Transcript Slide 1

The Life of
Johann Sebastian
Bach
By Nancy Johnson, 2007
Johann Sebastian
Bach was born in
Germany in 1685
and became one
of the greatest
composers of all
time.
Bach was born in
Eisenach, Germany.
His father, Johann,
was a city musician.
His mother also grew
up in a musical
family. Johann
Sebastian was born
as their eighth child
on March 21, 1685.
Bach’s parents had
both died by the time
Bach was 10 years
old.
Eisenach
1685-1695
Johann Sebastian
and his brother
Johann Jacob lived
with their oldest
brother, another
Johann, from
1695-1700.
Johann Christoph
was organist at St.
Michael’s Church in
Ohrdruf.
Ohrdruf 1695-1700
Lüneburg
1700-1702
Bach spent the next two years in Lüneburg where he could
attend the Latin school and pay his way by singing in the
choir of St. Michael's Church. By the time Bach left
Lüneburg at age 17, he was already known as an organ
virtuoso.
Bach was next hired as
a servant and violinist
in the private chapel of
Duke Johann Ernst of
Saxony-Weimar from
March to August of
1703. What Bach did
between leaving
Lüneburg in 1702 and
his short job in Weimar
is not known.
Weimar 1703
In August 1703 Bach
was appointed organist
of the Neue Kirche in
Arnstadt. His time in
Arnstadt was not
entirely successful. He
was obsessed with the
organ and refused to
spend time practicing
with the boys of the
church's choir. He got
into trouble and even
had a street fight with
a bassoon player when
Bach said he sounded
like a nanny-goat.
Arnstadt 1703-1707
Lübeck trip 1705
Later in 1705 Bach was
given a four week leave
of absence to work with
the great organist
Dietrich Buxtehude.
Bach walked the 200
miles to Lübeck, but
didn’t return for several
months. His employers
were not happy with
him. Bach resigned and
moved in 1707.
Bach was hired as an organist in
Mühlhausen in June of 1707.
This job was better for Bach. He
even had enough money to get
married after receiving a small
inheritance from his uncle. He
“outgrew” this job in just one
year because his reputation as an
organ virtuoso and composer was
growing so fast. One of his major
organ works from this period is
the famous Toccata and Fugue in
D Minor. To watch a
performance, click below:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=55121
17408808532512
Mühlhausen 1707-1708
Weimar 1708-1717
Returning to Weimar
at the age of 23 was a
big step for Bach. His
salary doubled and his
first child, Catharina,
was born. The job
ended in a rather dramatic way when he got caught in a feud between
the Weimar dukes. Luckily, Bach had made a great impression on
Prince Leopold with his wedding music for Leopold's sister. Bach was
offered a job by Leopold, but the Duke refused to let Bach go. He was
even arrested and put in prison for a month (Nov. 6 – Dec. 2) before
being dismissed "without honor".
Köthen
1717-1723
Bach began his job as
Leopold’s Director of
Music in December 1717.
He had a lot of freedom
and "dearly loved" the
Prince. Bach wrote a lot
of chamber music while in Köthen. Unfortunately, his wife Maria Barbara
died in 1720 while Bach was away on business, leaving behind their four
children, ages 12, 10, 6 and 5. Three other children had died in infancy.
Bach married Anna Magdalena on December 3, 1721. Bach left Köthen in
1723 because his sons needed a better education and the musical climate was
declining. Some of his most famous works of this period are the six
Brandenburg Concertos, finished in March 1721. You are listening to No. 5.
Bach spent the rest of his life in
Leipzig at the St. Thomas School
where he supplied music for the
four major churches each Sunday
and on holidays. He and his
second wife had thirteen children
between 1723 and 1742, but only
five lived beyond the age of five.
Bach was not completely happy
with his job here either. He was
expected to teach Latin and didn’t
want to. He had to pay someone
else to teach it for him. Near the
end of his life he developed
cataracts in his eyes and became
blind. He died on July 28, 1750.
Leipzig 1723-1750
St. Thomas Church--Leipzig
Bach’s Grave
(inside the church)
Bach Statue-Leipzig
Bach’s
Monogram
Bach wrote music for
all of the following:
Bassoon, Cello, Choir, Clavier,
Cornett, Double Bass,
English Horn, Flute, French
Horn, Harpsichord, Lute,
Music Box, Oboe, Orchestra,
Organ, Recorder, Timpani,
Trombone, Trumpet, Viola,
Violin, and Voice.
Bach Facts:
• The Bach family was prominent in the music world for over 300
years (from 1560-1871.)
• During this time, over 60 Bachs made their living from music as
town musicians, organists, music copyists, choir masters, and
composers.
• Bach was an expert at writing a form of music called a fugue.
• He was known as an amazing organist, but difficult to get
along with.
• Bach wrote over 1100 pieces of music, but little of it was
published while he was alive.
• It wasn’t until almost 75 years after he died that people began
to recognize how great Bach was.
• Three Bach pieces were launched into space in 1977 on the
Voyager spacecraft.
Resources:
Books
• Lives of the Musicians by Kathleen Krull
• Oxford First Companion to Music, edited by Kenneth & Valerie McLeish
CD
JS Bach Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 2, 3, 5 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Websites
http://paulmccain.worldmagblog.com/paulmccain/bachoutside.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Bachkirche_Ar
nstadt.JPG/268px-Bachkirche_Arnstadt.JPG
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/programmes/images/lubeck2.jpg
http://www.jsbach.net/images/portraits.html
http://www.jsbach.org/
http://www.let.rug.nl/Linguistics/diversen/bach/eisenach.html
http://www.pmlmusic.com/tour_304/bach_tomb.html
http://www.urtexteditions.com/images/BUXTEHUDE.jpg