Johann Sebastian Bach: biography, video, interesting facts, creativity. Bach: a brief biography for children What country is Bach from?

26.06.2020

From the 19th century to the present day, interest in the works of Johann Sebastian Bach has not subsided. The creativity of an unsurpassed genius amazes with its scale. known all over the world. His name is known not only to professionals and music lovers, but also to listeners who do not show much interest in “serious” art. On the one hand, Bach's work is a certain result. The composer relied on the experience of his predecessors. He knew very well the choral polyphony of the Renaissance, German organ music, features of the Italian violin style. He carefully studied new material, developed and generalized his accumulated experience. On the other hand, Bach was an unrivaled innovator who was able to open up new perspectives for the development of the world musical culture. The work of Johann Bach had a strong influence on his followers: Brahms, Beethoven, Wagner, Glinka, Taneyev, Honegger, Shostakovich and many other great composers.

Bach's creative heritage

He created over 1000 works. The genres he addressed were very diverse. Moreover, there are works whose scale was exceptional for that time. Bach's work can be divided into four main genre groups:

Organ music.
Vocal-instrumental.
Music for various instruments (violin, flute, clavier and others).
Music for instrumental ensembles.

The works of each of the above groups belong to a specific period. The most outstanding organ compositions were composed in Weimar. The Keten period marks the appearance huge amount keyboard and orchestral works. Most of the vocal and instrumental songs were written in Leipzig.

Johann Sebastian Bach. Biography and creativity

The future composer was born in 1685 in the small town of Eisenach, in musical family. For the whole family it was a traditional profession. Johann's first music teacher was his father. The boy had an excellent voice and sang in the choir. At the age of 9 he became an orphan. After the death of his parents, he was raised by Johann Christoph (elder brother). At the age of 15, the boy graduated from the Ohrdruf Lyceum with honors and moved to Lüneburg, where he began singing in the choir of the “chosen ones”. By the age of 17, he had learned to play the different harpsichords, organ, violin. Since 1703 he has lived in different cities: Arnstadt, Weimar, Mühlhausen. Bach's life and work during this period were full of certain difficulties. He constantly changes his place of residence, which is due to his reluctance to feel dependent on certain employers. He served as a musician (as an organist or violinist). Working conditions also constantly dissatisfied him. At this time, his first compositions for clavier and organ, as well as spiritual cantatas, appeared.

Weimar period

In 1708, Bach began serving as court organist for the Duke of Weimar. At the same time, he works in the chapel as a chamber musician. Bach's life and work during this period were very fruitful. These are the years of first composer maturity. The best organ works appeared. This:

Prelude and Fugue in C minor, A minor.
Toccata C major.
Passacaglia c-moll.
Toccata and fugue in d minor.
"Organ book".

At the same time, Johann Sebastian is working on works in the cantata genre, on transcriptions of Italian violin concertos for the clavier. For the first time he turns to the genre of solo violin suite and sonata.

Keten period

Since 1717, the musician settled in Köthen. Here he holds a high-ranking position as director of chamber music. He is, in fact, the manager of the entire musical life at court. But he is not happy with the town being too small. Bach is keen to move to a larger, more promising city to give his children the opportunity to go to university and earn a good education. There was no high-quality organ in Köthen, and there was also no choir. Therefore, Bach’s keyboard creativity develops here. The composer also pays a lot of attention to ensemble music. Works written in Köthen:

Volume 1 "HTK".
English Suites.
Sonatas for solo violin.
"Brandenburg Concertos" (six pieces).

Leipzig period and last years of life

Since 1723, the maestro has lived in Leipzig, where he leads the choir (holds the position of cantor) at the school at the Church of St. Thomas in Thomaschul. Takes an active part in a public circle of music lovers. The city's "collegium" constantly organized secular music concerts. What masterpieces were added to Bach’s work at that time? It is worth briefly indicating the main works of the Leipzig period, which can rightfully be considered the best. This:

"St. John's Passion".
Mass h-minor.
"Matthew Passion"
About 300 cantatas.
"Christmas Oratorio".

IN last years Throughout his life, the composer focuses on musical compositions. Writes:

Volume 2 "HTK".
Italian concert.
Partitas.
"The Art of Fugue".
Aria with various variations.
Organ Mass.
"Musical Offering"

After an unsuccessful operation, Bach went blind, but did not stop composing music until his death.

Style characteristics

Bach's creative style was formed on the basis of various musical schools and genres. Johann Sebastian organically wove the best harmonies into his works. In order to understand the musical language of the Italians, he rewrote their works. His creations were rich in the texts, rhythms and forms of French and Italian music, North German contrapuntal style, as well as Lutheran liturgy. Synthesis variety of styles and genres were harmoniously combined with the deep poignancy of human experiences. His musical thought stood out for its special uniqueness, universality and a certain cosmic quality. Bach's work belongs to a style that is firmly established in the art of music. This is the classicism of the high baroque era. Bach's musical style is characterized by mastery of an extraordinary melodic structure, where the music is dominated by main idea. Thanks to the mastery of counterpoint techniques, several melodies can interact simultaneously. was a true master of polyphony. He had a penchant for improvisation and brilliant virtuosity.

Main genres

Bach's work includes various traditional genres. This:

Cantatas and oratorios.
Passions and Masses.
Preludes and Fugues.
Chorale arrangements.
Dance suites and concerts.

Undoubtedly, listed genres he borrowed from his predecessors. However, he gave them the broadest scope. The maestro skillfully updated them with new musical and expressive means and enriched them with features of other genres. The clearest example is "Chromatic Fantasia in D Minor". The work was created for the clavier, but contains dramatic recitation of theatrical origins and the expressive properties of large organ improvisations. It is easy to notice that Bach’s work “bypassed” opera, which, by the way, was one of the leading genres of its time. However, it is worth noting that many of the composer’s secular cantatas are difficult to distinguish from comedic interludes (at this time in Italy they were degenerating into opera buffa). Some of Bach's cantatas, created in the spirit of witty genre scenes, anticipated the German Singspiel.

The ideological content and range of images of Johann Sebastian Bach

The composer's work is rich in its figurative content. From the pen of a true master come both extremely simple and extremely majestic creations. Bach's art contains simple-minded humor, deep sorrow, philosophical reflection, and acute drama. The genius Johann Sebastian reflected such significant parties of his era, as religious and philosophical problems. With the help of the amazing world of sounds, he reflects on the eternal and very important issues human life:

About the moral duty of man.
About his role in this world and purpose.
About life and death.

These reflections are directly related to religious topics. And this is not surprising. The composer served the church almost all his life, so he wrote most of the music for it. At the same time, he was a believer and knew the Holy Scriptures. His reference book there was a Bible written in two languages (Latin and German). He kept fasts, went to confession, and observed church holidays. A few days before his death he took communion. The composer's main character is Jesus Christ. In that ideal image Bach saw the embodiment best qualities inherent in man: purity of thoughts, fortitude, fidelity to the chosen path. The sacrificial feat of Jesus Christ for the salvation of humanity was the most sacred for Bach. This theme was the most important in the composer’s work.

Symbolism of Bach's works

In the Baroque era, musical symbolism appeared. It is through her that the complex and amazing world composer. Bach's music was perceived by his contemporaries as transparent and understandable speech. This happened due to the presence in it of stable melodic turns expressing certain emotions and ideas. Such sound formulas are called musical-rhetorical figures. Some conveyed affect, others imitated the intonations of human speech, and others were of a figurative nature. Here are some of them:

anabasis - ascent;
circulatio - rotation;
catabasis - descent;
exclamatio - exclamation, ascending sixth;
fuga - running;
passus duriusculus - a chromatic move used to express suffering or sorrow;
suspiratio - sigh;
tirata - arrow.

Gradually, musical and rhetorical figures become a kind of “signs” of certain concepts and feelings. For example, the descending figure catabasis was often used to convey sadness, melancholy, mourning, death, and the position in the coffin. A gradual upward movement (anabasis) was used to express ascension, high spirits and other moments. Symbolic motifs are observed in all the composer’s works. Bach's work was dominated by Protestant chorale, to which the maestro turned throughout his life. He also has symbolic meaning. Work with the chorale was carried out in a wide variety of ways. different genres- cantatas, passions, preludes. Therefore, it is quite logical that the Protestant chorale is an integral part of Bach’s musical language. Among the important symbols found in the music of this artist, we should note stable combinations of sounds that have constant meanings. The symbol of the cross predominated in Bach's work. It consists of four multi-directional notes. It is noteworthy that if you decipher the composer’s surname (BACH) with notes, the same graphic pattern is formed. B - B flat, A - A, C - C, H - B. Researchers such as F. Busoni, A. Schweitzer, M. Yudina, B. Yavorsky and others made a great contribution to the development of Bach’s musical symbols.

"Second birth"

During his lifetime, the work of Sebastian Bach was not appreciated. Contemporaries knew him more as an organist than a composer. Not a single serious book has been written about him. Of the huge number of his works, only a few were published. After his death, the composer's name was soon forgotten, and the surviving manuscripts gathered dust in the archives. Perhaps we would never have known anything about this brilliant man. But, fortunately, this did not happen. True interest in Bach arose in the 19th century. One day F. Mendelssohn discovered the notes of the St. Matthew Passion in the library, which interested him very much. Under his direction, this work was successfully performed in Leipzig. Many listeners were delighted with the music of the still little-known author. We can say that this was the second birth of Johann Sebastian Bach. In 1850 (on the 100th anniversary of the composer's death), the Bach Society was created in Leipzig. The purpose of this organization was to publish all found manuscripts of Bach in the form full meeting essays. As a result, 46 volumes were collected.

Bach's organ works. Summary

The composer created excellent works for the organ. This instrument is a real force of nature for Bach. Here he was able to liberate his thoughts, feelings and emotions and convey all this to the listener. Hence the enlargement of lines, concertity, virtuosity, and dramatic images. The compositions created for the organ resemble frescoes in painting. Everything in them is presented predominantly close-up. In preludes, toccatas and fantasies, the pathos of musical images in free, improvisational forms is observed. Fugues are characterized by special virtuosity and unusually powerful development. Bach's organ work conveys the high poetry of his lyrics and the grandiose scope of his magnificent improvisations.

Unlike clavier works, organ fugues are much larger in volume and content. The movement of the musical image and its development proceed with increasing activity. The unfolding of the material is presented in the form of layering of large layers of music, but there is no particular discreteness or breaks. On the contrary, continuity (continuity of movement) prevails. Each phrase follows from the previous one with increasing tension. Also built climaxes. The emotional upsurge eventually intensifies to highest point. Bach is the first composer to demonstrate the patterns of symphonic development in large forms of instrumental polyphonic music. Bach's organ work seems to split into two poles. The first is preludes, toccatas, fugues, fantasies (large musical cycles). The second is one-part. They are written mainly in chamber style. They reveal mainly lyrical images: intimately mournful and sublimely contemplative. Best works for organ by Johann Sebastian Bach - and fugue in D minor, prelude and fugue in A minor and many other works.

Works for clavier

When writing compositions, Bach relied on the experience of his predecessors. However, here too he proved himself to be an innovator. Bach's keyboard creativity is characterized by scale, exceptional versatility, search expressive means. He was the first composer to appreciate the versatility of this instrument. When composing his works, he was not afraid to experiment and implement the most daring ideas and projects. When writing, I was guided by the entire world musical culture. Thanks to him, the clavier expanded significantly. He enriches the instrument with new virtuoso techniques and changes the essence of musical images.

Among his works for organ, the following stand out:

Two-voice and three-voice inventions.
"English" and "French" suites.
"Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue".
"The Well-Tempered Clavier."

Thus, Bach's work is striking in its scope. The composer is widely known throughout the world. His works make you think and reflect. Listening to his compositions, you involuntarily become immersed in them, thinking about the deep meaning underlying them. The genres that the maestro addressed throughout his life were very diverse. This is organ music, vocal-instrumental music, music for various instruments (violin, flute, clavier and others) and for instrumental ensembles.

Outstanding German composer, organist and harpsichordist Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 21, 1685 in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany. He belonged to an extensive German family, most of whose members had been professional musicians in Germany for three centuries. Initial musical education(playing the violin and harpsichord) Johann Sebastian received under the guidance of his father, a court musician.

In 1695, after the death of his father (his mother had died earlier), the boy was taken into the family of his older brother Johann Christoph, who served as a church organist at St. Michaelis Church in Ohrdruf.

In the years 1700-1703, Johann Sebastian studied at the church choir school in Lüneburg. During his studies, he visited Hamburg, Celle and Lubeck to get acquainted with creativity famous musicians of its time, new French music. During these same years he wrote his first works for organ and clavier.

In 1703, Bach worked in Weimar as a court violinist, in 1703-1707 as a church organist in Arnstadt, then from 1707 to 1708 in the Mühlhasen church. His creative interests were then focused mainly on music for organ and clavier.

In 1708-1717, Johann Sebastian Bach served as court musician for the Duke of Weimar in Weimar. During this period, he created numerous chorale preludes, an organ toccata and fugue in D minor, and a passacaglia in C minor. The composer wrote music for the clavier and more than 20 spiritual cantatas.

In 1717-1723, Bach served with Duke Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen in Köthen. Three sonatas and three partitas for solo violin, six suites for solo cello, English and French suites for clavier, and six Brandenburg concertos for orchestra were written here. Of particular interest is the collection “The Well-Tempered Clavier” - 24 preludes and fugues, written in all keys and in practice proving the advantages of the tempered musical system, the approval of which was hotly debated. Subsequently, Bach created the second volume of The Well-Tempered Clavier, also consisting of 24 preludes and fugues in all keys.

The “Note Book of Anna Magdalena Bach” was begun in Köthen, which includes, along with plays by various authors, five of the six “French Suites”. During these same years, “Little Preludes and Fugettas. English Suites, Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue” and other keyboard works were created. During this period, the composer wrote a number of secular cantatas, most of which were not preserved and received a second life with a new, spiritual text.

In 1723, his “St. John Passion” (a vocal-dramatic work based on the Gospel texts) was performed in the Church of St. Thomas in Leipzig.

In the same year, Bach received the position of cantor (regent and teacher) at the Church of St. Thomas in Leipzig and the school at this church.

In 1736, Bach received the title of Royal Polish and Saxon Electoral Court Composer from the Dresden court.

During this period, the composer reached the heights of his mastery, creating magnificent examples in different genres - sacred music: cantatas (about 200 have survived), Magnificat (1723), masses, including the immortal "High Mass" in B minor (1733), "Matthew Passion" (1729); dozens of secular cantatas (among them the comic "Coffee" and "Peasant"); works for organ, orchestra, harpsichord, among the latter - "Aria with 30 variations" ("Goldberg Variations", 1742). In 1747, Bach wrote a cycle of plays, “Musical Offerings,” dedicated to the Prussian king Frederick II. Last job The composer's work was "The Art of Fugue" (1749-1750) - 14 fugues and four canons on one theme.

Johann Sebastian Bach is a major figure in world musical culture; his work represents one of the peaks philosophical thought in music. Freely crossing features not only of different genres, but also of national schools, Bach created immortal masterpieces that stand above time.

At the end of the 1740s, Bach's health deteriorated, and he was particularly concerned about the sudden loss of his vision. Two unsuccessful cataract surgeries resulted in complete blindness.

He spent the last months of his life in a darkened room, where he composed the last chorale “I stand before Thy throne,” dictating it to his son-in-law, organist Altnikol.

On July 28, 1750, Johann Sebastian Bach died in Leipzig. He was buried in the cemetery near St. John's Church. Due to the lack of a monument, his grave was soon lost. In 1894, the remains were found and reburied in a stone sarcophagus in the Church of St. John. After the church was destroyed by bombing during World War II, his ashes were preserved and reburied in 1949 in the chancel of St. Thomas Church.

During his lifetime, Johann Sebastian Bach was famous, but after the composer's death his name and music were forgotten. Interest in Bach's work arose only in the late 1820s; in 1829, the composer Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy organized a performance of the St. Matthew Passion in Berlin. In 1850, the Bach Society was created, which sought to identify and publish all the composer's manuscripts - 46 volumes were published over half a century.

Through the mediation of Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, the first monument to Bach was erected in Leipzig in 1842 in front of the old school building at the Church of St. Thomas.

In 1907, the Bach Museum was opened in Eisenach, where the composer was born, and in 1985 in Leipzig, where he died.

Johann Sebastian Bach was married twice. In 1707 he married his cousin Maria Barbara Bach. After her death in 1720, in 1721 the composer married Anna Magdalena Wilken. Bach had 20 children, but only nine of them survived their father. Four sons became composers - Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710-1784), Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach (1714-1788), Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782), Johann Christoph Bach (1732-1795).

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Born (21) March 31, 1685 in the city of Eisenach. Little Bach initially had a passion for music, because his ancestors were professional musicians.

Music training

At the age of ten, after the death of his parents, Johann Bach was taken into care by his brother Johann Christoph. He taught the future composer to play the clavier and organ.

At the age of 15, Bach entered the St. Michael vocal school in the city of Lüneburg. There he gets acquainted with creativity modern musicians, is developing comprehensively. During 1700-1703 begins musical biography Johann Sebastian Bach. He wrote the first organ music.

On duty

After completing his studies, Johann Sebastian was sent to Duke Ernst to serve as a musician at court. Dissatisfaction with his dependent position forces him to change jobs. In 1704, Bach received the position of organist of the New Church in Arndstadt. Summary The article does not allow us to dwell in detail on the work of the great composer, but it was at this time that he created many talented works. Collaboration with the poet Christian Friedrich Henrici and the court musician Telemachus enriched the music with new motifs. In 1707, Bach moved to Mülhusen and continued to work as a church musician and engage in creative work. The authorities are satisfied with his work, the composer receives a reward.

Personal life

In 1707, Bach married his cousin Maria Barbara. He decided to change jobs again, this time becoming court organist in Weimar. In this city, six children are born into the musician’s family. Three died in infancy, and three became famous musicians in the future.

In 1720, Bach's wife died, but a year later the composer married again, now to famous singer Anna Magdalene Wilhelm. A happy family had 13 children.

Continuation of the creative path

In 1717, Bach entered the service of the Duke of Anhalt-Köthen, who highly valued his talent. During the period from 1717 to 1723, Bach's magnificent suites (for orchestra, cello, clavier) appeared.

Bach's Brandenburg concertos, English and French suites were written in Köthen.

In 1723, the musician received the position of cantor and teacher of music and Latin in the Church of St. Thomas, then became music director in Leipzig. Johann Sebastian Bach's wide repertoire included both secular and wind music. During his life, Johann Sebastian Bach managed to be the head of a music college. Several cycles of the composer Bach used all kinds of instruments ("Musical Offering", "The Art of Fugue")

last years of life

In the last years of his life, Bach was rapidly losing his sight. His music was then considered unfashionable and outdated. Despite this, the composer continued to work. In 1747, he created a cycle of plays called “Music of the Offering”, dedicated to the Prussian king Frederick the Second. The last work was the collection of works “The Art of Fugue”, which included 14 fugues and 4 canons.

Johann Sebastian Bach died on July 28, 1750 in Leipzig, but his musical legacy remains immortal.

A short biography of Bach does not give a complete picture of the complex life path composer, about his personality. You can learn more about his life and work by reading the books of Johann Forkel, Robert Franz, and Albert Schweitzer.

Johann Sebastian Bach, whose biography is still being carefully studied, is included, according to the New York Times, in the top 10 most interesting biographies of composers.

Along with his name are such surnames as Beethoven, Wagner, Schubert, Debussy and others.

Let us also get to know this great musician to understand why his work has become one of the pillars of classical music.

J. S. Bach - German composer and virtuoso

The name Bach is one of the first that comes to mind when listing great composers. Indeed, he was outstanding, as evidenced by more than 1,000 pieces of music that remained after his life.

But we shouldn’t forget about the second Bach – the musician. After all, both of them were true masters of their craft.

In both forms, Bach honed his skills throughout his life. The training did not end with the end of vocal school. It continued throughout my life.

Proof of professionalism, in addition to the surviving musical works, is the impressive career of the musician: from organist in the first position to director of music.

It is all the more surprising to realize that many contemporaries negatively perceived musical compositions composer. At the same time, the names of musicians popular in those years have practically not survived to this day. Only later did Mozart and Beethoven speak enthusiastically about the composer’s work. From the beginning of the 19th century, the work of the virtuoso musician began to revive thanks to the propaganda of Liszt, Mendelssohn and Schumann.

Now no one doubts the skill and enormous talent of Johann Sebastian. Bach's music is an example classical school. Books are written and films are made about the composer. The details of life are still a subject for research and study.

Brief biography of Bach

The first mention of the Bach family appeared in the 16th century. There were many among them famous musicians. Therefore, little Johann’s choice of profession was expected. By the 18th century, when the composer lived and worked, they knew about 5 generations of the musical family.

Father and mother

Father - Johann Ambrosius Bach was born in 1645 in Erfurt. He had a twin brother, Johann Christoph. Along with most of the representatives of his family, Johann Ambrosius worked as a court musician and music teacher.

Mother - Maria Elisabeth Lemmerhirt was born in 1644. She was also from Erfurt. Maria was the daughter of a city councilor, a respected man in the city. The dowry he left for his daughter was substantial, thanks to which she could live comfortably in marriage.

The parents of the future musician got married in 1668. The couple had eight children.

Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 31, 1685, becoming youngest child in family. They then lived in the picturesque city of Eisenach with a population of about 6,000 people. Johann's mother and father are Germans, so his son is also German by nationality.

When little Johann was 9 years old, Maria Elisabeth died. A year later, a few months after the second marriage, the father dies.

Childhood

The orphaned 10-year-old boy was taken in by his older brother, Johann Christoph. He worked as a music teacher and church organist.

Johann Christoph taught little Johann to play the clavier and organ. It is the latter that is considered the composer’s favorite instrument.

Little is known about this period of life. The boy studied at a city school, which he graduated at the age of 15, although its graduates were usually young people 2-3 years older. This means we can conclude that school was easy for the boy.

Another fact from the biography is often mentioned. At night, the boy often copied notes of works by other musicians. One day, the elder brother discovered this and strictly forbade him to do this in the future.

Music training

After graduating from school at the age of 15, the future composer entered the vocal school named after St. Michael, which was located in the city of Luneburg.

During these years, the biography of Bach, the composer, begins. During his studies from 1700 to 1703, he wrote the first organ music and gained knowledge about modern composers.

During the same period, he traveled for the first time to the cities of Germany. He will continue to have this passion for travel in the future. Moreover, all of them were done for the sake of getting acquainted with the work of other composers.

After graduating from vocal school, the young man could have entered the university, but the need to earn a living forced him to abandon this opportunity.

Service

After completing his studies, J. S. Bach received the position of musician at the court of Duke Ernst. He was only a performer, playing the violin. Their musical compositions I haven't started writing yet.

However, dissatisfied with the job, after a few months he decides to change it and becomes the organist of the Church of St. Boniface in Arndstadt. During these years, the composer created many works, mainly for organ. That is, for the first time in the service I had the opportunity to be not only a performer, but also a composer.

Bach received a high salary, but after 3 years he decided to move due to tense relations with the authorities. Problems arose due to the fact that the musician was absent for a long time due to a trip to Lubeck. According to available information, he was released to this German city for 1 month, and he returned only after 4. In addition, the community expressed complaints about his ability to lead the choir. All this together prompted the musician to change jobs.

In 1707, the musician moved to Mülhusen, where he continued to work. In the Church of St. Blaise he had a higher salary. Relations with the authorities were going well. The city authorities were satisfied with the activities of the new employee.

However, a year later Bach moved again to Weimar. In this city he received a more prestigious position as a concert organizer. The 9 years spent in Weimar became a fruitful period for the virtuoso; here he wrote dozens of works. For example, he composed “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” for organ.

Personal life

Before moving to Weimar, in 1707, Bach married his cousin Maria Barbara. In 13 years life together They had seven children, of whom three died in infancy.

After 13 years of marriage, his wife died, and the composer married again 17 months later. This time Anna Magdalena Wilke became his wife.

She was talented singer and subsequently sang in the choir, which was led by her husband. They had 13 children.

Two sons from his first marriage - Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emmanuel - became famous composers, continuing the musical dynasty.

Creative path

Since 1717 he has worked for the Duke of Anhalt-Köthen as a bandmaster. Over the next 6 years, numerous suites were written. The Bradenburg Concertos also belong to this period. If we evaluate the direction as a whole creative activity composer, it is worth noting that during this period he wrote mainly secular works.

In 1723, Bach became a cantor (that is, organist and choir conductor), as well as a teacher of music and Latin at the Church of St. Thomas. For this reason he moves to Leipzig again. In the same year, the work “St. John’s Passion” was performed for the first time, thanks to which he received a high position.

The composer wrote both secular and sacred music. He performed classical sacred works in a new way. The Coffee Cantata, the Mass in B minor and many other works were composed.

If we briefly characterize the work of the musical virtuoso, it is impossible to do without mentioning Bach’s polyphony. This concept in music was known before him, but it was during the composer’s life that people began to talk about free-style polyphony.

In general, polyphony means polyphony. In music, two equal voices sound simultaneously, and not just melody and accompaniment. The musician’s skill is evidenced by the fact that his works are still used by student musicians to study.

Last years of life and death

During the last 5 years of his life, the virtuoso rapidly lost his sight. To continue composing, he had to dictate music.

There were problems with public opinion. Contemporaries did not appreciate Bach's music and considered it outdated. This was due to the flourishing of classicism that began during that period.

In 1747, three years before his death, the cycle “Music of the Offering” was created. It was written after the composer visited the court of Frederick II, King of Prussia. This music was intended for him.

The last work of the outstanding musician, “The Art of Fugue,” consisted of 14 fugues and 4 canons. But he didn’t have time to finish it. His sons did this for him after his death.

Some interesting moments from the life and work of the composer, musician and virtuoso:

After studying the family history, 56 musicians were found among the virtuoso’s relatives.
The musician’s surname is translated from German as “stream”.
Having heard a piece once, the composer could repeat it without error, which he did repeatedly.
Throughout his life, the musician moved eight times.
Thanks to Bach, women were allowed to sing in church choirs. His second wife became the first chorus member.
He wrote more than 1000 works throughout his life, so he is rightfully considered the most “prolific” author.
In the last years of his life, the composer was almost blind, and eye surgeries did not help.
The composer's grave remained without a tombstone for a long time.
Until now, not all biographical facts are known, some of them are not confirmed by documents. Therefore, the study of his life continues.
In the musician’s homeland, two museums dedicated to him were opened. In 1907, a museum was opened in Eisenach, and in 1985 in Leipzig. By the way, the first museum houses lifetime portrait musicians, made in pastel, about which long years nothing was known.

Bach's most famous musical works

All works by him were combined into a single list - the BWV catalogue. Each essay is assigned a number from 1 to 1127.

The catalog is convenient in that all works are divided by type of work, and not by year of writing.

To count how many suites Bach wrote, just look at their numbering in the catalogue. For example, the French suites are assigned numbers from 812 to 817. This means that a total of 6 suites were written within this cycle. In total, you can count 21 suites and 15 parts of suites.

The most recognizable work is the Scherzo in B minor from the Suite for Flute and string orchestra No. 2", called "Joke". This melody was often used for ringing on mobile devices, but despite this, unfortunately, not everyone will be able to name its author.

Indeed, the names of many of Bach’s works are not well-known, but their melodies will seem familiar to many. For example, “Brandenburg Concertos”, “Goldberg Variations”, “Toccata and Fugue in D minor”.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) – great German composer, bandmaster, virtuoso organist. More than two centuries have passed since his death, and interest in his written works does not fade. According to the New York Times, a ranking of world composers who created masterpieces that stand above time was compiled, and Bach ranks first on this list. His music, as the best that humanity could create, was recorded on the Voyager Golden Record, attached to a spacecraft and launched from Earth into Space in 1977.

Childhood

Johann Sebastian was born on March 31, 1685 in the German town of Eisenach. IN large family He was Bakhov's youngest, eighth child (four of them died in infancy). Since the beginning of the 16th century, their family was famous for its musicality; many of its relatives and ancestors were professionals in music (researchers counted about fifty of them). The composer's great-great-grandfather, Faith Bach, was a baker and an excellent player of the zither (a plucked instrument) musical instrument in the form of a box).

The boy's father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, played the violin in the Eisenach church and worked as a court accompanist (in this position he organized social concerts). The elder brother, Johann Christoph Bach, served as an organist in the church. From their family came so many trumpeters, organists, violinists and flutists that the surname “Bach” became a common noun; it was the name given to anyone more or less standing musician first in Eisenach, and then throughout Germany.

With such family, it is natural that little Johann Sebastian began to learn music before he learned to speak. He received his first violin lessons from his father and greatly pleased his father with his greed for musical knowledge, diligence and abilities. The boy had an excellent voice (soprano) and, while still very young, was a soloist in the choir of a city school. No one doubted his future profession; Sebastian was bound to become a musician.

When he was nine years old, his mother Elisabeth Lemmerhirt died. A year later, the father also died, but the child was not left alone; his older brother Johann Christoph took him in with him. He was a sedate and respected musician and teacher in the city of Ohrdruf. Together with his students, Johann Christoph taught his younger brother to play church music on the harpsichord.

However, to young Sebastian these activities seemed monotonous, boring and painful. He began to educate himself, especially when he found out that his older brother had a notebook with works in a closed closet. famous composers. At night, young Bach would go into the closet, take out a notebook, and copy out the notes in the moonlight.

From such tiring night work, the young man’s eyesight began to deteriorate. What a shame it was when the older brother discovered Sebastian doing this and took away all the notes.

Education

In Ohrdruf, young Bach graduated from high school, where he studied theology, geography, history, physics, and Latin. School teacher advised him to continue his studies at the famous vocal school at St. Michael's Church in the city of Luneburg.

When Sebastian was fifteen years old, he decided that he was already completely independent, and went to Luneburg, walking almost 300 kilometers from Central Germany to the north. Here he went to school and within three years(from 1700 to 1703) was on full board and even received a small stipend. During his studies, he visited Hamburg, Celle, and Lübeck, where he became acquainted with the work of contemporary musicians. At the same time, he tried to create his own works for the clavier and organ.

After graduating from vocal school, Sebastian had the right to enter the university, but did not use it because he needed to earn a living.

Creative path

Bach went to Thuringia, where he got a job in the private chapel of Duke Johann Ernst of Saxony as a court musician. For six months he played the violin for gentlemen and gained his first popularity as a performer. But to a young musician I wanted to develop, to discover new creative horizons for myself, and not to please the ears of the rich. He went to Arnstadt, 200 kilometers from Weimar, where he began working as a court organist in the Church of St. Boniface. Bach worked only three days a week and still received a fairly high salary.

The church organ was tuned to new system, y young composer a lot of new opportunities appeared, which he took advantage of and wrote about thirty capriccios, suites, cantatas and others organ works. However, three years later, Johann had to leave the city of Arnstadt, as he had tense relations with the authorities. The church authorities did not like his innovative approach to the performance of cult spiritual works. At the same time, the fame of the talented organist spread throughout Germany faster than the wind, and Bach was offered lucrative positions in many German cities.

In 1707, the composer came to Mühlhausen, where he entered service at the Church of St. Blaise. Here he began working part-time as an organ repairman and wrote the festive cantata “The Lord is My King.”

In 1708, he and his family moved to Weimar, where he stayed for a long time as a court composer and organist. It is believed that it was here and during this period that his creative path as a composer of music.

In 1717, Bach left Weimar to become a court conductor in Köthen with Prince Leopold of Anhalt, who appreciated the composer's talent. The prince paid Bach well and gave him complete freedom of action, but he professed Calvinism in religion, which excluded the use of sophisticated music in worship. Therefore, in Köthen, Bach was mainly engaged in writing secular works:

suites for orchestra;
six Brandenburg concertos;
French and English suites for clavier;
Volume 1 of The Well-Tempered Clavier;
suites for solo cello;
two-voice and three-voice inventions;
sonatas;
three partitas for solo violin.

In 1723, Sebastian moved to Leipzig, where he took a job at the Church of St. Thomas as a choir cantor. Soon he was offered the position of “musical director” of all Leipzig churches. This period of his creative activity was marked by the writing of the following works:

"Matthew Passion";
"Christmas Oratorio";
"St. John's Passion";
Mass in B minor;
"High Mass";
"Majestic Oratorio".

Throughout his life, the composer wrote more than a thousand works.

Family

In the autumn of 1707, Johann married his second cousin Maria Barbara. Only seven children were born into the family, but three of them died in infancy.

Two of those who survived later became quite famous in musical world people:

Wilhelm Friedemann, like his father, was an organist and composer, improviser and master of counterpoint.
Carl Philipp Emmanuel also became a musician, composer, known as the Berlin or Hamburg Bach.

In June 1720, Maria Barbara died suddenly, and Bach was left a widower with four young children.

When the pain of the loss subsided a little, Sebastian again thought about a full-fledged family. He didn’t want to bring a stepmother into the house for his children, but it was already unbearable for him alone. It was during this period that the singer Anna Magdalena Wilke, his daughter, gave concerts in Köthen old friend, court musician in Weissenfeld. Young Anna visited Bach several times and played sweetly with his children. Sebastian hesitated for a long time, but finally proposed to her. Despite the sixteen-year age difference, the girl agreed to become the composer’s wife.

In 1721, Bach and Anna Magdalena got married. His young wife belonged to a musical dynasty and had an amazing voice and hearing. This marriage became happier for the composer than the first. Kind and flexible Anna accepted the children as her own, and was also an excellent housewife. Their house was now always clean and cozy, tasty, noisy and fun. For his beloved, Johann Sebastian created “The Music Book of Anna Magdalena Bach.”

In the evenings, candles were lit in the house, people gathered in the living room, Bach played the violin, and Anna sang. At such moments, crowds of listeners gathered under their windows, who were then allowed into the house to have dinner with the owners. The Bach family was very generous and hospitable.

Thirteen children were born to this marriage, only six of them survived.

Unfortunately, after Johann's death, disagreements began between his children. Everyone left, only two younger daughters remained with Anna Magdalena - Regina Susanna and Johanna Caroline. None of the children provided financial assistance, and the great composer’s wife spent the rest of her life in complete poverty. After her death, she was even buried in an unmarked grave for the poor. Bach's youngest daughter Regina eked out a terrible existence; at the end of her life she was helped by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Last years of life and death

Johann Sebastian lived to be 65 years old. In recent years, his eyesight has deteriorated greatly, which was damaged in his youth. The composer decided to undergo an operation, which was performed on him by British ophthalmologist John Taylor. The doctor's reputation could not be called good, but Sebastian clung to his last hope. However surgery It turned out to be unsuccessful, and Bach became completely blind. However, he did not stop composing; now he dictated his works to his wife or son-in-law.

Ten days before his death, a miracle happened, and Bach’s sight returned, as if to last time I was able to see the faces of my beloved wife and children, the light of the sun.

On July 28, 1750, the great musician’s heart stopped. He was buried in Leipzig in a church cemetery.