Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750)
Johann Sebastian Bach was an exceptional composer, organist, harpsichordist and choirmaster. Although he never left Germany, his music crossed all borders and influenced generations of artists, from Mozart to contemporary composers.
The undisputed master of Baroque music, Bach left behind an immense body of work, from the most rigorous fugues to the most intimate pieces. Music that still touches, moves and surprises.
But who was Johann Sebastian Bach, beyond his genius? Discover his extraordinary career, through his major works and the defining moments that shaped his history.
Johann Sebastian Bach: a life dedicated to music
A childhood marked by family tradition
Born on March 21, 1685 in Eisenach, Thuringia (a historic region in central Germany), Johann Sebastian Bach grew up in a musical family. His father, Johann Ambrosius, was a violinist and director of the town band. Orphaned at an early age, the young Johann Sebastian was taken in by his older brother Johann Christoph, an organist in Ohrdruf, who introduced him to the harpsichord, organ and composition.
From his early teens, Bach showed exceptional talent. In Lüneburg, where he continued his musical studies, he discovered French and Italian music, which quickly influenced his style.
First shifts and first tensions
In 1703, Bach obtained his first position as organist in Arnstadt. But his taste for improvisation and harmonic daring was disturbing. During a stay in Lübeck to hear the famous organist Buxtehude, he went away for several months without authorization, which scandalized his superiors.
In 1707, he moved to Mühlhausen, then became organist and violinist in Weimar, where he composed numerous works for organ and began to forge a solid reputation. It was also here that he perfected the art of counterpoint* and began to write major cantatas.
*Counterpoint is the superimposition of several independent melodies that work together to form a harmonious whole.
Johann Sebastian Bach: an exceptional musical dynasty
Johann Sebastian Bach was not only a genius: he also fathered 20 children, several of whom went on to become major composers of the XVIIIᵉ century. The most famous of these was Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, a musician at the court of Frederick II of Prussia, whose style prefigured classicism. His other son, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, a brilliant organist but with a more unstable destiny, left bold works.
👉 Indeed, the name "Bach" had become synonymous with "musician" in Thuringia. There were more than 50 musicians in his family over several generations.
A career of faith, rigour and masterpieces
In Köthen: the golden age of instrumental music
In 1717, Bach was appointed Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold in Köthen. This position involved conducting the music for religious and official court ceremonies. Bach composed, supervised musicians and organized concerts. He composed brilliant pieces for harpsichord, violin, orchestra and flute. It was during this period that he created :
The Brandenburg Concertos
Cello Suites
Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin
This period of creative freedom was also marked by a personal tragedy: the death of his wife Maria Barbara in 1720.
Leipzig: religious work at its best
In 1723, Bach became cantor of St. Thomas's Church in Leipzig. In this position, he was responsible for sacred music, directing the choir, organizing rehearsals and composing a new cantata* each week for Lutheran worship. He settled down with his new wife, Anna Magdalena, who assisted him in his work and brought up their many children. Every week, he composes a new cantata for Lutheran worship.
During this period, he created several religious works, including :
St John Passion (1724)
St. Matthew Passion (1727)
Mass in B minor (completed around 1749)
Bach blends the polyphonic rigor inherited from the Renaissance with the dramatic expressiveness of the Baroque.
*A vocal work composed for soloists, choir and instruments, often intended for religious worship, combining recitatives, arias and choruses.
Period, classical, baroque or romantic: discover the evolution of music through the ages.
Johann Sebastian Bach's end-of-life and musical legacy
In the 1740s, his music was considered too learned. But Bach continued to write for circles of initiates, with works such as :
The Musical Offering (1747)
The Art of Fugue (unfinished, 1749)
Weakened by sight problems, he died in Leipzig in 1750, aged 65. Johann Sebastian Bach left a colossal body of work, rediscovered and admired from the XIXᵉ century onwards.
Did you know? Johann Sebastian Bach improvised like no one else
In his day, Bach was recognized not only as a composer, but above all as a genius improviser on organ and harpsichord. On a trip to Potsdam in 1747, King Frederick II of Prussia challenged him to improvise a 3-part fugue on a given theme. Bach did so instantly, winning the admiration of the entire court. This theme was to become the basis of the Musical Offering.
Bach... Rediscovered a century later!
After his death in 1750, Bach's music was almost forgotten. Deemed too complex, it was overshadowed by the more gallant style of the Classicists. It was not until 1829, almost 80 years later, that Felix Mendelssohn brought Bach back into the limelight by conducting a version of the St. Matthew Passion in Berlin. This marked the beginning of a veritable Bach "renaissance".
A methodical composer through and through
Johann Sebastian Bach liked to compile, organize and structure. He wrote his works as musical demonstrations. The Art of the Fugue, his ultimate work, is a perfect example of this: a series of fugues* all built on the same theme, and growing in complexity. The work remains unfinished, probably interrupted by his blindness. The final counterpoint ends with a modulation, followed by an annotation from his son: "At that moment, the composer's hand stopped."
*The fugue is a complex musical form, based on counterpoint, in which a main theme, called the subject, is introduced and then taken up in succession by different voices or instruments. This creates a musical dialogue in which the voices interweave and respond to each other. The fugue is particularly emblematic of Baroque music.
A look back at the highlights of Johann Sebastian Bach's life
Johann Sebastian Bach's best-known works
The Well-Tempered Clavier (1722 and 1742): 48 preludes and fugues in all keys, an absolute reference for keyboardists.
The Brandenburg Concertos (1721-1722): six brilliant concertos with varied instrumentation.
St. Matthew Passion (1727): a major choral work, intense and moving.
The Suites for solo cello (circa 1720): masterpieces of simplicity and expressive depth.
L'Offrande musicale (1747): a series of fugues and canons based on a theme by King Frederick II of Prussia.
L'Art de la fugue (circa 1740-1750): a theoretical and poetic work, the ultimate exploration of counterpoint.
The Mass in B minor (1749): a vast liturgical fresco, the pinnacle of Baroque sacred music.
Good to know: the Toccata and Fugue in D minor is often considered Bach's most famous organ work. This monument of the repertoire impresses with its dramatic intensity, even if its authenticity is sometimes debated among specialists.
Johann Sebastian Bach in 12 key dates
1685: Born in Eisenach, into a family of musicians.
1694: Orphaned at age 9, raised by his brother Johann Christoph.
1703: First position as organist in Arnstadt.
1707: Marriage to Maria Barbara Bach, his second cousin.
1708: Organist in Weimar, he composed numerous works for organ.
1717: Appointed Kapellmeister in Köthen; beginning of the great instrumental period.
1720: Death of his first wife.
1721: Remarriage to Anna Magdalena Wilcke, court soprano in Köthen.
1723: Cantor in Leipzig, he composed hundreds of cantatas.
1727: Creation of the St Matthew Passion.
1747: Meeting with Frederick II of Prussia; composition of the Musical Offering.
1750: Death in Leipzig; Bach dies blind, forgotten by the general public.
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