Johann Sebastian Bach

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By: Mandi Holm

Intro to music

Johann Sebastian Bach

There was a man name Johann Ambrosius Bach, whom was a very talented musician. J. A. Bach was a court trumpeter and town musician in Eisenach, Germany. In 1668 he married his first wife Elisabeth Lammerhirt. Elisabeth and Johann had eight children together. On March 21, 1685 Johann Sebastian Bach, was the last of the eight children born. On March 23, 1685 J. S. Bach was baptized at Georgenkirchein the St. George’s church. When J.S.Bach was 7 years old he started school where he received religious instruction and studied Latin,reading, writing, arithmetic, singing, history, natural science. His Lutheran faith influenced his later musical works (Green). In 1694 J. S Bach’s mother died and only eight short months later his father died of a serious illness, but not before he remarried five months prior to that. J. S. Bach and his brother Johann Jacob Bach went to live with their eldest brother Johann Christoph. He was an organist and was believed to have given him his first formal keyboard lessons.

On March 15, 1700 J. S. Bach began schoolat St. Michael’s school on Lunberg, His acceptance was due to his beautiful voice. During his time at Lunberg J. S. Bach voice changed so he switched to playing the violin and the harpsichord. To help pay for his schooling George Erdmann and he were singers of the Mettenchor. The school itself had an impressive musical tradition and had a famous music library. Some would think his skills came naturally but this school gave him the education and the foundation to his career (Green). In 1703 J. S. Bach got his first Job as a musician at the court of Duke Johann Ernst in Weimar, he was employed there from March to September. August 9 he left his position with the duke and was appointed organist at Neuekirche, Arnstadt (Hanford). J. S. Bach’s duties included: providing music for religious services and special events as well and giving music instruction. His salary was larger than his own successor. Bach was consumed by the musical organ and did not always practice with the choir causing some problems between him and the boys on the choir. One of his pieces he did was “Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suofratellodilettissimo (Capriccio on the Departure of His Most Beloved Brother), BWV 992, and was composed in Arnstadt (1704)( Hanford). Furthermore, the chorale prelude Wieschönleuchtetder Morgenstern, BWV 739, is ascribed to this period (around 1705)” (Hanford). J. S. Bach had some magnificent work but not all survived the Arnstadt period. 1705. J. S. Bach officially received a few weeks of leave from the church. He traveled to Lubeck, walking 200 miles just to hear the famed organist Dietrich Buxtehude. He decided to extend his stay without informing anyone.Some people think he may have received organ lessons for Buxtehude. He finally returned in January or February of 1706. Since his return J.S. Bach was accused of going into the wine cellar with Maria Barbara. Since his disappearance he became deeply influenced by the organ music of Buxtehude.

June of 1707, J. S. Bach was glad to leave Arnstadt to go to the Church of St. Blaise in Mühlhausen. He was the organist player. His move did not turn out as well as he had expected. He enjoyed creating complex musical arrangements and had a fondness for weaving together different melodic lines. His musical style clashed with the church's pastor. The pastor believed that the church music should be simple.After his move, his UncleTobias Lämmerhirt passed away and left him 50 gulden.J. S Bach finally had enough to marry Maria. On October 17, 1707 he did just that at the church of Dornheim.One of Bach's most famous works from this time is the cantata "GottesZeitist die allerbesteZeit," which also sometimes called "ActusTragicus"(Green).This piece was even printed. “In fact, it would remain the only cantata to appear in print during Bach's life time. None of Telemann's or Händel's works had appeared in print yet, so, the performance on 4 February 1708 must have been a real triumph for the 22 year old composer”(Hanford). Some more of J. S. Bach’s work while at the Muhlhausen was the famous Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565 and the Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 532. Another masterpiece ascribed to this period is the organ Passacaglia in C Minor, BWV 582 (Hanford).

After a year J. S. Bach won the position of organist at the court of the Duke Wilhelm Ernst in Weimar, where his first job was in 1703. This time it is under a different duke and one that he got along quite well with. During hiscareer in Weimar he wrote "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor," one of his most popular pieces for the organ. He also composed the cantata "Herz und Mund und Tat," or Heart and Mouth and Deed. One section of this cantata, called "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" in English, has become especially famous (Hanford). At Weimar J. S. Bach was obsessed with making improvements on the organ and had it remodeled a few times. In 1713 J. S. Bach was able to complete and perform the 'Hunt' cantata at a nearby Weissenfels for the local duke( Hanford). During this year Bach had adopted a new Italian style in the cantatas he had to produce. In December hecompetes for organist's post at Halle. When he was offered the job he declined and waspromoted toKonzertmeister with his current employer

J. S. Bach's job in Weimar ended rather dramatically. Due to jealousy and anger Wilhelm Ernst, forbidden J. S. Bach to provide any musical service to Ernst August, the other duke. Wilhelm. J. S. Bach refused to comply. He had a great friendship with Ernst August. For that he was passed by for several occasions, J. S. Bach was offended and abruptly stopped his production of cantatas that year (1716). Fortunately He made a great impression on Leopold von Anhalt-Köthenand received a job offer as Capellmeister from Leopold. Wilhelm Ernst was so upset to hear about Leopold’s job offer and jealousy and pride ranged inside of him, he had J. S Bach imprisoned for a month. December 2, 1716 he was dismissed "without honor”.

In 1717 J. S Bach and his family moved to Kothen. Duringhis time here he focused much of his time on instrumental music, composing concertos for orchestras, dance suites and sonatas for multiple instruments. J. S Bach also wrote pieces for solo instruments, including some of his finest violin works. His secular compositions still reflected his deep commitment to his faith with Bach often writing the initials I.N.J. for the Latin In Nomine Jesu, or "in the name of Jesus," on his sheet music (Green). One might say J. S. Bach enjoyed his time as Capellmeister, he had the freedom to compose what he wanted, testing organs and band practice at his home. Prince Leopold loved music and his band, he even took his musicians to Carlsbad, where he "took the waters" during the summers of 1718 and 1720. Carlsbad is currently called Czech Republic. There was no real significant reason to go but to possible show off.

Upon his return in 1720 J.S. Bach was given some terrible news, His wife had died of an illness and buried in July. J. S Bach continued his work and eventually fell in love with Anna Magdalena. They had been working together for more than a year when they finally got married on 3 December 1721. During1721 He created a tribute to the Duke of Brandenburg, which was a series of orchestra concertos known as the Brandenburg Concertos. These were considered his greatest pieces. J. S.Bach also completed his first book of "The Well-Tempered Clavier”. He wanted to help students learn what he knew. “Other great works finished in this period are the unaccompanied violin sonatas and partitas (BWV 1001-1006) and cello suites (BWV 1007-1012).J. S. Bach's great violin concertos in A Minor (BWV 1041), E Major (BWV 1042), and the double concert in D Minor (BWV 1043)” (Hanford). Good things don’t always last. Leopold was losing so much money that J. S Bach had to find another job to take care of his family. Up until Leopold’s Death, he still would visit and play for him.

After applying three separate times J. S. Bach became the successor of the Leipzig cantor in April 1723. During his new careerhe was an organist and teacher at St. Thomas Church, and taught at the Thomas School. He formulated musical interpretations of the Bible using choruses, arias and recitatives. These works are referred as his Passions, the most famous was written in 1727 or 1729 called “Passion According to St. Matthew”. This musical composition tells the story of chapters 26 and 27 of Gospel of Matthew.In 1728 Leopold had died. This was probably tough for him because not only was he friends with Leopold but his death terminated his position as honorary Capellmeister in Köthen. He soon acquired his next honorary Capellmeistership in 1729 from the Duke Christian von Sachsen-Weissenfels. J. S Bach was never satisfied with the mere title of "Cantor" It was very important to him that he was considered Capellmeister.

Life was not all that great, his salary was cut to ¼ of what he was making before Leopold died, He had to fight to become Director of Music of the University of Leipzig, during this battle St. Thomas had become chaotic and lost many students. In 1729 J. S.Bach had taken over a music society with an orchestra of students and some professional musicians. They performed in concerts, weekly performances at Zimmermann’s coffee houses. In the mid 1730’s He wrote his famous Coffee Cantata, BWV 211, as a kind of commercial for Zimmermann. In 1735 most of his cantanta productions had stopped except on demand usually on a commercial basis. He began selling books and music and he even occupied himself with renting out musical instruments.

In November 1736J. S. Bach appointed Capellmeister and composer in Dresden to the Elector of Saxony,Frederick Augustus II. J. S. Bach started putting less effort into his work and focused more on personal projects. He incorporated a new style with elements of both the new galant fashion and the old fashioned strict relating in the style of Palestrina. In 1739 He began his family genealogy under the name "Ursprung des musicalisch-BachischenFamilie"(Origin of the Musical Bach Family) (Hanford).J. S. Bach took the opportunity and visited Potsdam in 1747.This was the last major step in a career well-planned. Some would say he could sense the influence of power once Dresden was taken over. He became member 14 of Mizler's society.Due to cataracts in his eye he was almost blind at the end of his life. In 1750 Bach occupied engraving the Art of Fugue. He takes final communion, 22 July, and dies, July 28 1750 of a stroke. ( Green)

During J. S. Bach’s life he had 20 children all together, 7 with his first wife and 13 with his second wife. Unfortunately most children did not exceed infancy. He was a man of many things, devoted to his family, innovator in organ design and modern music, having the talent to work with most musical instruments. His works still influenced the music industry. It took almost 100 years for the world to know his work, thanks to composer Felix Mendelssohn, who performed Bach's St. Matthew Passion in March 1829, spurring a world-wide interest in Bach. Soon, Bach's works were appreciated by the world.

The Prelude and Fugue Piece’s

J.S. Bach's Prelude and Fugue in C major is music of a most joyously unrestrained of its kind. The C Major was composed around 1705 (4). The revision was composed in Leipzig the two complement each other. The Third version of C Major was created around 1725. The Prelude is 9/8 meter and transforms into the Fugue, seventy-two-measure, this results in a highly concentrated work that is intensely imitative (4).

The Prelude and Fugue in G minor is one of his multiple version pieces. His early version of this piece is very different, and was incomplete. This piece is thought to have been composed before Bach took the job of organist in Weimar, roughly before 1708. The earlier “G minor key is notated in the old manner, a single flat in the key signature”(4). J. S Bach’s early version only had 65 bars. His final version is certainly a product of his time in Weimar had 12 more bars added to it. “flexible 43-measure mock-improvisatory essay, a series of seamless and propulsive arpeggio figurations separated from one another by brilliant scales and rounded off at the end by a paragraph of thick imitative polyphony”(4).

The Prelude and Fugue in A major is not known very well, but it is well-written. It was created around 1707-1708. The prelude opens with the chords spread open, which creates the backbone of the piece. (4). “The Fugue, with its eight-measure ostinato subject, the rocking motion of the countersubject and the accompanying eighth-note figurations in the other voices, has a smooth, triple-time dance feel” (4).J. S Bach later created the Prelude and Fugue in A- minor.This was probably composed during his years as court organist to the Duke of Saxe.More Famous than the A Major but not as famous as some of his others pieces but very dramatic and chromatically descending (4).

The Prelude and fugue D major was composed around 1710. It features a lengthy, complex, self-contained fugue preceded by a multi-sectional prelude. The fugue part of this piece begins after seven complete entries of the subject that remain in the tonic and dominant. The fugue becomes one of the most interesting of Bach's fugues in terms of harmony (4).

One of J. S. Bach’s pieces that caught my eye was the “Prelude and Fugue "Wedge" E Minor BMV 548. He used the organ when revising this piece. It is questioned when this piece was created but we do know it was revised in 1727-1731. This song was firstpublished in Vienna, 1812.

Unlike most of his other preludes and fugues, this is the most important and flamboyant organ compositions. There is 15 pages total. The prelude displays the most severe musical architecture, while the fugue is comparatively freewheeling (Reel).Virtuosityis a key element in the Prelude and Fugue in E minor, for organ in which virtuosic passages are mapped onto alternating flute and reed solos within the fugal development. Based on a theme the notes leap to ever-widening intervals in the manner of a wedge. The lengthy opening exposition of the fugue subject leads to an even larger central section in which provides exceptional agility and technical skillsthat is divided by brief reappearances of the wedge theme. The refrain initially arches across 18 bars of the score; after the first verse, it returns in the dominant, establishing the tonality for the second verse (4).The episodes become longer and more virtuosic as the piece progresses. He rounds out the movement by bringing back the opening fugal exposition, note for note. The Wedge is Bach’s longest organ fugue and arguably the most challenging to perform (Reel).

Listening to the “Wedge”

The one song that I have really enjoyed listening to is the Prelude and Fugue in E Minor “Wedge” BWV 548. This particular song was done on the organ by Marie- Claire Alain. This piece is fourteen minutes and nineteen seconds long. This particular piece is difficult to play, It is always changing its pace, and its notes. Its fifteen pages long and when you begin to listen, you will get one vibe and then throughout the piece you will get different vibes and the music changes.

On the very first note of this piece you are shocked by the pitch of the notes. It doesn’t start out soft or slow to build you up to it. It starts with a bang, As if J. S. Bach was saying listen to me, here I am. He gains the audience’s attention right the beginning. The low bass is actively involved giving it a dark, menacing quality on the first part of this piece

Once you reach four minutes and twenty secondsin the song he adds in some very low soft keys interchanging with the loud ones. This will only last about thirty seconds but is not the only time at about six minutes and thirty seconds he does this again as he ends the prelude part of this piece

When you get to listen to this piece you hear another shocking change which is unexpected but beautiful,at about five minutes and thirty two seconds into the piece. This seems somewhat opposite from the one above. The soft soprano keys get strong, louder. The tenor keys get low, softer, but still very strong in this portion giving this piece a softer but still dark side.

At about 6:49 into the song it begins to end with a steady note flat across the board until about 6:56. Here there is a brief pause untilseven minutes and two seconds starts to the fugue. When the fugue begins inside your shocked and excited, something new has started. J. S. Bach doesn’t keep things boring he changes it up into something completely different but it transitioned in a way that u don’t even realize the fugue style was added on to the prelude style to create one of many master piece. The beginning of the piece starts out with a few soprano high pitch notes ascending, and then repeats this until seven minutes and 30 seconds into the piece. The loud bass key is added in there at the beginning of the ascending notes giving it that dark feeling.