Johann Sebastian Bach
![1748 portrait of Bach, showing him holding a copy of the six-part [[Canon (music)|canon]] [[BWV 1076]]{{sfn|Wolff|Emery|2001|loc="10. Iconography"}}](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Johann_Sebastian_Bach.jpg)
The Bach family already had several composers when Johann Sebastian was born as the last child of a city musician, Johann Ambrosius, in Eisenach. After being orphaned at age 10, he lived for five years with his eldest brother, Johann Christoph, then continued his musical education in Lüneburg. In 1703 he returned to Thuringia, working as a musician for Protestant churches in Arnstadt and Mühlhausen, and for longer periods at courts in Weimar, where he expanded his organ repertory, and Köthen, where he was mostly engaged with chamber music. In 1723 he was hired as Thomaskantor (cantor at St Thomas's) in Leipzig. There he composed music for the principal Lutheran churches of the city and its university's student ensemble Collegium Musicum. In 1726 he began publishing his keyboard and organ music. In Leipzig, as had happened during some of his earlier positions, he had difficult relations with his employer. This situation was somewhat remedied when his sovereign, Augustus III of Poland, granted him the title of court composer in 1736. In the last decades of his life, Bach reworked and extended many of his earlier compositions. He died after complications of eye surgery in 1750 at the age of 65. Bach had 20 children with his two wives, Maria Barbara and Anna Magdalena, 10 of whom survived into adulthood. Four of his children, Wilhelm Friedemann, Carl Philipp Emanuel, Johann Christoph Friedrich, and Johann Christian, became composers.
Bach enriched established German styles through his mastery of counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and his adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly Italy and France. His compositions include hundreds of cantatas, both sacred and secular. He composed Latin church music, Passions, oratorios, and motets. He often adopted Lutheran hymns, not only in his larger vocal works but, for instance, also in his four-part chorales and his sacred songs. Bach wrote extensively for organ and for other keyboard instruments. He composed concertos, for instance for violin and for harpsichord, and suites, as chamber music as well as for orchestra. Many of his works use contrapuntal techniques like canon and fugue.
In the 18th century Bach was primarily known as an organist, while his keyboard music, such as ''The Well-Tempered Clavier'', was appreciated both by students and accomplished artists. The 19th century saw the publication of some significant Bach biographies, and by the end of that century all of his known music had been printed. Dissemination of scholarship on the composer continued through periodicals (and later also websites) exclusively devoted to him and other publications such as the ''Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis'' (BWV, a numbered catalogue of his works) and new critical editions of his compositions. His music was further popularised through a multitude of arrangements, including the "Air on the G String" and "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", and of recordings such as three different box sets with complete performances of his oeuvre marking the 250th anniversary of his death. Provided by Wikipedia
1
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
Paris : Le Luth Doré, 2023
French tablature.
Other Authors:
“...Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750...”Paris : Le Luth Doré, 2023
French tablature.
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Musical Score
Book
2
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
Kassel : Bärenreiter, 2020
Partitur =
Kassel : Bärenreiter, 2020
Partitur =
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Musical Score
Book
3
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
Philadelphia, PA : Theodore Presser, Co., 1946
Philadelphia, PA : Theodore Presser, Co., 1946
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Book
4
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
Bryn Mawr, PA : Oliver Ditson Company, 1933
Bryn Mawr, PA : Oliver Ditson Company, 1933
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Musical Score
Book
5
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
[New York] : Arista Music Co., 1983
[New York] : Arista Music Co., 1983
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Musical Score
Book
6
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
Boston : E.C. Schirmer, 1935
Boston : E.C. Schirmer, 1935
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Book
7
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
Boston, Massachusetts : Boston Music Company, 1900
Boston, Massachusetts : Boston Music Company, 1900
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Musical Score
Book
8
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
Delevan, New York : Kendor Music, Inc., 1966
Delevan, New York : Kendor Music, Inc., 1966
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Book
9
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania : Theodore Presser Co., 1972
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania : Theodore Presser Co., 1972
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Book
10
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
New York : Associated Music Publishers, Inc., 1964
New York : Associated Music Publishers, Inc., 1964
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Book
11
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
Kassel ; New York : Bärenreiter, 2018
Quellenkritische Ausgabe für die Praxis =
Kassel ; New York : Bärenreiter, 2018
Quellenkritische Ausgabe für die Praxis =
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Book
12
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
München : G. Henle Verlag, 2020
München : G. Henle Verlag, 2020
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Book
13
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
Oxford : New York : Clarendon Press ; Oxford University Press, 1994
Other Authors:
“...Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750...”Oxford : New York : Clarendon Press ; Oxford University Press, 1994
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Book
14
15
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
Neuhausen-Stuttgart : Hänssler-Verlag, 1962
Chorpartitur.
Neuhausen-Stuttgart : Hänssler-Verlag, 1962
Chorpartitur.
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Musical Score
Book
16
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
London : Novello and Co., 1900
London : Novello and Co., 1900
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Book
17
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
New York : G. Schirmer, Inc., 1964
New York : G. Schirmer, Inc., 1964
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Book
18
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
Wiesbaden : Breitkopf & Härtel, 1900
Wiesbaden : Breitkopf & Härtel, 1900
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Book
19
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
Wiesbaden : Breitkopf & Härtel, 1970
Klavierauszug mit Text.
Other Authors:
“...Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750...”Wiesbaden : Breitkopf & Härtel, 1970
Klavierauszug mit Text.
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Musical Score
Book
20
by Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750, Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
New York : Lea Pocket Scores, 1955
New York : Lea Pocket Scores, 1955
//IF NOT LOGGED IN - FORCE LOGIN ?> //ELSE THEY ARE LOGGED IN PROCEED WITH THE OPEN URL CODE:?>
Map