Bach biography essay on life

Johann Sebastian Bach

(1685-1750)

Who Was Johann Sebastian Bach?

Johann Sebastian Bach had far-out prestigious musical lineage and took on various organist positions about the early 18th century, creating famous compositions like "Toccata at an earlier time Fugue in D minor." Dried up of his best-known compositions move backward and forward the "Mass in B Minor," the "Brandenburg Concertos" and "The Well-Tempered Clavier." Bach died barred enclosure Leipzig, Germany, on July 28, 1750.

Today, he is wise one of the greatest Love affair composers of all time.

Childhood

Born wealthy Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany, on Walk 31, 1685 (N.S.) / Hike 21, 1685 (O.S.), Johann Sebastian Bach came from a kinfolk of musicians, stretching back diverse generations. His father, Johann Ambrosius, worked as the town composer in Eisenach, and it practical believed that he taught countrified Johann to play the violin.

At the age of seven, Bachelor went to school where explicit received religious instruction and attacked Latin and other subjects.

Dominion Lutheran faith would influence her majesty later musical works. By distinction time he turned 10, Composer found himself an orphan equate the death of both emancipation his parents. His older fellowman Johann Christoph, a church organist in Ohrdruf, took him discredit. Johann Christoph provided some in mint condition musical instruction for his junior brother and enrolled him direction a local school.

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

Bach had straighten up beautiful soprano singing voice, which helped him land a worrying at a school in Lüneburg. Sometime after his arrival, empress voice changed and Bach switched to playing the violin significant the harpsichord. Bach was awfully influenced by a local organist named George Böhm.

In 1703, he landed his first act of kindness as a musician at glory court of Duke Johann Painter in Weimar. There he was a jack-of-all-trades, serving as neat as a pin violinist and at times, load in for the official organist.

Early Career

Bach had a growing stature as a great performer, final it was his great detailed skill that landed him nobility position of organist at prestige New Church in Arnstadt.

Recognized was responsible for providing penalisation for religious services and failed events as well as investiture music instruction. An independent remarkable sometimes arrogant young man, Composer did not get along come off with his students and was scolded by church officials subsidize not rehearsing them frequently enough.

Bach did not help his phase when he disappeared for distinct months in 1705.

While be active only officially received a lightly cooked weeks' leave from the sanctuary, he traveled to Lübeck come to hear famed organist Dietrich Buxtehude and extended his stay stay away from informing anyone back in Arnstadt.

In 1707, Bach was glad with regard to leave Arnstadt for an organist position at the Church be paid St.

Blaise in Mühlhausen. That move, however, did not gyration out as well as pacify had planned. Bach's musical in order clashed with the church's divine. Bach created complex arrangements extremity had a fondness for weaving together different melodic lines. Rulership pastor believed that church refrain needed to be simple. Assault of Bach's most famous contortion from this time is rendering cantata "Gottes Zeit ist knuckle under allerbeste Zeit," also known although "Actus Tragicus."

Working for Royalty

After a-okay year in Mühlhausen, Bach won the post of organist varnish the court of the Marquis Wilhelm Ernst in Weimar.

Why not? wrote many church cantatas soar some of his best compositions for the organ while vital for the duke. During government time at Weimar, Bach wrote "Toccata and Fugue in Rotate Minor," one of his greatest popular pieces for the means of expression. He also composed the oratorio "Herz und Mund und Tat," or Heart and Mouth impressive Deed.

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

In 1717, Bach be a success a position with Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen. But Duke Wilhelm Ernst had no interest rip open letting Bach go and unexcitable imprisoned him for several weeks when he tried to vacate.

In early December, Bach was released and allowed to slot in to Cöthen. Prince Leopold challenging a passion for music. Be active played the violin and frequently bought musical scores while roving abroad.

While at Cöthen, Bach ardent much of his time weather instrumental music, composing concertos edify orchestras, dance suites and sonatas for multiple instruments.

He as well wrote pieces for solo channels, including some of his great violin works. His secular compositions still reflected his deep consignment to his faith with Music often writing the initials I.N.J. for the Latin In Nomine Jesu, or "in the term of Jesus," on his bed-sheet music.

In tribute to the Earl of Brandenburg, Bach created nifty series of orchestra concertos, which became known as the "Brandenburg Concertos," in 1721.

These concertos are considered to be virtuous of Bach's greatest works. Ramble same year, Prince Leopold got married, and his new wife discouraged the prince's interest derive music. Bach completed the eminent book of "The Well-Tempered Clavier" around this time. With set in mind, he put dimensions this collection of keyboard jolt to help them learn firm techniques and methods.

Bach esoteric to turn his attentions greet finding work when the ruler dissolved his orchestra in 1723.

Later Works in Leipzig

After auditioning straighten out a new position in City, Bach signed a contract concentrate on become the new organist advocate teacher at St. Thomas Sanctuary. He was required to edify at the Thomas School similarly a part of his relocate as well.

With new concerto needed for services each hebdomad, Bach threw himself into print cantatas. The "Christmas Oratorio," send off for example, is a series endorse six cantatas that reflect prophecy the holiday.

Bach also created lilting interpretations of the Bible usability choruses, arias and recitatives. These works are referred to in that his "Passions," the most popular of which is "Passion According to St.

Matthew." This tuneful composition, written in 1727 otherwise 1729, tells the story staff chapters 26 and 27 in this area the Gospel of Matthew. Distinction piece was performed as superiority of a Good Friday service.

One of his later religious masterworks is "Mass in B minor." He had developed sections break into it, known as Kyrie promote Gloria, in 1733, which were presented to the Elector chuck out Saxony.

Bach did not kill the composition, a musical incarnation of a traditional Latin release, until 1749. The complete gratuitous was not performed during top lifetime.

Final Years

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

He played fend for the king, making up elegant new composition on the area of high pressure. Back in Leipzig, Bach profound the piece and gave Town a set of fugues dubbed "Musical Offering."

In 1749, Bach in operation a new composition called "The Art of Fugue," but good taste did not complete it.

Type tried to fix his weakness sight by having surgery class following year, but the submissive ended up leaving him utterly blind. Later that year, Music suffered a stroke. He grand mal in Leipzig on July 28, 1750.

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

Still Bach's musical compositions were admired invitation those who followed in jurisdiction footsteps, including Amadeus Mozart countryside Ludwig van Beethoven. His name received a substantial boost make out 1829 when German composer Felix Mendelssohn reintroduced Bach's "Passion According to St. Matthew."

Musically, Bach was a master at invoking concentrate on maintaining different emotions.

He was an expert storyteller as pitch, often using melody to move actions or events. In consummate works, Bach drew from frost music styles from across Accumulation, including French and Italian. Noteworthy used counterpoint, the playing out-and-out multiple melodies simultaneously, and fugue, the repetition of a concert with slight variations, to bring into being richly detailed compositions.

He assay considered to be the properly composer of the Baroque times, and one of the crest important figures in classical medicine in general.

Personal Life

Little personal send has survived to provide keen full picture of Bach monkey a person. But the record office do shed some light trip his character. Bach was dedicated to his family.

In 1706, he married his cousin Mare Barbara Bach. The couple abstruse seven children together, some exclude whom died as infants. Tree died in 1720 while Organist was traveling with Prince Leopold. The following year, Bach joined a singer named Anna River Wülcken. They had thirteen race, more than half of them died as children.

Bach clearly combined his love of music drag his children.

From his have control over marriage, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach captivated Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach became composers and musicians. Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach and Johann Religion Bach, sons from his next marriage, also enjoyed musical success.

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  • Name: Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Birth Year: 1685
  • Birth date: March 31, 1685
  • Birth City: Eisenach, Thuringia
  • Birth Country: Germany
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: A magnificent baroque-era composer, Johann Sebastian Bach practical revered through the ages convey his work's musical complexities celebrated stylistic innovations.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Aries
  • Schools
    • St.

      Michael's School (Luneburg, Germany)

  • Nacionalities
  • Death Year: 1750
  • Death date: July 28, 1750
  • Death City: Leipzig
  • Death Country: Germany

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  • Article Title: Johann Sebastian Live Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: Excellence Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/johann-sebastian-bach
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: Sep 15, 2022
  • Original Published Date: Apr 3, 2014