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Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Born in Eisenach, into the most musical family in German history, Bach received an unusually thorough humanistic education. In composition he was largely self-taught and held various positions as church organist. His fame as a virtuoso began to spread, and he secured a reputation as the greatest organist and improviser in Germany. His middle years were spent as Kapellmeister to royalty, and he produced an enormous output of chamber and instrumental scores. In 1723 he was appointed Cantor at St. Thomas' Church in Leipzig, that city's most important church and its musical center, where he remained until his death. Bach is generally regard as one of the most important and influential composers that ever lived. It made no difference whether he wrote for the keyboard, the voice, or any of the wind, brass, and string instruments known to him: he understood the capabilities of them all. Neither did it matter in which mode he chose to express himself, for though he had assimilated the styles and practices of traditional schools, he was also conversant with the newer tastes and understood the conventions of vocal and instrumental music from other countries, such as Italy. Although he composed hundreds of magnificent choral pieces, the world probably thinks of Bach firstly as the composer of the immortal Brandenburg Concertos, the Orchestral Suites, and the many splendid concertos and pieces for violin, harpsichord and various combinations of instruments. It was these, particularly in their strangely emotive slow movements that often seem to anticipate a future world of romantics, that had such an influence on later composers like Haydn and Mozart, who used them as models for their own compositions. There is no more revered name in the whole of music than that of Johann Sebastian Bach. |
