Johann Sebastien Bach

1. Johann Sebastien Bach • 1685-1750

2. J.S. Bach • Born in Eisenach March 21st, 1685, in what is modern day Germany • Died in Leipzig, in modern day Germany • Composed in many different cities throught his life.

3. J.S. Bach • Bach wrote and composed his music in the tail end of the Baroque music era. • Baroque music extends roughly from 1600 to 1750. • The Baroque period creates tonality in musical form. • Baroque music explored musical ornamentation. • It also expanded the size, range, and complexity of instrumental performance. • Opera, Cantata, Oratorio, concerto, and Sonata were musical genres created in the baroque era.

4. J.S. Bach • Bach created much of his music on the Organ and the Harpsichord. • The Harpsichord is the predecessor to the modern piano. • The strings on the piano are plucked rather than struck, as on the modern piano, which allows for only one dynamic level.

5. J.S. BachEarly Family Life • Johann was one of 8 children • Only 5 of those children survived Childhood • Johann lost his mother in 1694, and his father in 1695. • As an orphan, he was placed in the charge of his older brother Johann Christoph, who was the church organist at Ohrdurf.

6. J.S. BACHThe Early Years • St. Michael’s Church • This is the place where Johann learned keyboard and choral singing technique from his older brother. Johann left St. Michael’s in the year 1700. • This church was destroyed by Allied bombings in the Second World War.

7. Luneberg 1700-1702 • Johann attended Latin School at Luneberg • Johann was able to pay for his tuition by singing in the church choir at St. Michael’s Church. • During this time Johann emerged as a virtuoso Organist St. Michael’s

8. Arnstadt 1703-1707 • Here Johann obtained the church organist position and greatly excelled in his reputation as a professional organist. • Bach’s Virtuosic organ technique would often confuse the church congregation as they were not prepared for such complex music. • Not many of Bach’s compositions survive from this period.

9. Arnstadt (Cont’d) • The Chorale Prelude: wie schon leuchtet der morgenstern BWV 739, is Bach’s earliest surviving manuscript from this period

10. Mulhausen 1707-1708 • After the death of their organist, Johann Ahle, the city of Mulhausen sought to rebuild their culture of music. • After hearing a guest concert given by Johann in the easter of 1707 they procured his services as church organist. • Johann focused on composing his great sacred vocal music during this period.

11. Mulhausen (Cont’d) • Program from Bach’s Easter Concert in Mulhausen.

12. Mulhausen (Cont’d) • It was during this time Bach married his beloved cousin Maria Barbara Bach. (Inbreeding was not identified as a concern back in those days.) • Gott ist Mein Konig (Chorale) was composed during this time. It was so popular with music lovers, that it was even printed. This was the only one of Bach’s pieces that was printed during his lifetime. He considered it a great triumph. Bach was only 22 years old. • Composers such as Handel did not have their music printed either. This was very rare!

13. Mulhausen (Cont’d) • After a great fire destroyed 1/4th of the church in Mulhausen, financing for church music took a back seat. • Johann wanted to be in a position where music was placed in a position of prominence and importance in the church. • Being as though Johann’s reputation for being a virtuosic keyboardist and composer was quite renouned, he sought a position elsewhere.

14. Weimar 1708-1717 • Bach to a job in the court of Weimar, under the sponsorship of Lutheran Duke (1662-1728). Bach’s salary in this position nearly doubled. • He hired Bach as an organist, member of the orchestra (Bach played the Violin), and encouraged him to exploit his talents on the organ.

15. Weimar (Cont’d) • Duke Wilhelm Ernst

16. Weimar (Cont’d) • During this time Bach wrote the great majority of his famous organ compositions, including his preludes and fugues. • He flirted with the idea of taking a position in the city of Halle, in which he would replace the long held position by the teacher of George Frederick Handel. • Upon hearing this news Duke Ernst doubled Johann’s Salary. • During this time Bach was required to compose one cantata per month. • He also took on many keyboard students during this time

17. Weimar (Cont’d) • Because Bach was close to both Dukes in the Weimar region, Wilhelm Ernst and Ernst August (Wilhelm’s half brother), Wilhelm refused to let Johann compose any music for his half-brother’s rival court. • Bach refused to abide by this rule, and as a result was passed over for the concert master position in his court. The selection for court concert master was a terrible musician and was inexperienced.

18. Weimar (Cont’d) • Bach was not allowed out of his contract by Duke Wilhelm to go to his rival half brother’s court. • Bach left anyhow and was imprisoned for a week, before being dismissed from his contractual obligations without honor. • Luckily, Bach was offered a position from Leopold von Anhalt-Kothen, after he heard Bach’s music at his sisters wedding to Duke Ernst August

19. Kothen 1717-1723 • Leopold von Anhalt-Kothen was 23 years old when he hired Johann into his Calvinistic court. He took over the princedom from his mother Gisela Agnes. Leopold was a great lover of music and spent one quarter of the government revenue on the court band. • Leopold spent much of his time acquiring the great musicians of the day to come and work at his court. • This support and freedom let Bach’s creativity flow as he composed much of his chamber music during this period • Since Bach did not have to compose church music in this Calvinistic court, Bach’s keyboard and chamber music output greatly flourished during this time.

20. Kothen (Cont’d) • Upon returning from a trip to obtain a harpsichord for Leopold’s court Bach learned of the death of his beloved wife Barbara. She had even been given the funeral and buried before he even learned the news! • Bach was left to care for his four children all by himself. • Bach married Anna Magdalina Bach on Dec. 3 1721.

21. Kothen (Cont’d) • Anna Magdalena Bach • Meet Johann when she was only 19 years old and he was 35 years old. • Johann dedicated the famous minuet in G to his young wife. • Minuet in G

22. Kothen (Cont’d) • Because Leopold had to donate more and more money to the Prussian military, the musical culture of Kothen began to decline rapidly. • Because of this decline Bach looked for positions elsewhere. Bach applied for three other positions during this time. • Bach composed his six Brandenburg concertos in an attempt to obtain a position with the royal court in Brandenburg. These are some of the most famous keyboard pieces Bach composed.

23. Kothen (Cont’d) • Bach obtained a position as the chapel Cantor in Leipzig. • The view that Bach was playing and composing music as his divine vocation is incorrect. Although, Some believe that Bach’s revival of sacred compositions is in reference to his wife Barbara’s sudden death. • Bach took the position in Leipzig because it improved his prestige, allowed him to compose and cultivate his musical creativity, and most importantly increased his salary.

24. Leipzig 1723-1750 • Bach’s duties in Leipzig were to direct the choir of the St. Thomas School, which was responsible for singing mass at 4 local churches. • Bach composed 1 cantata a week during this period, producing a huge amount of work which he combined in five yearly cylcles. • He was also charged with teaching Latin to the young boys. He did not like Latin, and paid a replacement to teach the class for him out of his own pocket. • It was also during this time Bach composed 24 two part inventions for his students.

25. Leipzig (Cont’d) • Between 1723-1737 Anna Magdalena had 12 full term pregnancies. Eight of the twelve children died. This time must have been quite distressing for the couple. • Bach’s salary at Leipzig was one fourth of what his salary was at Kothen. • Bach was compensated extra money for having his choir perform at funerals. • Bach was even upset that the mild weather was “hurting” his financial situation, as less people were dying from the nice weather.

26. Leipzig (Cont’d) • Bach eventually became very dissatisfied with his position at St. Thomas School, as the University of Leipzig began competing against St. Thomas school for performance opportunities and recruitment. • This further hurt Johann financially, to the point where he resigned from the position. • In March 1729 Bach assumed the direction of the collegium musicum (An orchestra of students and professional musicians founded by Telemann in 1702).

27. Leipzig (Cont’d) • Bach’s Collegium Musicum played weekly concerts at Coffee houses and local gardens. • Bach performed many of his musical compositions during this time including the Brandenburg Concertos. • Bach’s chamber music output during this time was enormous given the performance capabilities of the collegium.

28. Leipzig (Cont’d) • Bach finished his famed B minor mass in 1749. This was one of the final pieces he would compose. • Blindness from cataracts halted his performance and composition career in 1749. • Late in 1750 Bach suffered from a stroke. • He died July 28th, 1750 from complications of diabetes.