Western Musiz
Masterworks of Western Music
Biography of the Life of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Google: www.bach-cantatas.com/tour for photos and maps of Bach’s life
In the Renaissance, vocal and instrumental ensemble used imitative or antiphonal counterpoint (Gabrieli and Sumer is icumen in). As the Baroque Era (1600-1750) developed, the roles of instruments shifted. Composers acknowledged the importance of the bass line (lowest line of notes in the music), and built music above that structure. The bass line was often played by a viola da gamba, bassoon, or cello. Harmony was filled in by a chord-playing instrument such as the guitar, lute, organ or harpsichord. The bass line plus the chord instrument was called basso continuo, the rhythm section of the Baroque. The melody was usually in a high-register instrument such as a violin, flute, oboe, or recorder. Our modern-day stringed instruments in the violin family were developed during the Baroque. Antonio Stradivarius (1644-1737) in Italy is the most famous of these instrument makers. Bach lived during the Baroque Era and his music is a pinnacle of achievement in this style. He is one of the greatest composers of all time.
Johann Sebastian Bach was most well-known in his lifetime as a virtuoso organist, both in church and court. A devout Lutheran, he viewed himself as a conscientious craftsman, playing and writing music to serve his employers, to please and inspire his fellow man and to glorify God. For six generations before him, members of Bach’s family were fine musicians in northern Germany. Many of his 20 children, born of two wives, became accomplished and well-known musicians.
Bach's whole life was spent living and working in an area of Germany about one hundred miles in radius. He was masterful at composing contrapuntal music; and as a keyboard virtuoso, he improvised whole pieces at the pipe organ and other keyboard instruments such as the clavier and the harpsichord.
Bach had music lessons with his father, and then his brother Johann Christoph. Otherwise, he studied music of other composers by copying out their musical scores. This way, he learned musical styles from other European countries such as France, Austria, Germany and Italy; he would incorporate these styles in his own writing.
When Bach was a child, it was assumed that a talented young composer would make a career in the church as an organist, choirmaster, composer and orchestra conductor. Bach spent much of his career as a church musician, and wrote many great choral or organ works. But in 1717 he got a job in the secular sphere: he became the Kappellmeister (musical director) at the court of Anhalt-Cothen. Prince Leopold was a Calvinist, so the church music was quite sparse and did not include instruments, only voices. The prince loved music, however, and spent a great deal of money on music and musicians in the secular realm at his court. Bach's job was to create works for entertainment at Sunday evening court concerts. Here he wrote a lot of chamber and orchestral music, enjoying an influx of fine musicians recently arrived at Weimar from Berlin. Bach remained there until 1723.
The six Brandenburgh Concerti were written during this period. Bach encouraged Prince Leopold to buy a harpsichord; while overseeing the delivery of the instrument, made in Berlin, Bach met Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburgh, who asked Bach to write some chamber music for his small band of musicians. Bach wrote the works over a few years, sent with a dedication on Mar. 24, 1721, nearly 2 years after the commission was given. (Yale University was founded this same year.) During this period of time, Bach went with his employer, the prince, to provide music on a health retreat. While away, Bach's first wife, Maria Barbara, became ill, died and was buried. He was then left to raise his numerous children, until he married his second wife, Anna Magdalena. He eventually left this job, getting an appointment as Cantor of St. Thomas Kirke in Leipzig, where he spent the rest of his life.
According to musicologist Donald Grout, there were five factors which contributed to Bach’s musical development: 1. the family tradition of craftsmanship; 2. the method of learning by copying musical scores of other European countries; 3. the 18th C. system of employment of musicians by patronage - by the church, a wealthy patron, or a municipality; 4. his own religious ideas about the purpose of his art and related duties; and 5. his genius.
At the end of his life, Bach's music was rather out of fashion. His composer-sons were more successful and famous that he, because they wrote in contemporary styles. However, in the mid-1800's, the German composer Felix Mendelssohn began a revival of the performance of Bach's music, which has lasted to this day.
We will study and listen to Brandenburgh Concerto No. 2 in F Major , BWV 1047, written about 1719. It features a quartet of 4 high-pitched soloists: piccolo trumpet, flute (recorder), oboe and violin; a string orchestra; and basso continuo. It is likely that Bach played viola in the first performances of these concerti.
Notes: jsbach.org/timeline.html; Grout, A History of Western Music; The Great Composers, Johann Sebastian Bach; Dr. Mary Jane Corry
Timeline of the Life of Johann Sebastian Bach
Year Age Fact
1685 1: Johann Sebastian was born the youngest child in his family in Eisenach. His father was Johann Ambrosius, a musician in the town and court, and his mother was Maria Elisabetha. They practiced the Lutheran religion.
1692 7: Went to St. George's Latin school, the same school that Martin Luther attended.
1695 10: Johann’s parents died. He went to live with his elder brother, Johann Christoph, with whom he studied music for five years.
1700 15: Having won a competition, Bach was given a scholarship to join the choir at St. Michael's Church in Luneberg. He received lessons on the pipe organ and became a terrific keyboardist. Studied the French style, since European music was influenced by the trends set by the court of Louis XIV.
1703 18: organist at the New Church in Arnstadt, where he asked Maria Barbara Bach, his cousin, to sing a soprano solo in church. It was rare for a woman to be a soloist (usually boy sopranos sang the high-register music). However, Bach stood firm; eventually they married (see 1707).
1705 20: had a street fight with a bassoonist. During this time, he walked 200 miles to Lubeck to hear the great German organist Buxtehude, and stayed longer than the four weeks allowed, to the annoyance of his employer.
1707 22: Appointed organist at Blasius Church in Mulhausen. Married his cousin Maria Barbara; they eventually had 7 children, 4 of whom survived infancy. Wrote many cantatas here.
1708 23: Appointed organist to Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Saxe-Weimar, who greatly appreciated the arts. Bach wrote much pipe organ music there. Also heard music of the Italian Vivaldi, and was influenced by the Italian style.
1714 29: Promoted to Konzertmeister (concert master) at Weimar
1717 32: He requested release from his job at Weimar when he did not get promoted to Kapellemister (the top music job at court). The Duke was so angry at this request (and some heated behavior on Bach’s part) that he put Bach in prison for a month, and then fired him. So Bach changed jobs - he was appointed Kappellmeister at the court of the Calvinist Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cothen. Prince Leopold spent a lot of money on music for the court’s entertainment.
1720 35: His wife, Maria Barbara, died while Bach was on summer health retreat with the Prince at Carlsbad.
1721 36: Married Anna Magdalena, and they eventually had 13 children (a total of 20 children for Bach.) 8 of the 13 died, many at infancy; but of those who survived, several went on to have distinguished musical careers.
1723 38: Final job - appointed Kantor (music director) at St. Thomas' Kirke in Leipzig. This job included being the music director for the city of Leipzig. He wrote music for weekly chamber music concerts, and, in time, 190 cantatas (choral pieces with orchestra, which use texts from the Bible) for weekly church services. Bach wrote some of his most well-known church music during these years.
1730 44: Bach felt disgruntled with falling musical standards in Leipzig, and wrote a letter to the City Council with suggestions for improvement, ready to fight for his ideals.
1736 50: Bach goes to Dresden to play an organ recital on a newly-built organ in Our Lady’s Church
1740 55: His eyesight begins to fail. This did not keep him from composing music until the end of his life.
1742 57: Goes to Dresden again, hears music in the galant style, which influences his own writing - introduces simpler, more emotional, less intellectual ideas
1747 62: Visits Frederick the Great at court in Potsdam, and composes Musical Offering
1750 65: Undergoes eye surgery, but dies on July 28