Johann Sebastian Bach

Born: 1685 | Died: 1750

Composer

Born in the town of Eisenach in 1685 to a large family of well-known and talented musicians, Bach grew up in a highly musical milieu. At the age of 15, Bach already was holding posts of singer, violinist and organist.

He completed some of his most famous works during his 27-year tenure as cantor of St. Thomas School and Director of Music for the Church of St. Thomas in Leipzig. Bach composed numerous religious works, and he developed the prevailing German style with a robust contrapuntal technique, new harmonies and great clarity and organization.

During his life he composed more than 1,000 works of which about 220 survive.

Bach's works include the “Brandenburg Concertos,” the “Goldberg Variations,” keyboard

cantatas and partitas, the “Mass in B Minor,” “St Matthew’s Passion,” “St. John’s Passion,” “Musical Offering” and “The Art of the Fugue” as well as “The Well Tempered Clavier.”

Bach had 20 children, nine of which lived. Two of them became famous musicians in their own right. Carl Philipp Emanuel (1714-1788) was at the court of Frederick the Great for 28 years while Johann Christian Bach went to London where he composed operas. The final work Bach completed was a chorale prelude for organ, dictated to his son-in-law, Altnikol, from his deathbed and entitled “Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit” (Before thy throne I now appear). Bach died in July 1750.

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