The Life and Works of Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was a well-known and respected baroque composer and organist. He is considered as one of the greatest composers of all time because of his work in perfecting existing forms of music by combining international influences. Most of his works were devoted to the Glory of God because he was a very religious Lutheran.

Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, where he learned to play the violin and the harpsichord from his father. His entire family had had a history of talented musicians and Johann Sebastian Bach was no exception. His reputation for keyboard playing increased and he was invited to St. Boniface’s Church in Arnstadt to look at a new organ.

He later accepted a post of organist for the same church where he had a generous pay with a small amount of duties. From his post at St. Boniface’s Church, he moved on to a different job as an organist in Mühlhausen. In Mühlhausen, Bach was given an even better pay with a good choir to work with. It was there that he met his second cousin, Maria Barbara who became his wife. He had seven children which included CPE Bach and WF Bach, both very successful musicians.

In 1708, the Duke of Weimar gave Johann Sebastian Bach a position as a court musician in his chapel. During his stay at Weimar, he became the court organist, and did a lot of chamber music composing. Some of his most import compositions he had written in Weimar were: Orgelbüchlein (”Little organ book”), Chorale Preludes such as A Mighty Fortress is our God and The Well Tempered Clavier.

Cöthen (1717-1723) was the next job Johann Sebastian Bach received in his musical career. The Prince of Anhalt-Cöthen hired Bach to be his director of music and paid him well because he appreciated Bach’s talents. Unfortunately, Maria Barbara, his wife, died in Cöthen in 1720.

A year later, Bach met a talented singer named Anna Magdalena who became his second wife. With Anna Magdalena, Bach had 13 more children, including Johann Christian Bach and Johann Christoph Bach, who became talented musicians. During his time at Cöthen he composed 6 French, 6 English Suites, Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue, and the famous Brandenburg Concertos.

The last job post Bach accepted was at Leipzig when he was appointed Cantor of the Thomasschule. He worked for the St. Thomas’ Church at 38 years of age. Bach’s job was to write all music for services, select and train members of the choir, and write music for special occasions such as important holidays. He was also given the position as a director for the collegium musicum in 1729, which was started by his old friend Georg Phillipp Telemann. During his period at Leipzig, Bach composed a great deal of music such as Magnificat, St. Johns Passion, St. Mark Passion, Christmas Oratorio, Mass in B minor, and the Art of the Fugue which was keyboard music that written right before his death.

Bach regretted that even though Halle was very close to Leipzig, he did not have the chance to meet George Frederic Handel who was born also in 1685. Still, he and his wife welcomed visitors and had several visits from Telemann. Johann Sebastian Bach died at Leipzig in 1750.