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The impact of Johann Sebastian Bach
Development of the baroque era
Development of the baroque era
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Johann Sebastian Bach Bach descended from a long line of distinguished musicians, and, after his death, several of his sons achieved musical prominence. He received his first musical training from members of his family, including his father, who was also a musician. He learned a great deal by studying the scores of other composers, assimilating the best musical practices of Germany, Italy, Austria, and France. Early on, he exhibited the work ethic that made him an extremely prolific composer. One story illustrates the extent of his devotion to his craft: at the age of 20, he walked a distance of 200 miles to hear Dietrich Buxtehude, Northern Europe's most renowned organist at the time, play the organ at Lübeck. Throughout his career, Bach relied on the established system of patronage for employment, holding posts as court organist to the Duke of Weimar, court composer to the Prince of Cöthen (1717-1723), and cantor of St. Thomas's Church in Leipzig (1723-1750). At Weimar he married his first wife, who died just a few years later. Bach remarried in 1721, and eventually fathered 19 children, many of whom did not survive childhood. The type of music that Bach wrote was mostly determined by the position he held. For instance, while at Cöthen, he wrote a great deal of instrumental music, since this is what the Prince wanted; it was there that he wrote his six Brandenburg Concertos and the suites for solo cello. At Leipzig, his duties required producing music for church services, so he wrote most of his over 200 cantatas during his employment in that city. Bach's Musical Style Bach's musical style can be viewed either as centuries ahead of its time or as a relic of the polyphonic music of an earlier period. Polyphony permea... ... middle of paper ... ...s most clearly heard in the Crucifixus, the section of the mass dealing with the crucifixion of Jesus. When Bach died in 1750, some of his keyboard works survived, but much of his music, including the cantatas and the Passions, disappeared from public consciousness. It wasn't until well into the 19th century, that his music began to emerge again, thanks largely to the romantic composer, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847), who, in 1829, conducted the first performance of the St. Matthew Passion since Bach's death. Today, he is universally recognized as one of the greatest composers of all time. As we will see in his instrumental music, Bach was adept at imposing his own complex musical style on any form of composition. A man whose music is simultaneously beautiful and complex, Bach stands as one of the greatest minds and talents in the history of music.
Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven both flourished in their compositions of classical music; however, their genre of music differed considerably. Bach was a German composer during the Baroque time era of western music which is estimated to have taken place during 1600 to 1750. It was during this time that he composed prolific church organ music which included such works as the Mass in B Minor, much scared choral music, and the St. Matthew Passion, as well as composing over a thousand works in nearly every musical genre except opera. On the other hand, Beethoven was a German composer whom began to emerge during the classical era of western music twenty years after Bach. This era took place throughout the years1750 and 1830. The large quantity of arrangements, over two hundred works in numerous musical genres composed by Beethoven was significantly influenced by his predecessors, onset of deafness, and his highly personal expression of intellectual depth. Such works include the first an...
Johannes Brahms was a German Composer, Pianist and conductor of the 19th century or the Romantic period. He was one of the 3 B's or the Big three: Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. Johannes was a very self-critic man he burned many of his pieces before he could get anyone's opinion on them and he burned all of his compositions that he wrote before the age of 19.
Johann Sebastian Bach was one of the most famous German composers of his time. All of his work was mostly during the baroque era. The baroque period was from 1600 to 1750 and it is known to be one of the most diverse musical periods as opposed to the other classical music eras. It was in this era that “included composer like Bach, Vivaldi and Handel, who pioneered new styles like the concerto and the sonata.”(Classic FM) Johann Sebastian was born in the midst of the Baroque era as he was born on March 31, 1685 in Thuringia, Germany. Johann came from a family of musicians, which is how he himself became one as well. It was his father who showed him how to play his first instrument, which was the violin. His father was also a well-known musician in his town as he “worked as the town musician in Eisenach.”(Johann Sebastian Bach) It is known that Johann Sebastian went to a school that taught him
The truth can sometimes depend on the circumstance and the person who states it. When confronted with conflicting accounts or questionable details, a judge within the court of law must decide the sentence of an individual with these obstacles in place. In this case, the defendant Dannie McGrew has been charged with the murder of Barney Quill, but claims that it was self-defense. The following contains a thorough explanation as to how the judge decided upon the verdict of acquittal.
Some of the most well known composers came to be in the in the classical music period. Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the composers, along with other greats of the time like Haydn and Mozart, which helped to create a new type of music. This new music had full rich sounds created by the new construction of the symphony orchestra.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as he is generally known, was baptized in a Salzburg Cathedral on the day after his birth as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus. The first and last given names come from his godfather Joannes Theophilus Pergmayr, although Mozart preferred the Latin form of this last name, Amadeus, more often Amadé, or the Italiano Amadeo, and occasionally the Deutsch Gottlieb. Whatever the case may be, he rarely - if ever - used Theophilus in his signature. The name Chrysostomus originates from St. John Chrysostom, whose feast falls on the 27th of January. The name Wolfgang was given to him in honor of his maternal grandfather, Wolfgang Nikolaus Pertl.
When Bach was ten, he was moved to live with his eldest brother Johann Christoph Bach who was the organist in Ohrdruf. While Bach lived there he studied, performed and copied forbidden music. Bach’s older brother taught him his first keyboard l...
...portantly, through his own music, which a majority of people still listen to during this very time, despite the progress of music over the centauries. Therefore, in conclusion, while Johann Sebastian Bach may not have been some great King or noble of some sort, he was an extraordinary and unforgettable composer and organist of Germany and devoted himself to his greatest passion, music, in order to further the influence of his culture, so that others may carry such cultural ways with them and into future generations such as our very own, where even Bach has yet to be forgotten.
In 1749 Bach started a new composition called “The Art of Fugue”, but he did not complete it. Bach tried fixing his sight with a surgery but something devastating happened, he lost his eye sight completely and a year later he suffered a stroke and died. During his life time, Bach was better known as an organist than a composer, “Curiously, Bach refrained from calling himself a composer…” (Wolff 2000, p.3). Bach was able to give different emotions to others with music. Bach died a respected man and having an important position in the world of music.
Though born in a turmoil-ridden Germany and ignored during his life and nearly 80 years after his death, Bach was the greatest and most influential composer from the Baroque period. His music has come to life and will likely never die. Johann Sebastian Bach will remain in the top of his class of composers.
Getzinger, Donna. Johnann Sebastian Bach and the art of baroque music. 1st ed. Greensboro: Morgan Reynolds, 2004
Johann Sebastian Bach was born into a family of musicians. It was only natural for him to pick up an instrument and excel in it. His father taught him how to play the violin and harpsichord at a very young age. All of Bach’s uncles were professional musicians, one of them; Johann Christoph Bach introduced him to the organ. Bach hit a turning point in his life when both of his parents died at the age of ten years old. Bach’s older brother Johann Christoph Bach took him in and immediately expanded his knowledge in the world of music. He taught him how to play the clavichord and exposed him to great composers at the time. At the age of fourteen, Bach and his good friend George Erdmann were awarded a choral scholarship to the prestigious musical school St. Michael’s in Luneburg. From then on, Bach began to build his career in the music industry. His first two years at the school he sang in the school’s a cappella choir. Historical evidence has shown that Bach at a young age would visit Johanniskirche and would listen to the works of organ player Jasper Johannsen. This was thought to have been the inspiration to Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Studying at the prestigious musical school has help Bach network his way around and become acquaintances’ with some of the best organ players at the time such as Georg Böhm, and Johann Adam Reincken. Through his acquaintance with Böhm and Reincken Bach had access to some of the greatest and finest instruments.
His death marked the end of Baroque music. Bach left a music legacy. His music has been studied and continues to be studied by several generations of composers and musicians.
Johann Sebastian Bach was born at Eisenach, in the region of Thuringia, Germany, in 1685. He was a composer and musician of the Baroque period. Bach was born in a family of long musical tradition as his antecessors had been professional musicians for several generations. Johann Sebastian grew under a strictly musical environment. All of his closest relatives were musicians, and by being surrounded by these influences, the young Johann Sebastian developed his musical and instrumental skills. Bach 's mother died in 1694, and his father died eight months later. Thus, at age 10, he had to move in with his oldest brother, Johann Christoph Bach , who was an organist
During Bach’s time, people were writing mostly in a classical style, however Bach loved composing in the Baroque genre. This is why people said that when Bach died, so did the Baroque genre.