Johann Sebastian Bach

A great baroque composer who was forgotten, and his name revise again as a great composer ever, in 100 year after he dead.

Who is Bach

Bach born in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany, on March 21, 1685, he came from a family of musicians, stretching back several generations. His father, Johann Ambrosius, worked as the town musician in Eisenach, and it is believed that he taught young Johann to play the violin.

At the age of seven, Bach went to school where he received religious instruction and studied Latin and other subjects. His Lutheran faith would influence his later musical works. By the time he turned 10, Bach found himself an orphan after the death of both of his parents. His older brother Johann Christoph, a church organist in Ohrdruf, took him in. Johann Christoph provided some further musical instruction for his younger brother and enrolled him in a local school. Bach stayed with his brother's family until he was 15.

After a year in Mühlhausen, Bach won the post of organist at the court of the Duke Wilhelm Ernst in Weimar. He wrote many church cantatas and some of his best compositions for the organ while working for the duke. During his time at Weimar, Bach wrote "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor," one of his most popular pieces for the organ. He also composed the cantata "Herz und Mund und Tat," or Heart and Mouth and Deed. One section of this cantata, called "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" in English, is especially famous.

In tribute to the Duke of Brandenburg, Bach created a series of orchestra concertos, which became known as the "Brandenburg Concertos," in 1721. These concertos are considered to be some of Bach's greatest works. That same year, Prince Leopold got married, and his new bride discouraged the prince's interest in music. Bach completed the first book of "The Well-Tempered Clavier" around this time. With students in mind, he put together this collection of keyboard pieces to help them learn certain techniques and methods. Bach had to turn his attentions to finding work when the prince dissolved his orchestra in 1723.

In his late period, he came to Leipzig and work at St. Thomas Church, during this time he developed a lot a new style of sacred works like cantata, Passion or Mass. These kind of work became a popular in performance on later and these works let's Bach became a popular after he was forgotten for a long time when the one of his beautiful passion "St.Matthrew" performed by Mendelsshon.

Partita No.6 in E minor

Partita no. 6 is the last from 6 partitas in Clavier Ubung 1, he uses the same title with Johann Kuhnau. Partita #6 is one of the most beautiful, interesting, confusing and complicated partita and also one of two partitas (A minor no.3) which were composed in other works before published. Clavier Ubung (means keyboard practice) = A practicing for amateur. This work published 1731 with 7 movement including with:

Toccata

Allemande

Corrente

Air

Sarabande

Tempo di gavotte

Gigue

let's listen the piece by Anderszewski & Levit

Bach "musical Prototype"

I called Bach as “Prototype” because his music presents the idea of technique and expression working together. It seems very hard to write a piece with complicated but also perfect harmonization, which results in deeply emotional music. The complexities of the structure are actually created from a simple idea.

This approach to composition, using simple materials with complex harmonies and embellishments, would continue to be used later, even in different styles and eras. And also that’s why I gave him the words “Prototype”.