Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach

Born 21 March 1685 (O.S.)
31 March 1685 (N.S.)

Eisenach
Died 28 July 1750 (aged 65)

Leipzig
Works List of compositions
Relatives Bach family

Johann Sebastian Bach  (31 March [O.S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific authorship of music across a variety of instruments and forms, including orchestral music such as the Brandenburg Concertos; solo instrumental works such as the cello suites and sonatas and partitas for solo violin; keyboard works such as the Goldberg Variations and The Well-Tempered Clavier; organ works such as the Schubler Chorales and the Toccata and Fugue in D minor; and choral works such as the St Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor. Since the 19th century Bach Revival, he has been generally regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music.

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Johann Sebastian Bach seems to sum up human experience in a way that only the greatest creative geniuses are capable of. His sense of musical architecture and brilliance in working out contrapuntal lines stimulate the mind. But the music appeals equally powerfully to our emotions, and the dance element is never far away. Even if Bach lived before the era of the modern piano, his keyboard music belongs to the most essential repertoire for pianists.

Top Pieces:

Prelude & Fugue 1 in C Major, BWV 846

If Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier is the “Old Testament of piano music”, then this Prelude must be Genesis, chapter 1: In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth… Like the first verses of the Bible, it speaks a universal language, characterized by solemn simplicity and soothing repetitiveness.
Prelude & Fugue 1 BWV 846 in C Major by Bach piano sheet music

Goldberg Variations in G Major, BWV 988

The relentlessly intricate architecture of the Goldberg Variations still engages scholars after hundreds of years, while the soothing, noble poetry and formidable technical demands of the piece continue to captivate players and listeners.
Goldberg Variations BWV 988 in G Major by Bach piano sheet music

Invention 1 in C Major, BWV 772

Composed to develop a singing style of playing, Bach’s Inventions are masterful miniatures full of charm and feeling, and a great introduction to contrapuntal music, where different voices imitate and converse with each other.
Invention 1 BWV 772 in C Major by Bach piano sheet music

Invention 4 in D Minor, BWV 775

This invention is a great example of Bach’s ability to mix simplicity with sophistication, extracting a beautiful musical creation out of an extremely basic idea.
Invention 4 BWV 775 in D Minor by Bach piano sheet music

Minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 114

In the lives of countless piano students, this little Minuet has represented their first meeting with Bach. But we don’t even know if Bach composed it!
Minuet (by C. Petzold) BWV Anh. 114 in G Major by Bach piano sheet music

Small Prelude in C Major, BWV 939

The most well-known of the “Small Preludes” is an excellent introduction to several aspects of Bach’s music: the conversational style, chordal structures and his use of dynamic effects.
Small Prelude BWV 939 in C Major by Bach piano sheet music

Biography

 

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685—1750) lost both his parents at a young age and was sent to live with his brother Johann Christoph, where he received his first musical instruction. 18 years old, he was appointed organist in Arnstadt, where the church authorities were confused by his “curious embellishments” of the chorales; their irritation increased when he prolonged by several months the leave granted him to visit Lübeck and attend Buxtehude´s concerts. He then worked for the Duke Wilhelm of Weimar for almost ten years, but as he didn’t get the promotion that he wanted he eventually applied for the post of Kapellmeister to the musically talented Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen. Duke Wilhelm was not pleased and threw Bach in jail for a month before discharging him.

In Cöthen, Bach completed many instrumental works, including the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier, and the Brandenburg Concertos. In 1720, his first wife Maria Barbara died suddenly, leaving Bach with four young children, including Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel. The following year he married Anna Magdalena, who was to bear him a further 13, of whom ten died in infancy. When Prince Leopold married, the good times in Cöthen ended, as his wife resented his preoccupation with music. This led Bach to apply for the post of Thomaskantor at Leipzig, where during his first five years Bach completed three annual cycles of cantatas, the St John (1724) and St Matthew (1727) Passions, and many other sacred works. How he was able to stay on this exalted level of creativity for so long remains a mystery, as his resources actually were quite limited: when he set out his minimum requirements for a well-regulated church music, he received in response from the church authorities only a threat to reduce his salary.

During his last years Bach created works of a somewhat abstract and general nature. The B minor Mass is an exemplar of the mastery he had attained in all the main sacred genres, while pieces like the Goldberg Variations and the Variations for organ on Vom Himmel hoch explore canonic writing. The Art of Fugue, a vast compendium of contrapuntal techniques, remained unfinished. Towards the end of his life Bach went blind. A contemporary newspaper reported that the cause of his death at age 65 was “from the unhappy consequences of a very unsuccessful eye operation”, performed by the British surgeon John Taylor.

 

 

Quotes by Bach

“Like all music, the figured bass should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the recreation of the soul; where this is not kept in mind there is no true music, but only an infernal clamour and ranting.”

Quotes about Bach

“I think that if I were required to spend the rest of my life on a desert island, and to listen to or play the music of any one composer during all that time, that composer would almost certainly be Bach. I really can’t think of any other music which is so all-encompassing, which moves me so deeply and so consistently, and which, to use a rather imprecise word, is valuable beyond all of its skill and brilliance for something more meaningful than that – its humanity.” (Glenn Gould)

“Not brook, but ocean should be his name (Beethoven; Bach is the German word for brook)

“Since the best man [Telemann] could not be obtained, we were forced to fall back on mediocrities.” (Statement of the Leipzig City Council when Bach was appointed Thomaskantor)

Most popular pieces:

Prelude & Fugue 1 BWV 846 C Major 1722 8
Goldberg Variations BWV 988 G Major 1741 8+
Invention 1 BWV 772 C Major 1723 5
Invention 4 BWV 775 D Minor 1723 5
Minuet (by C. Petzold) BWV Anh. 114 G Major 1725 2
Small Prelude BWV 939 C Major 1727 3

All pieces:

Small Preludes and Fughettas

Small Prelude BWV 924 C Major 1720 4
Small Prelude BWV 925 D Major 1720 5
Small Prelude BWV 926 D Minor 1720 4
Small Prelude BWV 927 F Major 1720 4
Small Prelude BWV 928 F Major 1720 5
Small Prelude BWV 929 G Minor 1720 4
Small Prelude BWV 930 G Minor 1720 5
Small Prelude BWV 931 A Minor 1720 5
Small Prelude (Incomplete) BWV 932 E Minor 1720 5
Small Prelude BWV 933 C Major 1720 5
Small Prelude BWV 934 C Minor 1720 4
Small Prelude BWV 935 D Minor 1720 5
Small Prelude BWV 936 D Major 1720 5
Small Prelude BWV 937 E Major 1720 5
Small Prelude BWV 938 E Minor 1720 5
Small Prelude BWV 939 C Major 1727 3
Small Prelude BWV 940 D Major 1717 5
Small Prelude BWV 941 E Minor 1717 4
Small Prelude BWV 942 A Minor 1717 5
Small Prelude BWV 943 C Major 1717 5
Small Prelude BWV 999 C Minor 1725 5
Fugue BWV 952 C Major 1723 7
Fugue BWV 953 C Major 1723 8
Fughetta BWV 961 C Minor 1712 5
Prelude & Fugue BWV 895 A Minor 1709 5
Prelude & Fughetta BWV 899 D Minor 1726 5
Prelude & Fughetta BWV 900 E Minor 1726 5
Prelude & Fughetta BWV 901 F Major 1708 7
Prelude & Fughetta BWV 902 G Major 1708 7

Inventions

Invention 1 BWV 772 C Major 1723 5
Invention 2 BWV 773 C Minor 1723 5
Invention 3 BWV 774 D Major 1723 5
Invention 4 BWV 775 D Minor 1723 5
Invention 5 BWV 776 E-flat Major 1723 5
Invention 6 BWV 777 E Major 1723 5
Invention 7 BWV 778 E Minor 1723 6
Invention 8 BWV 779 F Major 1723 6
Invention 9 BWV 780 F Minor 1723 6
Invention 10 BWV 781 G Major 1723 6
Invention 11 BWV 782 G Minor 1723 6
Invention 12 BWV 783 A Major 1723 6
Invention 13 BWV 784 A Minor 1723 6
Invention 14 BWV 785 B-flat Major 1723 6
Invention 15 BWV 786 B Minor 1723 6

Sinfonias

Sinfonia 1 BWV 787 C Major 1723 6
Sinfonia 2 BWV 788 C Minor 1723 6
Sinfonia 3 BWV 789 D Major 1723 6
Sinfonia 4 BWV 790 D Minor 1723 6
Sinfonia 5 BWV 791 E-flat Major 1723 6
Sinfonia 6 BWV 792 E Major 1723 6
Sinfonia 7 BWV 793 E Minor 1723 6
Sinfonia 8 BWV 794 F Major 1723 6
Sinfonia 9 BWV 795 F Minor 1723 6
Sinfonia 10 BWV 796 G Major 1723 6
Sinfonia 11 BWV 797 G Minor 1723 7
Sinfonia 12 BWV 798 A Major 1723 7
Sinfonia 13 BWV 799 A Minor 1723 7
Sinfonia 14 BWV 800 B-flat Major 1723 7
Sinfonia 15 BWV 801 B Minor 1723 7

The Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1

Prelude & Fugue 1 BWV 846 C Major 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 2 BWV 847 C Minor 1722 7
Prelude & Fugue 3 BWV 848 C-sharp Major 1722 7
Prelude & Fugue 4 BWV 849 C-sharp Minor 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 5 BWV 850 D Major 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 6 BWV 851 D Minor 1722 7
Prelude & Fugue 7 BWV 852 E-flat Major 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 8 BWV 853 E-flat Minor 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 9 BWV 854 E Major 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 10 BWV 855 E Minor 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 11 BWV 856 F Major 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 12 BWV 857 F Minor 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 13 BWV 858 F-sharp Major 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 14 BWV 859 F-sharp Minor 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 15 BWV 860 G Major 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 16 BWV 861 G Minor 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 17 BWV 862 A-flat Major 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 18 BWV 863 G-sharp Minor 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 19 BWV 864 A Major 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 20 BWV 865 A Minor 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 21 BWV 866 B-flat Major 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 22 BWV 867 B-flat Minor 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 23 BWV 868 B Major 1722 8
Prelude & Fugue 24 BWV 869 B Minor 1722 8

The Well-Tempered Clavier Book 2

Prelude & Fugue 1 BWV 870 C Major 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 2 BWV 871 C Minor 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 3 BWV 872 C-sharp Major 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 4 BWV 873 C-sharp Minor 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 5 BWV 874 D Major 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 6 BWV 875 D Minor 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 7 BWV 876 E-flat Major 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 8 BWV 877 D-sharp Minor 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 9 BWV 878 E Major 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 10 BWV 879 E Minor 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 11 BWV 880 F Major 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 12 BWV 881 F Minor 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 13 BWV 882 F-sharp Major 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 14 BWV 883 F-sharp Minor 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 15 BWV 884 G Major 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 16 BWV 885 G Minor 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 17 BWV 886 A-flat Major 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 18 BWV 887 G-sharp Minor 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 19 BWV 888 A Major 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 20 BWV 889 A Minor 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 21 BWV 890 B-flat Major 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 22 BWV 891 B-flat Minor 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 23 BWV 892 B Major 1738 8
Prelude & Fugue 24 BWV 893 B Minor 1738 8

French Suites

French Suite 1 BWV 812 D Minor 1722 8
French Suite 2 BWV 813 C Minor 1722 8
French Suite 3 BWV 814 B Minor 1722 8
French Suite 4 BWV 815 E-flat Major 1722 8
French Suite 5 BWV 816 G Major 1722 8
French Suite 6 BWV 817 E Major 1722 8

English Suites

English Suite 1 BWV 806 A Major 1722 8+
English Suite 2 BWV 807 A Minor 1722 8+
English Suite 3 BWV 808 G Minor 1722 8+
English Suite 4 BWV 809 F Major 1722 8+
English Suite 5 BWV 810 E Minor 1722 8+
English Suite 6 BWV 811 D Minor 1722 8+

Partitas

Partita 1 BWV 825 B-flat Major 1731 8+
Partita 2 BWV 826 C Minor 1731 8+
Partita 3 BWV 827 A Minor 1731 8+
Partita 4 BWV 828 D Major 1731 8+
Partita 5 BWV 829 G Major 1731 8+
Partita 6 BWV 830 E Minor 1731 8+

Miscellaneous Suites

Suite BWV 818 A Minor 1705 7
Suite BWV 819 E-flat Major 1725 7
Ouverture BWV 820 F Major 1705 6
Suite BWV 821 B-flat Major 8
Suite BWV 823 F Minor 1715 7
Suite BWV 832 A Major 1708 7
Prelude and Partita BWV 833 F Major 1708 7

Miscellaneous Fugues

Fugue BWV 946 C Major 1708 8+
Fugue BWV 947 A Minor 8+
Fugue BWV 948 D Minor 8+
Fugue BWV 949 A Major 1715 8
Fugue on a Theme by Albinoni BWV 950 A Major 1710 8+
Fugue – after Reinken BWV 954 B-flat Major 1730 8
Fugue – after Erselius BWV 955 B-flat Major 8
Fugue BWV 956 E Minor 7
Fugue BWV 958 A Minor 7
Fugue BWV 959 A Minor 8
The Art of Fugue BWV 1080 D Minor 1749 8+

Toccatas

Toccata BWV 910 F-sharp Minor 1712 8+
Toccata BWV 911 C Minor 1714 8+
Toccata BWV 912 D Major 1714 8+
Toccata BWV 913 D Minor 1714 8
Toccata BWV 914 E Minor 1714 8
Toccata BWV 915 G Minor 1714 8+
Toccata BWV 916 G Major 1714 8

Four Duets

Duet 1 BWV 802 E Minor 1739 7
Duet 2 BWV 803 F Major 1739 7
Duet 3 BWV 804 G Major 1739 7
Duet 4 BWV 805 A Minor 1739 8

Sonatas

Sonata BWV 963 D Major 1725 6
Sonata – after BWV 1003 BWV 964 D Minor 1725 8+
Sonata – after Reinken BWV 965 A Minor 1725 8
Sonata – after Reinken BWV 966 C Major 1725 8+
Sonata BWV 967 A Minor 1725 7

Concertos

Keyboard Concerto BWV 1052 D Minor 1738 8+
Keyboard Concerto BWV 1053 E Major 1738 8+
Keyboard Concerto BWV 1054 D Major 1738 8
Keyboard Concerto BWV 1055 A Major 1738 8
Keyboard Concerto BWV 1056 F Minor 1738 8
Keyboard Concerto BWV 1057 F Major 1738 8+
Keyboard Concerto BWV 1058 G Minor 1738 8
Concerto – for two keyboards BWV 1060 C Minor 1745 8
Concerto – for two keyboards BWV 1061 C Major 1734 8
Concerto – for two keyboards BWV 1062 C Minor 1736 8
Concerto – for three keyboards BWV 1063 D Minor 1745 8+
Concerto – for three keyboards BWV 1064 C Major 1745 8+
Concerto – for four keyboards BWV 1065 A Minor 1730 8+

Concerto Transcriptions

Vivaldi: Violin Concerto op. 3 no. 9 BWV 972 D Major 1714 6
Vivaldi: Violin Concerto op. 7 no. 2 BWV 973 G Major 1714 6
Marcello: Oboe Concerto BWV 974 D Minor 1714 7
Vivaldi: Violin Concerto op. 4 no. 6 BWV 975 G Minor 1714 6
Vivaldi: Violin Concerto op. 3 no. 12 BWV 976 C Major 1714 6
Concerto Transcription – unknown source BWV 977 C Major 1714 6
Vivaldi: Violin Concerto op. 3 no. 3 BWV 978 F Major 1714 7
Torelli: Violin Concerto BWV 979 B Minor 1714 7
Vivaldi: Violin Concerto op. 4 no. 1 BWV 980 G Major 1714 8
Marcello: Concerto op. 1 no. 2 BWV 981 C Minor 1714 7
Johann Ernst: Violin Concerto op. 1 no. 1 BWV 982 B-flat Major 1714 8
Concerto Transcription – unknown source BWV 983 G Minor 1714 8+
Johann Ernst: Concerto BWV 984 C Major 1714 8
Telemann: Violin Concerto BWV 985 G Minor 1714 7
Concerto Transcription – unknown source BWV 986 G Major 1714 7
Johann Ernst: Violin Concerto op. 1 no. 4 BWV 987 D Minor 1714 8+

Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach

Minuet BWV Anh. 113 F Major 1725 3
Minuet (by C. Petzold) BWV Anh. 114 G Major 1725 2
Minuet (by C. Petzold) BWV Anh. 115 G Minor 1725 2
Rondeau: Les Bergeries (by F. Couperin) BWV Anh. 183 B-flat Major 1725 4
Minuet BWV Anh. 116 G Major 1725 3
Polonaise BWV Anh. 117 F Major 1725 4
Minuet BWV Anh. 118 B-flat Major 1725 3
Polonaise BWV Anh. 119 G Minor 1725 3
Chorale: Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten BWV 691 A Minor 1725 4
Chorale BWV 510 F Major 1725 1
Chorale: Gib dich zufrieden und sei stille BWV 511–512 G Minor 1725 2
Minuet BWV Anh. 120 A Minor 1725 3
Minuet BWV Anh. 121 C Minor 1725 3
March (by C. P. E. Bach) BWV Anh. 122 D Major 1725 2
Polonaise (by C. P. E. Bach) BWV Anh. 123 G Minor 1725 4
March (by C. P. E. Bach) BWV Anh. 124 G Major 1725 3
Polonaise (by C. P. E. Bach) BWV Anh. 125 G Minor 1725 3
Aria: So oft ich meine Tobackspfeife BWV 515 D Minor 1725 2
Minuet (by G. Böhm) G Major 1725 2
Musette BWV Anh. 126 D Major 1725 2
March (by C. P. E. Bach) BWV Anh. 127 E-flat Major 1725 4
Polonaise BWV Anh. 128 D Minor 1725 3
Aria: Bist du bei mir (by G. H. Stölzel) BWV 508 E-flat Major 1725 3
Solo per il cembalo (by C. P. E. Bach) BWV Anh. 129 E-flat Major 1725 5
Polonaise (by J. A. Hasse) BWV Anh. 130 G Major 1725 3
Aria (by J. C. Bach) BWV Anh. 131 F Major 1725 1
Aria: Warum betrübst du dich BWV 516 F Minor 1725 2
Recitative and Aria: Ich habe genug BWV 82 G Major 1725 4
Chorale: Shaffs mit mir, Gott BWV 514 C Major 1725 2
Minuet BWV Anh. 132 D Minor 1725 3
Aria di Giovannini BWV 518 E-flat Major 1725 4
Chorale: Dir, dir, Jehova, will ich singen BWV 299 B-flat Major 1725 5
Chorale: Wie wohl ist mir, o Freund der Seelen BWV 517 F Major 1725 2
Aria: Gedenke doch, mein Geist, zurükke BWV 509 E-flat Major 1725 3
Chorale: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort BWV 513 F Major 1725 2
Chorale: Jesu, meine Zuversicht BWV 728 C Major 1722 4

Miscellaneous pieces

Bourrée E Minor 3
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring BWV 147 G Major 1723 7
Minuet BWV 813 a C Minor 1722 3
Overture in the French Style BWV 831 B Minor 1735 8+
Allemande BWV 836 G Minor 1720 4
Minuet BWV 841 G Major 1720 5
Minuet BWV 842 G Minor 1720 5
Minuet BWV 843 G Major 1720 5
Prelude & Fugue BWV 894 A Minor 1708 8+
Chromatic Fantasia & Fugue BWV 903 D Minor 1720 8+
Fantasia & Fugue BWV 904 A Minor 1725 8+
Fantasia & Fugue BWV 906 C Minor 1738 8+
Fantasia BWV 917 G Minor 1738 8+
Fantasia on a Rondo BWV 918 C Minor 1738 8+
Fantasia BWV 919 C Minor 6
Prelude BWV 921 C Minor 1713 7
Prelude (Fantasia) BWV 922 A Minor 8+
Prelude & Fugue – on a Theme by Albinoni BWV 923 & 951 B Minor 1712 8+
Fantasia & Fugue BWV 944 A Minor 1714 8+
Adagio – after BWV 1005 BWV 968 G Major 1725 8
Italian Concerto BWV 971 F Major 1735 8
Goldberg Variations BWV 988 G Major 1741 8+
Aria Variata BWV 989 A Minor 1709 8
Capriccio on the Departure of his Most Beloved Brother BWV 992 B-flat Major 1704 8
Capriccio BWV 993 E Major 1721 8+
Applicatio BWV 994 C Major 1720 5

Copy by: pianosintheparks.com

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