2. Johann Sebastian Bach was born in
Eisenach, Germany to an extraordinarily
musical family - for more than 200 years,
the Bach family had produced dozens of
worthy performers and composers.
3. Bach was a prolific German composer and
organist whose sacred and secular works for choir,
orchestra and solo instruments drew together the
strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its
ultimate maturity. Although he introduced no new
forms, he enriched the prevailing German style
with a robust technique, a control of harmonic and
organization from the smallest to the largest scales,
and the adaptation of rhythms and textures from
abroad, particularly Italy and France. He is
regarded as one of the greatest composers of all
time.
4. Bach's mother died in 1694, and his father died
the following year. The 10-year-old orphan
moved in with his eldest brother, Johann
Christoph Bach the organist at a nearby town.
There he copied, studied and performed music,
and apparently received valuable teaching
from his brother, who instructed him on the
clavichord. He exposed him to the work of the
great South German composers of the day—
such as Pachelbel.
5. The clavichord was invented in the early fourteenth century. It was popular
in the 16th-18th centuries, but mainly flourished in German-speaking lands
in the latter period; it fell out of use in the 1840s.
6. Bach wrote many works for the
harpsichord, some of which may also have
been played on the clavichord.
7. Bach's most famous works are
probably the Brandenburg
Concertos, the Mass in B minor,
and the St. Matthew Passion.
Bach was the most famous
Baroque composer, and most
surprisingly of all, he had 20
children!
8. In Leipzig Bach was constantly bickering with
authorities over money. His duties were
numerous, and the council thought he was
neglecting them. He had to teach the boys to
sing and play instruments; he was in charge of
performing music in Leipzig's four churches; he
had to write a cantata each week and Passion
music for Good Friday. The music he was
supposed to write was "to be of such a nature as
not to make an operatic impression, but rather
incite the listeners to devotion."
9. He believed that "the aim of all music
should be none else but the Glory of God
and the recreation of the mind." While he
did write secular music, religion seemed
to be foremost on Bach's mind.
To make some extra money Bach could
write music for weddings, funerals or
festivals.
10. St Matthew Passion or The
Passion According to St Matthew is
a musical composition written by
Bach for solo voices, double choir
and double orchestra, with libretto
by Picander. It sets chapters 26
and 27 of the Gospel of Matthew
to music.
11. The Brandenburg concertos by
Bach are a collection of six
instrumental works presented by
Bach to Christian Ludwig of
Brandenburg. The concertos are
often regarded as some of the
best ever written.
12. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is a movement from a
cantata written by Bach during his time in Leipzig.
Bach wrote a total of 200 cantatas during his time
there largely because Leipzig Churches would go
through about 58 different cantatas each year.
Though in the modern times the song is often played
in weddings, it was not intended to be a wedding
piece upon composition. In fact, the cantata was
composed to be a full, traditional church hymn; it’s
approximately 20 minutes in length.
