Johann Sebastian Bach

By: Brett prater

Bach's life story
he lived from 1685-1750. Born on march
21
st
,1685 in Eisenach Tharingia. Bach was
orphaned at the age of 10 when his dad
died. Then he went to study with the
renowned Swedish organist Dietrich
Buvtehade. He went back to weimar the
next year as organist and violinist at the
court of Duke Wilhelm Ernst and remained
there for the next nine years, becoming
concert-master of the court orchestra in
1714. In 1707 he married a second cousin,
Maria Barbara Bach. In Weimer he
composed about 30 cantatas.
Bachs life story continued
In 1717 Bach began a 6-year
employment as chapel master and
director of chamber music at the
court of prince Leopold of Anholt-
Kothen. Bachs wife Maria died in
1720, Bach then married Anna
Magdalena Wlicke. Moved to Leipzig
in 1723 and spent the rest of his life
there. Bach died on July 28,1750.
How Bach influenced the world
Bach did not create new forms of
music but he enriched the existing
forms of music with unrivaled control
of harmonic organization and the
adoption of rhythms.
Music and books Bach wrote
wrote the well known funeral cantata Gods time
is the best, during 1717 he wrote primarily
secalar music for ensembles and solo
instruments. From the 295 cantatas that he
wrote in Leipzig 202 survived and are still
played today. Bach wrote the books well-
tempered clavier, Inventions, and the Little
organ book. on all of Bachs music he wrote
I.N.J for the Latin words meaning in the name
of Jesus on the manuscripts of even his non
religious works. Some of Bach's pieces I will
play for you.
Major Contributions to the music
world
He enriched current music forms and used his
emotions that he was feeling in his music pieces.
Expressiveness of his music particularly
manifested in the vocal works that conveys his
humanity and that touches listeners everywhere.
Wrote the music books Well- tempered clavier,
Inventions, and Little organ book.
Why was Bach important
He composed hundreds of manuscripts from
marches to cantatas. He was self-taught in
musical composition, he was able to covey
emotion to all who listened through vocal works.
He also had high positions in the courts of
princes and dukes. He may not have invented
new forms of music, but he made the existing
forms better. This was not recognized
immediately until some time later after he died
in 1750.
Source info
The World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. 2.
Chicago: World Book, 1991. Print.
Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia. Vol.
3. Funk and Wagnall, 1983. Print.