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The life and work of Johann Sebastian Bach

Introduction

Johann Sebastian Bach was a composer, organist, harpsichordist and choirmaster of the German period and is still considered as one of the greatest geniuses in the history of music. His works are notable for intellectual depth, mastery of technique as well as expression and artistic beauty. Bach worked a wonderful synthesis between the German style of music composition and the works of Italian composers (especially Vivaldi), from which he transcribed many pieces, especially assimilating the concertante style. His work led to the formation and development of various compositional trends of his time. The degree of structural complexity, the technical difficulty and the exclusion of melodrama made his work the prerogative of most talented musicians at that time. However, his music had limited spread among the general public, in comparison to the popularity of other contemporaries such as Telemann and Handel. In 1829, the performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, conducted in Berlin by Felix Mendelssohn, brought the quality composition of the work of Bach to the knowledge of the fans. For his contribution to music and composition, an asteroid has been dedicated to him, known as the asteroid 1814 Bach.

Life

On 21st March 1685, Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach to a famous family of musicians. Following the untimely death of both his parents, elder brother Johann Christoph took charge of the family and raised Bach. During the 1700s, Bach became 15 years old and obtained a scholarship to the Michaelis monastery school in Luneburg. From there, Bach took several trips to Hamburg in search for his passion. In March 1703, Bach finished school and started to work as a messenger and violin player for Duke Johann Ernst of Saxe. After a few months, he left Weimar and headed back to Arnstadt to assume the post of an organist at the New Church.

Bach's professional responsibilities at that time included servicing the church and training students. This gave him enough time to pursue his musical interests and this is the time when he wrote most of his first major organ compositions. During the year 1705, Bach met with another great musician of his time, Dietrich Buxtehude. With him, Bach made a trip back to Lubeck. However, conflicts arose and Bach had to leave his employment. In the year 1707, he availed the chance to depart from Arnstadt and became the lead organist at St. Blasius's Church (Muhlhausen). In that same year, he married Maria Barbara (his cousin). In June of the year 1708, Bach posted resignation at the church as court organist and chamber musician. In December of the same year, his first child was born, following six more children in the next seven years. In 1714, his reputation as a virtuoso organist spread rapidly and fiercely across the German countryside. In August 1717, Prince LEOPOLD of the Kapellmeister appointed Bach at the court of Anhalt- Kothen. However, during the same year, his career became overshadowed by the death of ...