A German family of musicians and composers, the Bachs achieved the height of their fame in the 17th and 18th centuries. Seven Bach generations achieved greater or lesser prominence in music from 1580 to about 1800. Of the group, Johann Sebastian Bach has been acclaimed as one of the giants of musical history. Johann Sebastian Bach - Johann Sebastian Bach, “Dorian” Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, pipe organ.
(1685–1750). Although he was famous as a master of the organ and other instruments during his lifetime, Johann Sebastian Bach's music was neglected after his death until the early 1800s. His works brought to a climax the baroque period during which many new forms and styles were developed. Bach wrote literally thousands of compositions, many for use in churches or in instruction. Combining elements of the Lutheran chorale, the French and Italian orchestral styles, and baroque organ music, Bach produced the Brandenburg concertos (1721) for orchestra, The Well-Tempered Clavier (1722–44) for keyboard, the St. John (1723) and St. Matthew (1729) passions, nearly 200 cantatas, the Mass in B Minor (completed about 1738), and hundreds of others. Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, on March 21, 1685. Orphaned when he was ten, he was cared for by his eldest brother. In 1700 he became part of a select choir of poor boys at the school of the Michaelskirche, Lüneburg. He held various musical posts, including that of organist at Arnstadt (1703–07), at Mühlhausen (1707–08), and at Weimar (1708–17). He was kapellmeister (music director) at Köthen from 1717 to 1723. Married twice, Bach fathered 20 children. In 1723 he accepted the posts of cantor of the Thomaskirche school and director of church music for the city of Leipzig, Germany. He died in Leipzig on July 28, 1750. Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710–84). Sometimes called the “Halle Bach” because of his service from 1746 to 1764 with the Liebfrauenkirche in Halle, Germany, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach composed mainly keyboard works and cantatas. His style has traces of the baroque influence and the later rococo, a light, highly ornamental style. He showed early promise that was never fulfilled. The oldest son of Johann Sebastian, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach was born in Weimar, Germany, on Nov. 22, 1710. He died in Berlin on July 1, 1784. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714–88). As the “Hamburg Bach” (or, sometimes, “Berlin Bach”), Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach achieved renown as a leading composer and keyboard player of the mid-18th century. His many compositions bridge the transition from the baroque to the later rococo style. Carl Philipp Emanuel led the new movement but never forgot his father's instruction. “For composition and keyboard playing, I have never had any teacher other than my father,” he once wrote. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was born in Weimar on March 8, 1714, and trained for the law. Preferring music, he served from 1740 to 1767 as court harpsichordist to King Frederick of Prussia. The second surviving son of Johann Sebastian, Carl Philipp Emanuel moved to Hamburg in 1768 to serve as director of music for the city. His book Versuch über die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen (Essay on the True Art of Piano Playing), published in 1753, became an important influence on later generations. He died in Hamburg on Dec. 14, 1788. Johann Christian Bach (1735–82). The “English Bach,” Johann Christian Bach as a young man became a fashionable composer who deeply influenced English musical life. In 1764, while he was serving as master of music to King George III, he and Carl Friedrich Abel started a popular series of concerts. The youngest son of Johann Sebastian, Johann Christian Bach was born in Leipzig on Sept. 5, 1735. He received musical training from his half brother, Carl Philipp Emanuel. Johann Christian moved to Italy when he was 20. He studied in Bologna, converted to Roman Catholicism, and was named organist of the Milan Cathedral in 1760. Johann Christian died in London on Jan. 1, 1782. |