskantor. There are two originals of the portrait, both of which are located in Leipzig. They show the only authentic representation of the musician. Bach presents himself with a serious look and shows the viewer a sheet of music. It carries a canon in the strict contrapuntal style that identifies him as a learned musician.

Scenographiae Lipsiacae (detail) (1749) by Joachim Ernst Scheffler Leipzig Bach Archive

The center of Bach's life and work was St. Thomas Square in Leipzig. St. Thomas School, which adjoined the church on the left, not only included classrooms and rehearsal rooms for the St. Thomas choir but also the Thomaskantor residence. This is where Bach lived with his family, was visited by musicians from all over, and died on July 28, 1750.

St. Thomas Church is now the center of the Leipzig Bach preservation efforts. In St. Thomas Church, Bach's works are performed by the St. Thomas Choir in weekly motets and by international artists during the annual Bach Festival.

Bach Birthday at the Thomaskirchhof in Leipzig (2010) Leipzig Bach Archive

The old St. Thomas School (including Bach's residence) was demolished in 1902. A Bach monument has stood in its place in the center of St. Thomas Church square since 1908, created by Carl Seffner. For Bach's birthday on March 21 , Leipzig elementary school children meet here each year to sing a birthday canon together. They then cut the birthday cake.

The Leipzig Bach Archive at the Bosehaus (2010) Leipzig Bach Archive

The Leipzig Bach Archive

Opposite St. Thomas Church and Bach monument, the Bach Archive Leipzig is situated. As the world’s pre-eminent centre of Bach scholarship its purpose is to research the life, work and influence of the Bach family of musicians, to preserve their heritage and to communicate it to a general public. The scientific work of the Bach Archive is the basis for the Bach Museum’s exhibitions and shapes the annual Bach Festival and the biennial Bach Competition.

Bach's original manuscripts (2019) Leipzig Bach Archive

The greatest treasure of the Bach Archive are the 44 sets of original performance parts , which his widow Anna Magdalena transferred to the Thomasschule shortly after his death. Today the precious originals are kept in an air-conditioned vault in the Bach archive and made available for research. The research database Bach digital offers access to Bach's manuscripts for everyone. High-resolution images allow scholars and Bach enthusiasts worldwide to view the autographs in detail. Musicians can download, print and play from digital reproductions of Bach's originals.

Making research a tangible experience: The research laboratory in the Bach Museum (2019) Leipzig Bach Archive

Bringing research to life Scientists examine Bach's paper types on special light tables and investigate every aspect of his handwriting in detailed forensic work. You can experience the researchers' working method for yourself in the Bach Museum research laboratory. By analyzing manuscripts, paper types, and watermarks, we can often accurately date the origins of Bach's works.

The Bach Festival Leipzig - Bach's music at the original venues (2014) Leipzig Bach Archive

Making research audible The work of the Bach scholars leads time and again to new insights into the sound and form of Bach's works - this is where science happens that can be heard. Every year in June, Bach admirers from all over the world come to Leipzig for the Bach Festival. Taking place over ten days with more than 100 concerts, Bach's works are performed at the original venues for which they once were written. The festival is a celebration of a composer so invested in his craft he was able to create timeless compositions that have captured audiences to this day.

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Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was music's most sublime creative genius. Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist of the Baroque Era.

Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 21st 1685 in Eisenach, Germany. The young Bach was offered a choral scholarship to the prestigious St Michael's School in 1699. 1703 saw Bach become the organist at St Boniface's Church in Arnstadt - a role that saw him on a regular salary and expanding his skills at the keyboard. Bach composed the cantata Gott ist mein König in 1708 - he was paid handsomely, and it helped him cement his early career. The Brandenburg Concertos were composed in 1721 as a sort-of musical job application for the Margrave Ludwig of Brandenburg - it was unsuccessful. In his later years Bach faced harsh criticism. During the 1720s and 1730s when he was composing his most important works - the Passions and the Goldberg Variations among them - a new Italian style invaded Germany, making his work appear outdated. The Well Tempered Clavier, a quintessential student text, was finished in 1744 and comprised two volumes of piano music in every musical key. With the notable exception of opera, Bach composed towering masterpieces in every major Baroque genre: sonatas, concertos, suites and cantatas, as well as innumerable keyboard, organ and choral works. Bach died on July 28th 1750 in Leipzig. It is still disputed whether it was a botched eye operation or a stroke caused by pneumonia were to blame for his death. Bach's popularity was decaying until 1829, when Mendelssohn performed the St Matthew Passion and rescued Bach from oblivion. Did you know? Bach once walked two hundred and thirteen miles to hear a performance by an organist whom he admired. Once he had heard the concert, he turned round and walked the same distance home again.

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Johann Sebastian Bach: Baroque innovator and king of counterpoint

Meet the king of counterpoint, Johann Sebastian Bach

BBC Music Magazine

An introduction to the unparalleled composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), who changed the course of Baroque music and brought the wonders of counterpoint into classical music.

Who was Johann Sebastian Bach?

Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, active during the first half of the 18th century during the later Baroque era of classical music. He is one of the most important composers in the history of classical music.

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In particular, Bach's innovative use of counterpoint proved hugely influential in the development of classical music.

When was Bach born?

JS Bach was born in 1685, the most talented member of a prodigiously gifted musical family. He was only nine when his mother died in 1694 and orphaned a year later when his farther died.

Where did Bach grow up?

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach , in central Germany, the eighth and youngest child of Johann Ambrosius Bach, the director of the town musicians, and Maria Elisabeth Lämmerhirt. After the death of both of his parents in 1694-95, the 10-year-old Bach moved in with his eldest brother, Johann Christoph Bach , who worked as organist at St. Michael's Church in nearby Ohrdruf . Later, Bach and a schoolfriend were enrolled in the prestigious St. Michael's School in Lüneburg .

Who taught Bach music?

He was taken into the care of an elder brother, Johann Christoph, who taught him keyboard playing before sending him north to Lüneburg to continue his education. There he became acquainted with the organist and composer Georg Böhm, heard the great organist Johann Adam Reincken at Hamburg and orchestral music played at the nearby court of Celle.

What was Bach's first job?

By 1703, Bach was a court musician at Weimar, but in that year he accepted an organist’s post at Arnstadt where he disgraced himself with the town council by turning four weeks leave into three months. Bach had occupied his time well, though, travelling to Lübeck to hear Buxtehude’s organ playing and becoming acquainted with his music at first hand.

When did Bach start writing his sacred cantatas?

He survived Arnstadt for about three and a half years, however, before moving on to Mühlhausen as organist of St Blasius. Mühlhausen proved to be significant since it was here that he produced pieces in a form that we now recognise as being the kernel of his musical output – the sacred cantata.

In 1708 Bach retraced his footsteps toward the Weimar court to take up duties first as organist, then as Konzertmeister . Here he wrote prolifically for the organ, drawing on all he had learned from Buxtehude and other north-Germany composers as well as Italian and French styles. The music possesses great expressive individuality at the same time revealing Bach’s awe-inspiring understanding of the instrument for which he was writing. The evidence is found in such pieces as the Passacaglia in C minor and the Orgelbüchlein (or 'Little organ book'), designed to educate the fledgling organist.

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Italian influences

It was in Weimar, too, that Bach seems first to have encountered Italian concertos, especially the Venetian solo type developed by Vivaldi . The early fruits of his understanding and interpretation of the forms can be seen not only in the arrangements for solo harpsichord and organ of concertos by Vivaldi and others, which he made at Weimar, but also in the music of the cantatas which he wrote during the later years of his time there, between 1713 and his departure for Cöthen in 1717 .

Three sacred cantatas , in particular, claim our attention for their expression and originality: Christ lag in Todesbanden (BWV 4), Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis (BWV 21), and Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (BWV 61) in which Bach brilliantly combines the French overture and Lutheran hymn in the opening chorus. The great secular cantata of this period is a birthday tribute to the Duke of Sachsen-Weissenfels, War mir behagt, ist nur die muntre jagd! (BWV 208) with its celebrated aria ‘ Schafe Können sicher weiden’ (Sheep may safely graze).

The Brandenburg Concertos

At Cöthen, Bach’s responsibilities were different from those at Weimar. As Kapellmeister his chief concern was the running of Prince Leopold’s court orchestra among whose members from time to time was the musically gifted prince himself, a viola da gamba player. The orchestral cornerstone of Bach’s years at Cöthen (1717-23) are the Brandenburg Concertos , assembled in response to a ‘command’ from Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg. Bach’s manuscript of the six concertos is dated 24 March 1721, though the music was composed over a longer period, some of it going back to the Weimar years.

Among the key works which can be ascribed to the period, however are the Sonatas and Partitas for unaccompanied violin, the Suites for solo cello, six Sonatas for violin and harpsichord and several collections for solo harpsichord, notably Book 1 of the ‘48’.

Who was Bach married to?

Bach’s seemingly contented life at Cöthen was clouded by two events. First came the death of his wife, Maria Barbara in 1719. Then, late in 1721, just after his second marriage to Anna Magdalena Wilcke, the Prince himself married but, alas for Bach, chose a consort who showed no interest in music. The creative friendship between composer and prince was terminated and Bach sought work elsewhere. In 1722 he applied for the position of Kantor at the Thomasschule in Leipzig and after much shilly-shallying – Telemann and Christoph Graupner were preferred candidates – he was formally appointed to the post in April 1723.

As Kantor of St Thomas’s Church and Leipzig’s ‘Director Musices’, Bach was responsible both for the music of the city’s four principal churches and for providing pieces for civic occasions.

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Between 1723 and 1729 he not only composed three complete annual cycles of sacred cantatas for the church year, but also his two great accounts of the Passion St John (1724) and St Matthew (1727). Most of the cantatas were entirely new works, and almost all containing music of striking originality that may justly be placed on a level with the Passions, the Christmas Oratorio and the Mass in B minor.

The Coffee Cantata

By the end of the 1720s, Bach was in conflict with the Leipzig authorities, who reprimanded him for not carrying out his duties to the letter. From then, Bach made a deliberate move to diversify his activities. In 1729 he became director of a Leipzig ‘collegium musicum’, consisting mainly of students but which also included professional musicians. Bach enjoyed his connection with the society, which lasted in to the 1740s, providing it with harpsichord concertos and secular cantatas, including the celebrated Coffee Cantata .

In addition, Bach remained active during the last 20 years of his life, composing compiling and revising his music, giving organ recitals and advising on the construction of keyboard instruments. The products of this concluding period are dominated by the Mass in B minor, the Goldberg Variations for harpsichord (1741 or 1742), the Musical Offering and the Art of Fugue

What are Bach's best known works?

Bach is best known for his orchestral music, including the Brandenburg Concertos and Orchestral Suites. He also composed some much-loved concertos, including two Violin Concertos and a Concerto for Two Violins (commonly known as the Bach Double Concerto).

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Other important instrumental compositions include the Cello Suites , for solo cello; keyboard works such as the Goldberg Variations and The Well-Tempered Clavier ; organ works such as the Schübler Chorales and the Toccata and Fugue in D minor ; and vocal music such as the St Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor .

• Five essential works by JS Bach

What is Bach's greatest piece?

The Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the Violin Concertos, the Cello Suites, the B Minor Mass: among so much incredible music, it's impossible to pick a favourite. Your answer will be a personal one. We can say that all the works above, and very much more Bach besides, are worth getting to know.

When did Bach die?

Bach died on 28 July 1750, after undergoing eye surgery.

What was Bach's greatest accomplishment?

This is quite a tough question to answer, as Johann Sebastian Bach's contributions to classical (or Baroque) music were so huge. However, his overriding achievement is probably his development of counterpoint as it existed in late Baroque music, and the wonderful musicality of his output, across so many instrumental forms and combinations.

Nicholas Anderson

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Johann sebastian bach's life (the 3-minute version).

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Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer from the Baroque period. If nothing else, you may recognize his work from the opening scene of Disney's 'Fantasia.' What were his influences, and how did he come to be lauded as one of the best composers of all time?

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Johann Sebastian Bach

Born march 21, 1685, died july 28, 1750, born in germany, baroque period: 1600 - 1750.

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Hey Kids, Meet Johann Sebastian Bach | Composer Biography

Hey Kids, Meet Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach (Baptized 1685-1750) German Baroque Era Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany in 1685. As a child, Bach's father taught him to play violin and harpsichord . One of his uncles, Johann Christoph Bach, introduced him to the art of organ playing.

In 1707, Bach married his second cousin Maria Barbara Bach. They had seven children.

In 1708 Bach became the court composer, organist, and Konzertmeister (instrument-playing leader of the orchestra) of the Weimar orchestra for the Duke of Weimar. When the Kapellmeister (conductor of an orchestra or choir) died in 1716, Bach asked about taking this job, but the duke appointed someone else. When Bach asked to be released from the Duke's service he put Bach in jail for four weeks before finally dismissing him.

In 1717 Bach accepted a new post as the Kapellmeister for Prince Leopold of Köthen. He was a very nice person to work for and very musical. However, the organ was not very good so Bach did not write organ music during this time. Instead, Bach focused on composing for the orchestra. During his six-year post in Köthe, Maria died, and Bach married Anna Magdalena Wilcke. Bach had 13 more children with Anna Magdalena and became the father of 20 children.

In 1723, Bach became the cantor, organist, and music composer for St. Thomas Lutheran Church in Leipzig, Germany. Bach remained there for the rest of his life and focused on composing choral works.

Johann Sebastian Bach died in 1750. He was considered an "old-fashioned" composer during his lifetime, and almost forgotten after his death. He is most remembered for his  Brandenburg Concertos , the  Well-Tempered Clavier , and the celebrated organ work  Toccata and Fugue in D Minor . Today, Bach is considered such an important composer that the year of his death is a defining point in music history. It marks the end of the Baroque Era .

Watch a Video About Johann Sebastian Bach

Learn about Johann Sebastian Bach with this popsicle stick theater presentation from the MakingMusicFun.net Academy. Print the Meet Bach | Free Video Music Lesson Study Guide to drill the facts.

Watch a performance of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor for organ.

Print Related Resources for Johann Sebastian Bach

Piano books for kids.

Bach | Meet the Composer Series Piano Book, Vol. 4

Beginner and Easy Piano Sheet Music

Minuet in G Beginner Piano Sheet Music/Level 1 Musette in D Beginner Piano Sheet Music/Level 1 Aria from Suite in D Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 3 Toccata in D Minor Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 3 May the Sheep Freely Graze Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 4 Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5 Minuet in D Minor Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5 Minuet in G (1) Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5 Minuet in G (2) Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5 Minuet in G Minor Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5 Musette in D for Intermediate/Level 5 Piano Solo Siciliano Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5 Toccata in D Minor Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5

Easy Guitar Sheet Music

Minuet in G (1) for Guitar Solo (Notation) Minuet in G (2) for Guitar Solo (Notation and Tab)

Music Classroom Resources for Johann Sebastian Bach (Famous Composers)

Bach | Music Lesson Plan and Bulletin Board Bundle Bach | Bulletin Board Poster Pack Musette in D | Play-Along Orff Orchestration Toccata in D Minor (Bach) | Listening Map Toccata in D Minor (Bach) | Listening Glyph Toccata and Fugue in D Minor | Music Lesson Plan Meet the Composer Job Application Worksheet Meet Bach | Free Video Lesson Study Guide Meet Bach | Popsicle Stick Puppets Johann Sebastian Bach Multiplication Connect-the-Dot Johann Sebastian Bach | Word Search Worksheet Johann Sebastian Bach | Crossword Worksheet Johann Sebastian Bach | Coloring Page Great Composer Farm | Lead Sheet Beethoven at Bat™ | Music Composer Board Game (Digital Print)

Homeschool Music Lesson Plans for Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach | Homeschool Music Lesson Plans

Kids Songs for Johann Sebastian Bach

Great Composer Farm | Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 2 Great Composer Farm | Lead Sheet Great Composer Farm | Kids Song Lyrics