Johann Sebastian Bach VS George Frideric Handel
Bach was born March 21, 1685 in Eisenach, Germany. Handel was born February 23, 1685 in Halle, Saxony, Germany. Not only were they born in the same year and the same country, they were both born in the Baroque Era. We will talk about Bach first! Bach’s parents died before he reached the age 10. When his parents died he left to live with his older brother Christoph whom was a church organist. Christoph taught Bach how to play the harpsichord and the organ. This is when Bach began to get involved in musician work, and he remained in the music work field for the rest of his life. He was a part of the boy soprano church choir. But after his voiced changed he decided to become a violinist in the church orchestra.
During his teenage years he attended concerts and from then on he took organ lessons. At age 18 he became a town organist, and that’s whenever he decided to become a composer. Four years later he married a singer named Maria. And he soon was appointed the court organist and violinist to the Duke of Weimar. With that opportunity he was able to study all the styles of music that he wanted to. He wrote many pieces of music for organ and harpsichord along with sacred cantatas. At age 32 the prince hired him at his court choirmaster. And once again this was another great opportunity for him to expand his skills and knowledge. But unfortunately his wife died but he remarried a year later to a woman named Anna whom was another wonderful singer. He had 20 children soon after his marriage.
Bach created a new type of music called the Fugue. A Fugue is a composition in which a short melody or phrase is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts. Bach wrote everything and anything except opera.
George Frideric Handel wanted to be a musician for his entire career. His local music teachers taught him as much as they could and encouraged his parents to allow him to pursue his dream. But his father wanted Handel to become a lawyer. At the age of 17 Handel entered the University of Halle to study law.