Bach: a biography in brief for children. Johann Sebastian Bach: biography, video, interesting facts, creativity A short synopsis of the biography of Bach
(1685-1750)
Johann Sebastian Bach is the great German composer of the 18th century. More than two hundred and fifty years have passed since the death of Bach, and interest in his music is growing. During his lifetime, the composer did not receive the recognition he deserved.
Interest in Bach's music arose almost a hundred years after his death: in 1829, under the direction of the German composer Mendelssohn, Bach's greatest work, St. Matthew Passion, was publicly performed. For the first time - in Germany - a complete collection of Bach's works was published. And musicians from all over the world play Bach's music, marveling at its beauty and inspiration, skill and perfection. “Don't be a stream! “The sea should be his name,” the great Beethoven said about Bach.
Bach's ancestors have long been famous for their musicality. It is known that the composer's great-great-grandfather, a baker by profession, played the zither. From the Bach family came flutists, trumpeters, organists, violinists. Eventually every musician in Germany was called Bach and every Bach a musician. Johann Sebastian Bach was born in 1685 in the small German town of Eisenach. He received his first violin skills from his father, a violinist and city musician. The boy had an excellent voice (soprano) and sang in the choir of the city school. No one doubted his future profession: little Bach was to become a musician. At nine years old, the child was left an orphan. His elder brother, who served as a church organist in the city of Ohrdruf, became his tutor. The brother sent the boy to the gymnasium and continued to teach music. But that was an insensitive musician. The classes were monotonous and boring. For an inquisitive ten-year-old boy, it was excruciating. Therefore, he strove for self-education. Learning that his brother kept a notebook with works of famous composers in a locked cabinet, the boy secretly took out this notebook at night and rewrote the notes in the moonlight. This tedious work lasted six months; it greatly damaged the eyes of the future composer. And what was the chagrin of the child when his brother found him one day doing this and took away the already rewritten notes.
At the age of fifteen, Johann Sebastian decided to start an independent life and moved to Luneburg. In 1703 he graduated from high school and received the right to enter the university. But Bach did not have to use this right, since he needed to get a livelihood.
During his life, Bach moved from city to city several times, changing his place of work. Almost every time the reason turned out to be the same - unsatisfactory working conditions, humiliating, dependent position. But no matter how unfavorable the situation was, he was never abandoned by the desire for new knowledge, for improvement. With tireless energy, he constantly studied the music of not only German, but also Italian and French composers. Bach did not miss the opportunity to personally get acquainted with outstanding musicians, to study the manner of their performance. Once, having no money for the trip, young Bach went to another city on foot to listen to the play of the famous organist Buxtehude.
The composer also steadfastly defended his attitude to creativity, his views on music. Despite the admiration of the court society for foreign music, Bach studied and widely used German folk songs and dances in his works. Having perfectly learned the music of composers from other countries, he did not blindly imitate them. Extensive and deep knowledge helped him improve and polish his composing skills.
Sebastian Bach's talent was not limited to this area. He was the best organ and harpsichord performer among his contemporaries. And if, as a composer, Bach did not receive recognition during his lifetime, then in improvisations on the organ his skill was unsurpassed. Even his rivals had to admit this.
It is said that Bach was invited to Dresden to compete with the then famous French organist and harpsichordist Louis Marchand. On the eve of the preliminary acquaintance of the musicians, both of them played the harpsichord. That same night, Marchand hastily left, thereby recognizing the undeniable superiority of Bach. Another time, in the city of Kassel, Bach amazed his listeners by playing a solo on the organ pedal. Such success did not turn Bach's head, he always remained a very modest and hardworking person. When asked how he achieved such perfection, the composer replied: "I had to work hard, whoever is as diligent will achieve the same."
Since 1708, Bach settled in Weimar. Here he served as court musician and city organist. During the Weimar period, the composer created his best organ works. Among them are the famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor, the famous Passacaglia in C minor. These works are significant and deep in content, grandiose in their scale.
In 1717 Bach moved with his family to Köthen. At the court of the Prince of Kothensky, where he was invited, there was no organ. Bach wrote mainly clavier and orchestral music. The composer's duties were to lead a small orchestra, accompany the prince's singing and entertain him with the harpsichord. Cope with his duties without difficulty, Bach devoted all his free time to creativity. The works for the clavier created at that time represent the second peak in his work after organ works. In Köthen, two-part and three-part inventions were written (Bach called the three-part inventions "synphonies"). The composer intended these pieces for lessons with his eldest son Wilhelm Friedemann. Bach was also guided by pedagogical goals in the creation of the "French" and "English" suites. In Köthen, Bach also completed 24 preludes and fugues, which constituted the first volume of a large work entitled The Well-Tempered Clavier. The famous Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor was also written during this period.
In our time, Bach's inventions and suites have become obligatory pieces in the programs of music schools, and the preludes and fugues of the Well-Tempered Clavier have become mandatory in schools and conservatories. Designed by the composer for a pedagogical purpose, these works are, moreover, of interest to a mature musician. Therefore, Bach's pieces for clavier, starting with the relatively easy inventions and ending with the most complex Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, can be heard at concerts and on the radio performed by the world's best pianists.
From Köthen in 1723, Bach moved to Leipzig, where he remained until the end of his life. Here he took the position of cantor (director of the choir) of the singing school at the Church of St. Thomas. Bach was obliged to serve the main churches of the city with the help of the school and be responsible for the condition and quality of church music. He had to accept conditions that were embarrassing for himself. Along with the duties of a teacher, educator and composer, there were the following instructions: "Do not leave the city without the permission of the mayor." As before, his creative possibilities were limited. Bach had to compose such music for the church, which would "not be too long, and also ... opera-like, but that aroused awe in the audience." But Bach, as always, sacrificing a lot, never compromised on the main thing - his artistic convictions. Throughout his life, he created works that are striking in their deep content and inner wealth.
So it was this time. In Leipzig, Bach created his best vocal and instrumental compositions: most of the cantatas (Bach wrote about 250 cantatas in total), St. John Passion, St. Matthew Passion, Mass in B minor. "Passion", or "passions" according to John and Matthew is a story about the suffering and death of Jesus Christ in the description of the evangelists John and Matthew. Mass is close in content to the Passion. In the past, both Mass and "Passion" were choral chants in the Catholic Church. For Bach, these works go far beyond the scope of the church service. Bach's Mass and Passion are monumental works of a concert character. They are performed by soloists, choir, orchestra, organ. In terms of their artistic significance, the cantata, Passion and Mass represent the third, highest peak of the composer's work.
The church authorities were clearly unhappy with Bach's music. As in previous years, she was found too bright, colorful, human. Indeed, Bach's music did not respond, but rather contradicted the strict church environment, the mood of detachment from everything earthly. Along with major vocal and instrumental works, Bach continued to write music for the clavier. The famous "Italian Concerto" was written almost at the same time as Mass. Bach later completed the second volume of The Well-Tempered Clavier, which included 24 new preludes and fugues.
In addition to his enormous creative work and service in the church school, Bach took an active part in the activities of the “Musical Collegium” of the city. It was a society of music lovers that organized concerts of secular, not church music, for the residents of the city. Bach performed with great success in concerts of the Musical Collegium as a soloist and conductor. Especially for the concerts of the society, he wrote many orchestral, clavier and vocal works of a secular nature. But the main work of Bach - the head of the school of singers - brought him nothing but grief and trouble. The funds allocated by the church for the school were paltry, and the singing boys were starving and poorly dressed. The level of their musical abilities was also low. Singers were often recruited without taking into account the opinion of Bach. The school's orchestra was more than modest: four trumpets and four violins!
All petitions for help to the school, submitted by Bach to the city authorities, were ignored. The cantor was responsible for everything.
The only joy was still creativity, family. The grown up sons - Wilhelm Friedemann, Philip Emmanuel, Johann Christian - turned out to be talented musicians. During the life of their father, they became famous composers. Anna Magdalena Bach, the composer's second wife, was distinguished by great musicality. She had an excellent ear and a beautiful, strong soprano. Bach's eldest daughter also sang well. For his family, Bach composed vocal and instrumental ensembles.
The last years of the composer's life were overshadowed by a serious eye disease. After an unsuccessful operation, Bach went blind. But even then he continued to compose, dictating his works for recording. The death of Bach remained almost unnoticed by the musical community. He was soon forgotten. The fate of Bach's wife and youngest daughter was sad. Anna Magdalena died ten years later in a poor home. The youngest daughter Regina eked out a miserable existence. In the last years of her difficult life, Beethoven helped her.
Bach Johann Sebastian, whose biography is of interest to many music lovers, became one of the greatest composers in its entire history. In addition, he was a performer, virtuoso organist, and a talented teacher. In this article, we will look at the life of Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as present his work. The composer's works are often performed in concert halls around the world.
Johann Sebastian Bach (March 31 (21 - old style) 1685 - July 28, 1750) - German composer and musician of the Baroque era. He enriched the musical style created in Germany thanks to his mastery in counterpoint and harmony, adapted foreign rhythms and forms, borrowed, in particular, from Italy and France. Bach's works are Goldberg Variations, Brandenburg Concertos, Mass in B Minor, more than 300 cantatas, of which 190 have survived, and many other works. His music is considered to be very technically challenging, filled with artistic beauty and intellectual depth.
Johann Sebastian Bach. short biography
Bach was born in Eisenach into a family of hereditary musicians. His father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was the founder of city music concerts, and all of his uncles were professional performers. The composer's father taught his son to play the violin and harpsichord, and his brother, Johann Christoph - the clavichord, and also introduced Johann Sebastian to modern music. Partly on his own initiative, Bach attended the vocal school of St. Michael in Luneburg for 2 years. After attestation, he held several musical positions in Germany, in particular as court musician to Duke Johann Ernst in Weimar, and organ superintendent at St. Boniface's church located in Arnstadt.
In 1749, Bach's eyesight and health in general deteriorated, and he died in 1750, on July 28. Modern historians believe that the cause of his death was the combination of a stroke with pneumonia. Johann Sebastian's fame as an excellent organist spread throughout Europe during the lifetime of Bach, although he was not yet so popular as a composer. He became known as a composer a little later, in the first half of the 19th century, when interest in his music revived. Currently, Bach Johann Sebastian, whose biography in a more complete version is presented below, is considered one of the greatest musical creators in history.
Childhood (1685 - 1703)
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, in 1685, on March 21 according to the old style (according to the new - on the 31st of the same month). He was the son of Johann Ambrosius and Elisabeth Lemmerhirt. The composer became the eighth child in the family (the eldest son at the time of Bach's birth was 14 years older than him). The mother of the future composer died in 1694, and his father eight months later. Bach at that time was 10 years old, and he moved to live with Johann Christoph, his older brother (1671 - 1731). There he studied, performed and rewrote music, including the compositions of his brother, despite being forbidden to do so. From Johann Christoph, he took over a lot of knowledge in the field of music. At the same time, Bach was studying theology, Latin, Greek, French, Italian at the local gymnasium. As Johann Sebastian Bach later admitted, the classics inspired and amazed him from the very beginning.
Arnstadt, Weimar and Mühlhausen (1703 - 1717)
In 1703, after completing his studies at St. Michael's School in Lüneburg, the composer was appointed court musician in the chapel of Duke Johann Ernst III in Weimar. During his seven-month stay there, Bach gained a reputation as an excellent keyboard player, and he was invited to a new position as organ superintendent at the Church of St. Boniface, located in Arnstadt, 30 km south-west of Weimar. Despite his good family ties and his own musical enthusiasm, tensions arose with his superiors after several years of service. In 1706, Bach was offered the post of organist at the Church of St. Blasius (Mühlhausen), which he took the following year. The new position was paid much higher, included much better working conditions, as well as a more professional choir with which Bach was to work. Four months later, Johann Sebastian's wedding to Maria Barbara took place. They had seven children, four of whom survived to adulthood, including Wilhelm Friedemann and Karl Philip Emanuel, who later became famous composers.
In 1708, Bach Johann Sebastian, whose biography took a new direction, left Mühlhausen and returned to Weimar, this time as an organist, and from 1714 as a concert organizer, and had the opportunity to work with more professional musicians. In this city, the composer continues to play and compose organ works. He also began to write preludes and fugues, which later became part of his monumental work The Well-Tempered Clavier, consisting of two volumes. Each of them includes preludes and fugues, written in all possible minor and major keys. Also in Weimar, the composer Johann Sebastian Bach began work on the work "Organ Book", containing Lutheran chorales, a collection of choral preludes for organ. In 1717, he fell out of favor in Weimar, was arrested for almost a month and subsequently removed from office.
Coethen (1717 - 1723)
Leopold (important person - Prince of Anhalt-Köthensky) offered Bach the job of Kapellmeister in 1717. Prince Leopold, himself a musician, admired Johann Sebastian's talent, paid him well and gave him considerable freedom in composition and performance. The prince was a Calvinist, and they do not use complex and sophisticated music in worship, respectively, the work of Johann Sebastian Bach of that period was secular and included orchestral suites, suites for solo cello, for clavier, as well as the famous Brandenburg Concertos. In 1720, on July 7, his wife Maria Barbara dies, giving birth to seven children. The composer's acquaintance with his second wife takes place next year. Johann Sebastian Bach, whose works are gradually beginning to gain popularity, marries a girl named Anna Magdalena Wilke, a singer (soprano), in 1721, on December 3.
Leipzig (1723 - 1750)
In 1723, Bach received a new position, starting to work as cantor of the choir of St. Thomas. It was a prestigious service in Saxony, which the composer served for 27 years, until his death. Bach's responsibilities included teaching students how to sing and writing church music for the main churches in Leipzig. Johann Sebastian was also supposed to give Latin lessons, but he had the opportunity to hire a special person instead. During Sunday services, as well as on holidays, cantatas were required for church services, and the composer usually performed his own compositions, most of which were born during the first 3 years of his stay in Leipzig.
Johann Sebastian Bach, whose classics are now well known to many people, expanded his composing and performing capabilities in March 1729, taking over the leadership of the Collegium of Music, a secular assembly led by the composer Georg Philip Telemann. The College was one of dozens of private societies popular at that time in the major cities of Germany, created at the initiative of students of musical institutions. These associations played an important role in German musical life, being led by mostly eminent specialists. Many of Bach's works from the 1730s to the 1740s. were written and performed at the College of Music. The last major work of Johann Sebastian is Mass in B minor (1748-1749), which was recognized as his most global church work. Although the entire Mass was never performed during the author's lifetime, it is considered one of the most outstanding works of the composer.
Death of Bach (1750)
In 1749, the composer's health deteriorated. Bach Johann Sebastian, whose biography ends in 1750, began to suddenly lose his sight and turned to the English ophthalmologist John Taylor for help, who performed 2 operations in March-April 1750. However, both were unsuccessful. The composer's eyesight never returned. On July 28, at the age of 65, Johann Sebastian passed away. Modern newspapers wrote that "death came as a result of an unsuccessful operation on the eyes." At present, historians believe that the cause of the death of the composer was a stroke complicated by pneumonia.
Carl Philip Emmanuel, son of Johann Sebastian, and his student Johann Friedrich Agricola wrote an obituary. It was published in 1754 by Lorenz Christoph Mitzler in a music magazine. Johann Sebastian Bach, whose brief biography is presented above, was originally buried in Leipzig, near the Church of St. John. The tomb remained untouched for 150 years. Later, in 1894, the remains were transferred to a special storage facility in the Church of St. John, and in 1950 - to the Church of St. Thomas, where the composer still rests.
Organ creativity
Most of all, during his lifetime, Bach was known precisely as an organist and composer of organ music, which he wrote in all traditional German genres (preludes, fantasies). Favorite genres in which Bach Johann Sebastian worked are toccata, fugue, choral preludes. His organ work is very diverse. At a young age, Johann Sebastian Bach (we have already briefly touched on his biography) earned a reputation as a very creative composer, able to adapt many foreign styles to the requirements of organ music. He was greatly influenced by the traditions of Northern Germany, in particular Georg Böhm, whom the composer met in Luneburg, and Dietrich Buxtehude, whom Johann Sebastian visited in 1704 during a long vacation. Around the same time, Bach rewrote the works of many Italian and French composers, and later - Vivaldi's violin concertos, in order to breathe new life into them already as works for organ performance. During his most productive creative period (from 1708 to 1714) Bach wrote fugues and tocattas, several dozen pairs of preludes and fugues, and the Book of Organ, an unfinished collection of 46 choral preludes. After leaving Weimar, the composer writes less organ music, although he creates a number of famous works.
Other works for clavier
Bach wrote a lot of music for the harpsichord, some of which can be played on the clavichord. Many of these works are encyclopedias, including the theoretical methods and techniques that Bach Johann Sebastian loved to use. The works (list) are presented below:
- The Well-Tempered Clavier is a two-volume work. Each volume contains preludes and fugues in all the 24 major and minor keys used, arranged in chromatic order.
- Inventions and Overtures. These two- and three-part works are arranged in the same order as the Well-Tempered Clavier, with the exception of some rare keys. They were created by Bach for educational purposes.
- 3 collections of dance suites, "French suites", "English suites" and partitas for clavier.
- "Goldberg Variations".
- Various pieces such as "French Style Overture", "Italian Concert".
Orchestral and chamber music
Johann Sebastian also wrote pieces for individual instruments, duets and small ensembles. Many of them, such as the partitas and sonatas for solo violin, six different suites for solo cello, and the partita for solo flute, are considered among the most outstanding in the composer's repertoire. Bach wrote Johann Sebastian symphonies, and also created several compositions for solo lute. He also created trio sonatas, solo sonatas for flute and viola da gamba, a large number of richercars and canons. For example, the cycles "The Art of the Fugue", "The Musical Offering". Bach's most famous orchestral work is the Brandenburg Concertos, so named because Johann Sebastian presented it in the hopes of getting a work from Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg-Swedish in 1721. His attempt, however, was unsuccessful. The genre of this work is Concerto Grosso. Other surviving works of Bach for orchestra: 2 violin concertos, a concerto written for two violins (key "D minor"), concertos for clavier and chamber orchestra (one to four instruments).
Vocal and choral compositions
- Cantatas. Beginning in 1723, Bach worked in the church of St. Thomas, and every Sunday, as well as on holidays, he directed the performance of the cantatas. Despite the fact that he sometimes staged cantatas by other composers, Johann Sebastian wrote at least 3 cycles of his works in Leipzig, not counting those that were composed in Weimar and Mühlhausen. In total, more than 300 cantatas devoted to spiritual themes have been created, of which approximately 200 have survived.
- Motets. Motets by Johann Sebastian Bach are works on spiritual themes for choir and basso continuo. Some of them were composed for funeral ceremonies.
- Passions, or passions, oratorios and magnificats. Bach's great works for choir and orchestra are St. John Passion, St. Matthew Passion (both written for Good Friday in the churches of St. Thomas and St. Nicholas) and Christmas Oratorio (a cycle of 6 cantatas designed for Christmas worship ). Shorter compositions are "Easter Oratorio" and "Magnificat".
- "Mass in B minor". Bach produced his last major work, Mass in B Minor, between 1748 and 1749. "Mass" was never staged in full during the composer's lifetime.
Musical style
Bach's musical style was formed thanks to his talent for counterpoint, his ability to lead a tune, a flair for improvisation, an interest in the music of Northern and Southern Germany, Italy and France, as well as his dedication to Lutheran traditions. Thanks to the fact that Johann Sebastian had access to many instruments and works in childhood and adolescence, as well as thanks to the ever-growing talent for writing a dense fabric of music with amazing sonority, the features of Bach's work were filled with eclecticism and energy, in which foreign influence was skillfully combined with already existing improved German music school. During the Baroque period, many composers mostly composed only framework works, and the performers themselves supplemented them with their melodic decorations and developments. This practice varies considerably among European schools. However, Bach himself composed most or all of the melodic lines and details, leaving little room for interpretation. This trait reflects the density of contrapuntal textures to which the composer gravitated, limiting the freedom to spontaneously change musical lines. For some reason, some sources mention the works of other authors, which were allegedly written by Johann Sebastian Bach. Moonlight Sonata, for example. You and I, of course, remember that this work was created by Beethoven.
Execution
Contemporary Bach performers usually follow one of two traditions: the so-called authentic (historically oriented performance) or modern (using modern instruments, often in large ensembles). In Bach's time, orchestras and choirs were much more modest than they are today, and even his most ambitious works - the Passions and Mass in B Minor - were written for far fewer performers. In addition, today one can hear very different versions of the sound of the same music, since some of Johann Sebastian's chamber works initially lacked instrumentation at all. Modern "lightweight" versions of Bach's works have greatly contributed to the popularization of his music in the 20th century. These include the famous Swinger Singers tunes and Wendy Carlos's 1968 Switched-On-Bach recording using a newly invented synthesizer. Jazz musicians such as Jacques Lussier also showed interest in Bach's music. Joel Spiegelman performed an adaptation of his famous "Goldberg Variations", creating his work in the New Age style.
Of all times. The little genius was born on March 31, 1685 in the city of Eisenach, which was in Thuringia.
Johann's family was musical, and each of them could play at least one instrument. The gift and talent of music has been passed down from generation to generation.
The future talent often ran away into the forest and played an old guitar, which he found in the attic, and this instrument belonged to the patriarch of the family Vojt Bach.
They say that he almost never parted with her, even when he was grinding flour at the mill, he managed to play and sing songs with his guitar until the evening.
Unfortunately, Johann was left an orphan (at the age of 10), his parents died early. Elder brother Johann Christoph took his little brother to him and gave him his first music lessons.
As a child, the boy learned to play many instruments - cello, violin and viola, clavichord and organ, cymbals. He easily read notes, and then played music on the instruments. Johann Sebastian's most beloved instrument from childhood to old age was the organ. Possessing perfect hearing, sensitive and vulnerable, he could not stand fake sounds, which gave him suffering and pain.
The boy sang in the choir of the school with a clear voice. When Bach was 15 years old, he went to Luneburg, where he continued his studies at a vocal school for three years. After that, Johann was a court violinist in Weimar, where he did not stay long, since he didn't like it at all. Around these years, he wrote his first works.
After moving to Arnstadt, the musician holds the position of cantor and organist in the church. He also teaches children to sing and play an instrument.Soon, Prince Anhalt offered to become a conductor in his orchestra. The new position and free time inspire Bach, he writes cantatas for piano, pieces for violin and cello, suites and sonatas, concertos for orchestra, and, of course, preludes and chorales for organ.
The genius was not even thirty years old, but he had already written more than 500 works, but what! In almost all masterpieces, connoisseurs catch the rhythms and melodies of German folk songs and dances, which he heard in childhood and remembered well. Bach's light and warmth that will not leave anyone indifferent. Contemporaries of that time admired the great composer's virtuoso playing instruments more than his works.
Johann Sebastian Bach photo
The music was not clear to everyone, not everyone realized the great talent of this man. Few admitted that they liked the lyrical calm melody more than the music that looked like a hurricane, although the rumbling music captured the listeners. In his works, the author shared his hopes, dreams, faith in truth and in man, goodness and beauty. Loud sounds convincingly and simply "told" about it.
Only a hundred years later, his work was highly recognized. Much music has been written on biblical themes. Johann arrives in Leipzig in the spring of 1723. In the Church of St. Thomas, he is an organist and cantor. Again, he takes a lot of time to teach children, 2-3 times a day he is obliged to play the organ in large churches. But he finds time for his creations, plays the organ for people with pleasure.
Johann Bach quickly became blind, and after an unsuccessful operation, he lost his sight. All his life, Johann Sebastian Bach lived in Germany, giving preference to the province. The composer was married twice, his sons (Friedemann, Johann Christian, Carl Philip Emanuel) continued their father's work and became famous composers. The family held home concerts once or twice a week.
Johann had many musical instruments, he bought everything as he accumulated money, never borrowing money. Five clavisines, three violins, three violas and two cellos, lute, viola bass and viola pomposa, one spinet. All this inheritance was left to children after death, which died on July 28, 1750.
During his life, Bach wrote over 1000 works. All significant genres of that time are represented in his work, except for opera; he summarized the achievements of the musical art of the Baroque period. Bach is a master of polyphony. After the death of Bach, his music went out of fashion, but in the 19th century, thanks to Mendelssohn, it was rediscovered. His work had a strong influence on the music of subsequent composers, including in the 20th century. Bach's pedagogical works are still used for their intended purpose.
Biography
Childhood
Johann Sebastian Bach was the sixth child in the family of musician Johann Ambrosius Bach and Elisabeth Lemmerhirt. The Bach family has been known for its musicality since the beginning of the 16th century: many of Johann Sebastian's ancestors were professional musicians. During this period, the Church, local authorities and the aristocracy supported the musicians, especially in Thuringia and Saxony. Bach's father lived and worked in Eisenach. At this time, the city had about 6,000 inhabitants. Johann Ambrosius's work included organizing secular concerts and performing church music.
When Johann Sebastian was 9 years old, his mother died, and a year later his father, having managed to marry again shortly before. The boy was taken to his elder brother, Johann Christoph, who served as organist in neighboring Ohrdruf. Johann Sebastian entered the gymnasium, his brother taught him to play the organ and the clavier. Johann Sebastian was very fond of music and did not miss an opportunity to study it or study new works. The following story is known that illustrates Bach's passion for music. Johann Christoph had a notebook with scores of famous composers in his closet, but, despite Johann Sebastian's requests, he did not let him familiarize himself with it. Once the young Bach managed to extract a notebook from his brother's always locked cabinet, and for six months on moonlit nights he copied its contents for himself. When the work was already completed, the brother found a copy and took away the sheet music.
While studying at Ohrdruf under the guidance of his brother, Bach got acquainted with the work of contemporary South German composers - Pachelbel, Froberger and others. It is also possible that he became acquainted with the works of composers from Northern Germany and France. Johann Sebastian observed the maintenance of the organ, and may have taken part in it himself.
At the age of 15, Bach moved to Luneburg, where in 1700-1703 he studied at the singing school of St. Michael. During his studies, he visited Hamburg, the largest city in Germany, as well as Celle (where French music was held in high esteem) and Lubeck, where he had the opportunity to get acquainted with the work of famous musicians of his time. Bach's first works for organ and clavier also belong to the same years. In addition to singing in the a cappella choir, Bach probably played the school's three-manual organ and the harpsichord. Here he received his first knowledge of theology, Latin, history, geography and physics, and also, possibly, began to study French and Italian. At the school, Bach had the opportunity to communicate with the sons of famous North German aristocrats and famous organists, primarily with Georg Boehm in Lüneburg and Reinken and Bruns in Hamburg. With their help, Johann Sebastian may have gained access to the largest instruments he has ever played. During this period, Bach expanded his knowledge of the composers of that era, primarily about Dietrich Buxtehude, whom he respected very much.
Arnstadt and Mühlhausen (1703-1708)
In January 1703, after completing his studies, he received the position of court musician from the Weimar Duke Johann Ernst. It is not known exactly what his responsibilities were, but most likely this position was not related to performing activities. During his seven months of service in Weimar, his reputation as a performer spread. Bach was invited to the post of organ superintendent in the church of St. Boniface in Arnstadt, located 180 km from Weimar. The Bach family had long-standing ties with this oldest German city. In August, Bach took over as organist of the church. He only had to work 3 days a week and his salary was relatively high. In addition, the instrument was well maintained and tuned to a new system that expanded the capabilities of the composer and performer. During this period, Bach created many organ works, including the famous toccata and fugue in D minor.
Family ties and an employer passionate about music could not prevent the tension between Johann Sebastian and the authorities, which arose several years later. Bach was dissatisfied with the level of training of the singers in the choir. In addition, in 1705-1706, Bach unauthorizedly left for Lubeck for several months, where he got acquainted with the game of Buxtehude, which caused discontent with the authorities. In addition, the authorities charged Bach with “strange choral accompaniment,” embarrassing the community, and inability to manage the choir; the latter accusation was apparently well founded. The first biographer of Bach Forkel writes that Johann Sebastian walked more than 400 km on foot to listen to the outstanding composer, but today some researchers question this fact.
In 1706, Bach decides to change his job. He was offered a more profitable and high position as organist in the church of St. Blasius in Mühlhausen, a large city in the north of the country. The following year, Bach accepted the offer, taking the place of organist Johann Georg Ale. His salary was increased in comparison with the previous one, and the level of singers was better. Four months later, on October 17, 1707, Johann Sebastian married his cousin Maria Barbara from Arnstadt. Subsequently, they had seven children, three of whom died in childhood. Three of the survivors - Wilhelm Friedemann, Johann Christian and Karl Philip Emanuel - later became famous composers.
The city and church authorities of Mühlhausen were pleased with the new employee. Without hesitation, they approved his costly plan for the restoration of the church organ, and for the publication of the festive cantata The Lord is my King, BWV 71 (this was the only cantata printed during Bach's lifetime), written for the inauguration of the new consul, he was given a large reward.
Weimar (1708-1717)
After working in Mühlhausen for about a year, Bach changed jobs again, this time taking the position of court organist and concert organizer - a much higher position than his previous position in Weimar. Probably the factors that forced him to change jobs were his high salary and a well-chosen composition of professional musicians. The Bach family settled in a house just five minutes walk from the count's palace. The first child in the family was born the following year. At the same time, the elder unmarried sister of Maria Barbara moved to the Bachs, who helped them manage the household until her death in 1729. Wilhelm Friedemann and Karl Philipp Emanuel were born to Bach in Weimar.
In Weimar began a long period of composing clavier and orchestral works, in which Bach's talent flourished. During this period, Bach absorbs musical influences from other countries. The works of the Italians Vivaldi and Corelli taught Bach to write dramatic introductions, from which Bach learned the art of using dynamic rhythms and decisive harmonic schemes. Bach studied the works of Italian composers well, creating transcriptions of Vivaldi's concertos for organ or harpsichord. He could borrow the idea of writing the transcriptions from his employer, Duke Johann Ernst, who was a professional musician. In 1713, the duke returned from a trip abroad and brought with him a large number of sheet music, which he showed to Johann Sebastian. In Italian music, the Duke (and, as can be seen from some works, Bach himself) was attracted by the alternation of solo (playing one instrument) and tutti (playing the entire orchestra).
In Weimar, Bach had the opportunity to play and compose organ works, as well as use the services of the ducal orchestra. In Weimar, Bach wrote most of his fugues (the largest and most famous collection of Bach's fugues is The Well-Tempered Clavier). While serving in Weimar, Bach began work on the Organ Notebook, a collection of pieces for the teaching of Wilhelm Friedemann. This collection consists of adaptations of Lutheran chorales.
By the end of his service in Weimar, Bach was already a well-known organist. The episode with Marchand dates back to this time. In 1717, the famous French musician Louis Marchand came to Dresden. The Dresden accompanist Volumier decided to invite Bach and arrange a musical competition between two famous organists, Bach and Marchand agreed. However, on the day of the competition, it turned out that Marchand (who apparently had the opportunity to listen to Bach's play before) hastily and secretly left the city; the competition did not take place, and Bach had to play alone.
Köthen (1717-1723)
After a while, Bach again went in search of a more suitable job. The old owner did not want to let him go, and on November 6, 1717 he was even arrested for constant requests for resignation - but on December 2 he was released "with an expression of disfavor." Leopold, Duke of Anhalt-Köthensky, recruited Bach as Kapellmeister. The Duke, being a musician himself, appreciated Bach's talent, paid him well and provided him with great freedom of action. However, the duke was a Calvinist and did not welcome the use of sophisticated music in worship, so most of Bach's Köthen works were secular. Among other things, at Köthen, Bach composed orchestral suites, six solo cello suites, English and French clavier suites, as well as three sonatas and three partitas for solo violin. During the same period, the famous Brandenburg Concerts were written.
On July 7, 1720, while Bach was abroad with the duke, tragedy struck: his wife Maria Barbara suddenly died, leaving four young children. The following year, Bach met Anna Magdalena Wilke, a young highly gifted singer (soprano) who sang at the ducal court. They married on December 3, 1721. Despite the difference in age - she was 17 years younger than Johann Sebastian - their marriage, apparently, was happy. They had 13 children.
Leipzig (1723-1750)
In 1723, the performance of his "Passion according to John" took place in the church of St. Thomas in Leipzig, and on June 1, Bach was appointed cantor of this church, while simultaneously serving as a school teacher at the church, replacing Johann Kuhnau in this post. Bach's duties included teaching singing and giving weekly concerts in Leipzig's two main churches, St. Thomas and St. Nicholas. The position of Johann Sebastian also provided for the teaching of Latin, but he was allowed to hire an assistant to do this work for him, so Petzold taught Latin for 50 thalers a year. Bach was promoted to the "music director" of all the churches in the city: his duties included the selection of performers, overseeing their training and the selection of music for performance. While working in Leipzig, the composer repeatedly entered into conflicts with the city administration.
The first six years of his life in Leipzig turned out to be very productive: Bach composed up to 5 annual cycles of cantatas (two of them, in all likelihood, were lost). Most of these works are written in the Gospel texts, which were read in the Lutheran church every Sunday and on holidays throughout the year; many (such as "Wachet auf! Ruft uns die Stimme" and "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland") are based on traditional church chants.
During the performance, Bach apparently sat at the harpsichord or stood in front of the choir on the lower gallery under the organ; on the side gallery to the right of the organ were wind instruments and timpani, to the left were strings. The city council provided Bach with only about 8 performers, and this often became the cause of disputes between the composer and the administration: Bach himself had to hire up to 20 musicians to perform orchestral works. The organ or harpsichord was usually played by the composer himself; if he directed the choir, that place was occupied by the staff organist or one of Bach's eldest sons.
Bach recruited sopranos and altos from among students, and tenors and basses - not only from school, but also from all over Leipzig. In addition to regular concerts, paid for by the city authorities, Bach and his choir earned money by performing at weddings and funerals. Presumably, at least 6 motets were written for these purposes. Part of his usual work in the church was performing motets by composers of the Venetian school, as well as some Germans, such as Schütz; while composing his motets, Bach was guided by the works of these composers.
Writing cantatas for most of the 1720s, Bach amassed an extensive repertoire for performances in the main churches of Leipzig. Over time, he wanted to compose and perform more secular music. In March 1729, Johann Sebastian became the head of the Collegium Musicum, a secular ensemble that had existed since 1701, when it was founded by Bach's old friend Georg Philipp Telemann. At that time, in many large German cities, gifted and active university students created similar ensembles. Such associations played an increasing role in public musical life; they were often led by renowned professional musicians. For most of the year, the Collegium of Music held two-hour concerts twice a week at Zimmermann's coffee shop, located near the market square. The owner of the coffee shop provided the musicians with a large hall and purchased several instruments. Many of Bach's secular works, dating from the 1730s, 40s and 50s, were composed specifically for performance in Zimmermann's coffee shop. Such works include, for example, Coffee Cantata and the Clavier-Übung, as well as many concertos for cello and harpsichord.
In the same period, Bach wrote the Kyrie and Gloria parts of the famous Mass in B minor, later adding the rest of the parts, the melodies of which were almost entirely borrowed from the composer's best cantatas. Bach soon secured an appointment as court composer; apparently, he sought this high post for a long time, which was a strong argument in his disputes with the city authorities. Although the entire Mass was never performed in its entirety during the composer's lifetime, today it is considered by many to be one of the finest choral works of all time.
In 1747, Bach visited the court of the Prussian king Frederick II, where the king offered him a musical theme and asked him to compose something on it. Bach was a master of improvisation and immediately performed a three-part fugue. Later, Johann Sebastian composed a whole cycle of variations on this theme and sent it as a gift to the king. The cycle consisted of richercars, canons and trios based on a theme dictated by Frederick. This cycle was called "The Musical Offering".
Another major cycle, The Art of the Fugue, was not completed by Bach, despite the fact that it was written, most likely, long before his death. During his lifetime, he was never published. The cycle consists of 18 complex fugues and canons based on one simple theme. In this cycle, Bach used all the instruments and techniques for writing polyphonic pieces.
Bach's last work was a choral prelude for organ, which he dictated to his son-in-law, practically on his deathbed. The title of the prelude is “Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit” (“Here I appear before Your throne”); this piece often ends the performance of the unfinished Art of the Fugue.
Over time, Bach's eyesight became worse and worse. Nevertheless, he continued to compose music, dictating it to his son-in-law Altnikkol. In 1750, the English ophthalmologist John Taylor, who many modern researchers consider a charlatan, came to Leipzig. Taylor operated on Bach twice, but both operations were unsuccessful, Bach remained blind. On July 18, he unexpectedly briefly regained his sight, but in the evening he had a blow. Bach died on 28 July; it is possible that complications after surgery were the cause of death. The fortune that remained after him was estimated at more than 1000 thalers and included 5 harpsichords, 2 lute harpsichords, 3 violins, 3 violas, 2 cellos, viola da gamba, lute and spinet, as well as 52 sacred books.
During his lifetime, Bach wrote over 1000 works. In Leipzig, Bach maintained friendly relations with university professors. Particularly fruitful was the collaboration with the poet, who wrote under the pseudonym Pikander. Johann Sebastian and Anna Magdalena often hosted friends, family members and musicians from all over Germany. Court musicians from Dresden, Berlin and other cities, including Telemann, the godfather of Karl Philip Emanuel, were frequent guests. Interestingly, Georg Friedrich Handel, Bach's peer from Halle, just 50 kilometers from Leipzig, never met Bach, although Bach tried to meet him twice in his life - in 1719 and 1729. The fates of the two composers, however, were linked by John Taylor, who operated on both shortly before their death.
The composer was buried near the church of St. Thomas, where he served for 27 years. However, soon the grave was lost, and only in 1894 the remains of Bach were accidentally found during construction work; then the reburial took place.
Bachology
The first descriptions of Bach's life were his obituary and a brief chronicle of life, set out by his widow Anna Magdalena. After the death of Johann Sebatian, no attempts were made to publish his biography, until in 1802 his friend Forkel, based on his own memoirs, an obituary and the stories of Bach's sons and friends, published the first detailed biography. In the middle of the 19th century, interest in Bach's music revived, composers and researchers began work on collecting, studying and publishing all of his works. The next major work about Bach was the book by Philip Spitta, published in 1880. At the beginning of the 20th century, the French organist and researcher Albert Schweitzer published a book. In this work, in addition to the biography of Bach, the description and analysis of his works, much attention is paid to the description of the era in which he worked, as well as theological issues related to his music. These books were the most authoritative until the middle of the 20th century, when, with the help of new technical means and careful research, new facts about the life and work of Bach were established, in some places conflicting with traditional ideas. So, for example, it was established that Bach wrote some cantatas in 1724-1725 (earlier it was thought that this happened in the 1740s), unknown works were found, and some previously attributed to Bach were not written by him; some facts of his biography were established. In the second half of the 20th century, many works were written on this topic - for example, books by Christoph Wolff.
Creation
Bach wrote over 1000 pieces of music. Today, each of the famous works has been assigned a BWV number (short for Bach Werke Verzeichnis - catalog of Bach's works). Bach wrote music for various instruments, both spiritual and secular. Some of Bach's works are adaptations of works by other composers, and some are reworked versions of his own.
Organ creativity
By the time of Bach, organ music in Germany already had a long tradition, formed thanks to Bach's predecessors - Pachelbel, Boehm, Buxtehude and other composers, each of whom influenced him in their own way. Bach knew many of them personally.
During his lifetime, Bach was best known as a first-class organist, teacher and composer of organ music. He worked both in the traditional "free" genres of that time, such as prelude, fantasy, toccata, and in more strict forms - chorale prelude and fugue. In his works for organ, Bach skillfully combined features of different musical styles, with which he became acquainted during his life. The composer was influenced both by the music of North German composers (Georg Boehm, with whom Bach met in Lüneburg, and Dietrich Buxtehude in Lübeck), and the music of southern composers: Bach rewrote for himself the works of many French and Italian composers in order to understand their musical language; later he even transcribed several Vivaldi violin concertos for organ. During the most fruitful period for organ music (1708-1714), Johann Sebastian not only wrote many pairs of preludes and fugues and toccata and fugues, but also composed the unfinished Book of Organ - a collection of 46 short choral preludes, which demonstrated various techniques and approaches to composing works on choral themes. After leaving Weimar, Bach began to write less for organ; nevertheless, many famous works were written after Weimar (6 trio sonatas, a collection of "Clavier-Übung" and 18 Leipzig chorales). Throughout his life, Bach not only composed music for organ, but also consulted on the construction of instruments, testing and tuning new organs.
Other clavier creativity
Bach also wrote a number of pieces for the harpsichord, many of which could be played on the clavichord. Many of these creations are encyclopedic collections that demonstrate various techniques and methods of composing polyphonic works. Most of Bach's clavier works, published during his lifetime, were contained in collections called "Clavier-Übung" ("clavier exercises").
* "The Well-Tempered Clavier" in two volumes, written in 1722 and 1744, is a collection, each volume of which contains 24 preludes and fugues, one for each common key. This cycle was very important in connection with the transition to systems for tuning instruments, which make it equally easy to perform music in any key - first of all, to the modern equal temperament scale, although it is not known whether Bach used it.
* Three collections of suites: English suites, French suites and Partitas for clavier. Each cycle contained 6 suites, built according to the standard scheme (allemand, chime, saraband, gigue and an optional part between the last two). In English suites the allemande is preceded by a prelude, and between the sarabanda and the gigue there is exactly one movement; in the French suites, the number of optional parts increases, and the preludes are absent. In the partitas, the standard scheme is expanded: in addition to the refined introductory parts, there are additional ones, and not only between the sarabanda and the gigue.
* Goldberg Variations (circa 1741) - melody with 30 variations. The cycle has a rather complex and unusual structure. Variations are based on the tonal plan of the theme rather than the melody itself.
* Various pieces such as "French Style Overture", BWV 831, "Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue", BWV 903, or "Italian Concerto", BWV 971.
Orchestral and chamber music
Bach wrote music for both individual instruments and ensembles. His works for solo instruments - 6 sonatas and partitas for solo violin, BWV 1001-1006, 6 suites for cello, BWV 1007-1012, and a partita for solo flute, BWV 1013 - are considered by many to be among the composer's most profound creations. In addition, Bach composed several pieces for solo lute. He also wrote trio sonatas, sonatas for solo flute and viola da gamba, accompanied only by the bass general, as well as a large number of canons and richercars, mostly without specifying the instruments for performance. The most significant examples of such works are the cycles "The Art of the Fugue" and "The Musical Offering".
Bach's most famous orchestral works are the Brandenburg Concertos. They were so named because Bach, having sent them to Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg-Sweden in 1721, thought of getting a job at his court; this attempt was unsuccessful. Six concerts were written in the genre of concert grosso. Other extant works of Bach for orchestra include two violin concertos, a concerto for 2 violins in D minor, BWV 1043, and concertos for one, two, three, and even four harpsichords. Researchers believe that these concertos for harpsichords were just transcriptions of older works by Johann Sebastian, now lost. In addition to concerts, Bach composed 4 orchestral suites.
Vocal works
* Cantatas. For a long period of his life, every Sunday Bach in the church of St. Thomas directed the performance of the cantata, the theme of which was chosen according to the Lutheran church calendar. Although Bach performed cantatas by other composers, in Leipzig he composed at least three complete annual cycles of cantatas, one for every Sunday of the year and every church holiday. In addition, he composed a number of cantatas in Weimar and Mühlhausen. In total, Bach wrote more than 300 cantatas on spiritual themes, of which only about 195 have survived to this day. Bach's cantatas vary greatly in form and instrumentation. Some of them are written for one voice, some for the choir; some require a large orchestra to play, and some require only a few instruments. However, the most frequently used model is as follows: the cantata opens with a solemn choral introduction, then recitatives and arias for soloists or duets alternate, and everything ends with a chorale. As a recitative, they usually take the same words from the Bible that are read this week according to the Lutheran canons. The closing chorale is often anticipated by a chorale prelude in one of the middle sections, and sometimes also appears in the opening section as a cantus firmus. The most famous of Bach's spiritual cantatas are Christ lag in Todesbanden (no. 4), Ein "feste Burg" (no. 80), Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (no. 140) and Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben "(No. 147). In addition, Bach composed a number of secular cantatas, usually dedicated to some events, for example, a wedding. Among the most famous secular cantatas of Bach are two Wedding cantatas and a comic Coffee cantata.
* Passions, or passions. Passion for John (1724) and Passion for Matthew (c. 1727) - works for choir and orchestra on the gospel theme of the suffering of Christ, intended to be performed at Vespers on Good Friday in the churches of St. Thomas and St. Nicholas. Passions are one of the most ambitious vocal works of Bach. It is known that Bach wrote 4 or 5 passions, but only these two have fully survived to this day.
* Oratorios and Magnificats. The most famous is the Christmas Oratorio (1734) - a cycle of 6 cantatas to be performed during the Christmas period of the liturgical year. The Easter Oratorio (1734-1736) and the Magnificat are rather extensive and elaborate cantatas and are smaller in scope than the Christmas Oratorio or Passions. The Magnificat exists in two versions: the original (E-flat major, 1723) and the later and famous (D major, 1730).
* Mass. The most famous and significant mass of Bach is the Mass in B minor (completed in 1749), which is a complete cycle of the ordinary. This Mass, like many other works of the composer, includes revised early works. The Mass was never performed in its entirety during Bach's lifetime - for the first time this happened only in the 19th century. In addition, this music was not performed as intended due to the duration of the sound (about 2 hours). In addition to the Mass in B minor, we have survived 4 short two-part Masses by Bach, as well as separate parts like Sanctus and Kyrie.
The rest of Bach's vocal works include several motets, about 180 chorales, songs and arias.
Execution
Today, performers of Bach's music are divided into two camps: those who prefer authentic performance, that is, using the instruments and methods of the Bach era, and those who perform Bach on modern instruments. In the time of Bach, there were no such large choirs and orchestras as, for example, in the time of Brahms, and even his most ambitious works, such as the Mass in B minor and Passions, do not involve performance by large groups. In addition, in some of Bach's chamber works, the instrumentation is not indicated at all, so today very different versions of the performance of the same works are known. In organ works, Bach almost never indicated the registration and change of manuals. Of the stringed keyboard instruments, Bach preferred the clavichord. He met with Zilberman and discussed with him the structure of his new instrument, contributing to the creation of the modern piano. Bach's music for some instruments was often transposed for others, for example, Busoni transposed organ toccata and fugue in D minor and some other works for piano.
Numerous “lightweight” and modernized versions of his works contributed to the popularization of Bach's music in the 20th century. These included today's well-known tunes performed by the Swingle Singers and Wendy Carlos's 1968 "Switched-On Bach" recording that used a newly invented synthesizer. Bach's music was also processed by jazz musicians such as Jacques Lussier. Among Russian contemporary performers, Fyodor Chistyakov tried to pay tribute to the great composer in his 1997 solo album "When Bach Wakes Up".
The fate of Bach's music
In the last years of his life and after the death of Bach, his fame as a composer began to wane: his style was considered old-fashioned in comparison with the burgeoning classicism. He was better known and remembered as a performer, teacher and father of the Jr. Bachs, primarily Karl Philip Emanuel, whose music was better known. However, many major composers such as Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin knew and loved the work of Johann Sebastian. For example, when visiting St. Thomas Mozart heard one of the motets (BWV 225) and exclaimed: "There is a lot to learn here!" - after which, having asked for notes, studied them for a long time and enthusiastically. Beethoven greatly appreciated Bach's music. As a child, he played preludes and fugues from The Well-Tempered Clavier, and later called Bach “the true father of harmony” and said that “his name is not the Stream, but the Sea” (the word Bach means “brook” in German). Chopin locked himself in a room before concerts and played Bach's music. Johann Sebastian's works have influenced many composers. Some themes from the works of Bach, for example, the theme of toccata and fugue in D minor, were used many times in the music of the 20th century.
The biography, written in 1802 by Johann Nicholas Forkel, who knew Bach personally, spurred the interest of the general public in his music. More and more people were discovering his music. For example, Goethe, quite late in his life who became acquainted with his works (in 1814 and 1815 in the city of Bad Berk, some of his clavier and choral compositions were performed), in a letter from 1827 he compared the feeling of Bach's music with “eternal harmony in dialogue with yourself. " But the real revival of Bach's music began with the performance of the St. Matthew Passion in 1829 in Berlin, organized by Felix Mendelssohn. Hegel, who attended the concert, later called Bach "a great, true Protestant, strong and, so to speak, erudite genius, whom we have only recently taught to appreciate fully again." In subsequent years, Mendelssohn's work continued to popularize Bach's music and the composer's rise to fame. In 1850, the Bach Society was founded, the purpose of which was to collect, study and distribute the works of Bach. In the next half century, this society carried out significant work on the compilation and publication of the corpus of the composer's works.
In the XX century, the awareness of the musical and pedagogical value of his works continued. Interest in Bach's music spawned a new movement among performers: the idea of authentic performance became widespread. Such performers, for example, use the harpsichord instead of modern pianos and smaller choirs than was the case in the 19th and early 20th centuries, wanting to recreate the music of the Bach era exactly.
Some composers expressed their respect for Bach, including the motif BACH (B-flat - la - do - c in Latin notation) in the themes of their works. For example, Liszt wrote a prelude and fugue on the BACH theme, and Schumann wrote 6 fugues on the same topic. The same theme was used by Bach himself, for example, in the XIV counterpoint from The Art of the Fugue. Many composers took an example from his works or used themes from them. Examples are Beethoven's Diabelli Variations, the prototypes of which are the Goldberg Variations, Shostakovich's 24 Preludes and Fugues, inspired by The Well-Tempered Clavier, and the Brahms Cello Sonata in D major, the finale of which includes musical quotes from Art fugue ". Bach's music is one of the best creations of mankind recorded on Voyager's golden disc.
Bach monuments in Germany
* Monument in Leipzig, erected on April 23, 1843 by Hermann Knaur at the initiative of Mendelssohn and according to the drawings of Eduard Bendemann, Ernst Ritschel and Julius Hübner.
* Bronze statue at Frauenplan in Eisenach, designed by Adolf von Donndorf, delivered on 28 September 1884. At first it stood on the Market Square near the Church of St. George, 4 April 1938 was moved to Frauenplan with a shortened pedestal.
* Bronze statue of Karl Seffner on the south side of St. Thomas in Leipzig - May 17, 1908.
* Bust by Fritz Ben in the Walhalla monument near Regensburg, 1916.
* Statue of Paul Birr at the entrance to the church of St. George at Eisenach, installed on April 6, 1939.
* Monument to Bruno Eiermann in Weimar, first erected in 1950, then removed for two years and reopened in 1995 in Democracy Square.
* Relief by Robert Propf in Köthen, 1952.
* Wooden stele by Ed Garison on Johann Sebastian Bach Square in front of the Church of St. Blasius in Mühlhausen - August 17, 2001.
* Monument in Ansbach, designed by Jürgen Goertz, installed in July 2003.
Notes (edit)
1. Documents of the life and work of I.-S. Bach - genealogy of the Bach family
2. I. N. Forkel. About the life, art and works of I.-S. Bach, chapter II
3. Bach's manuscripts were found in Germany, confirming his training with Boehm - RIA Novosti, 08/31/2006
4. Documents of the life and work of I.-S. Bach - Bach's Interrogation Protocol
5. A. Schweitzer. Johann Sebastian Bach - Chapter 7
6. I. N. Forkel. About the life, art and works of I.-S. Bach, chapter II
7.M.S. Druskin. Johann Sebastian Bach - p. 27
9. Documents of the life and work of I.-S. Bach - church book entry, Dornheim
10. Documents of the life and work of I.-S. Bach - Organ Reconstruction Project
12. I. N. Forkel. About the life, art and works of I.-S. Bach, chapter II
14.M.S. Druskin. Johann Sebastian Bach - p. 51
15. Documents of the life and work of I.-S. Bach - an entry in the church book, Köthen
16. Documents of the life and work of I.-S. Bach - Minutes of the meeting of the magistrate and other documents related to the move to Leipzig
17. Documents of the life and work of I.-S. Bach - Letter to J.-S. Bach Erdman
18. A. Schweitzer. Johann Sebastian Bach - Chapter 8
19. Documents of the life and work of I.-S. Bach - Message from L. Mitsler about the Collegium Musicum concerts
20. Documents of the life and work of I.-S. Bach - Quellmalz on the operations of Bach
21. Documents of the life and work of I.-S. Bach - Inventory of Bach's legacy
22. A. Schweitzer. Johann Sebastian Bach - Chapter 9
23.M.S.Druskin. Johann Sebastian Bach - page 8
24. A. Schweitzer. I.-S. Bach - chapter 14
26.http: //www.bremen.de/web/owa/p_anz_presse_mitteilung?pi_mid=76241 (German)
27.http: //www.bach-cantatas.com/Vocal/BWV244-Spering.htm (English)
28.http: //voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/music.html (English)
Born (21) March 31, 1685 in the city of Eisenach. Little Bach originally had a passion for music, because his ancestors were professional musicians.
Music teaching
At the age of ten after the death of his parents, Johann Bach was raised by his brother Johann Christoph. He taught the future composer to play the clavier and organ.
At the age of 15, Bach entered the vocal school named after St. Michael, in the city of Luneburg. There he gets acquainted with the work of modern musicians, and develops comprehensively. During 1700-1703 the musical biography of Johann Sebastian Bach begins. He wrote the first organ music.
In service
After graduation, Johann Sebastian was sent to Duke Ernst as a musician at court. Dissatisfaction with the dependent position makes him change jobs. In 1704, Bach was appointed organist of the New Church in Arndstadt. The summary of the article does not make it possible to dwell in detail on the work of the great composer, but it was at this time that he created many talented works. Collaboration with the poet Christian Friedrich Henrici, the court musician Telemachus, enriched the music with new motives. In 1707 Bach moved to Mühlhusen, continued to work as a church musician and to be engaged in creative work. The authorities are pleased with his work, the composer receives a reward.
Personal life
In 1707, Bach married his cousin Maria Barbara. He again decided to change jobs, this time becoming the court organist in Weimar. In this city, six children are born into the musician's family. Three died in infancy, and three become famous musicians in the future.
In 1720, Bach's wife died, but a year later the composer married again, now to the famous singer Anna Magdalene Wilhelm. The happy family had 13 children.
Continuation of the creative path
In 1717, Bach entered the service of the Duke of Anhalt - Kothensky, who highly appreciated his talent. During the period from 1717 to 1723 magnificent Bach suites appeared (for orchestra, cello, claviers).
Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, English and French suites were written in Köthen.
In 1723, the musician received the position of cantor and teacher of music and Latin in the church of St. Thomas, then became music director in Leipzig. Johann Sebastian Bach's wide repertoire included both secular and brass music. During his life, Johann Sebastian Bach managed to visit the head of the musical college. Several cycles of the composer Bach used all kinds of instruments ("Musical Offering", "The Art of the Fugue")
last years of life
In the last years of his life, Bach quickly lost his sight. His music was then considered unfashionable, outdated. Despite this, the composer continued to work. In 1747 he created a cycle of plays entitled "Music of the Offering", dedicated to the Prussian king Frederick II. The last work was the collection of works "The Art of the Fugue", which included 14 fugues and 4 canons.
Johann Sebastian Bach died on July 28, 1750 in Leipzig, but his musical legacy remains immortal.
Bach's short biography does not give a complete picture of the composer's complex life path, of his personality. You can learn more about his fate and work by reading the books of Johann Forkel, Robert Franz, Albert Schweitzer.