German composers Johann Sebastian Bach. Johann Sebastian Bach: biography and works

Bach Johann Sebastian, whose biography is of interest to many music lovers, has become one of the greatest composers in its history. In addition, he was a performer, a virtuoso organist, and a talented teacher. In this article, we will look at the life of Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as present his work. The composer's works are often heard in concert halls around the world.

Johann Sebastian Bach (March 31 (21 - old style) 1685 - July 28, 1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque era. He enriched the musical style created in Germany thanks to his mastery of counterpoint and harmony, adapted foreign rhythms and forms, borrowed, in particular, from Italy and France. Bach's works are "Goldberg Variations", "Brandenburg Concertos", "Mass in B Minor", more than 300 cantatas, of which 190 have survived, and many other compositions. His music is considered highly technical, filled with artistic beauty and intellectual depth.

Johann Sebastian Bach. short biography

Bach was born in Eisenach into a family of hereditary musicians. His father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was the founder of the city's music concerts, and all his uncles were professional performers. The composer's father taught his son to play the violin and harpsichord, and his brother, Johann Christoph, taught the clavichord, and also introduced Johann Sebastian to modern music. Partly on his own initiative, Bach attended St. Michael's Vocal School in Lüneburg for 2 years. After certification, he held several musical positions in Germany, in particular, the court musician of Duke Johann Ernst in Weimar, the caretaker of the organ in the church named after St. Boniface, located in Arnstadt.

In 1749, Bach's eyesight and general health deteriorated, and he died in 1750, on July 28. Modern historians believe that the cause of his death was a combination of stroke and pneumonia. The fame of Johann Sebastian as a magnificent organist spread throughout Europe during Bach's lifetime, although he was not yet so popular as a composer. As a composer, he became known a little later, in the first half of the 19th century, when interest in his music revived. Currently, Bach Johann Sebastian, whose biography is presented in a more complete version below, is considered one of the greatest musical creators in history.

Childhood (1685 - 1703)

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, in 1685, on March 21, according to the old style (according to the new one, on the 31st of the same month). He was the son of Johann Ambrosius and Elisabeth Lemmerhirt. The composer became the eighth child in the family (the eldest son at the time of Bach's birth was 14 years older than him). The mother of the future composer died in 1694, and his father eight months later. Bach at that time was 10 years old, and he moved to live with Johann Christoph, his older brother (1671 - 1731). There he studied, performed and rewrote music, including his brother's, despite being forbidden to do so. From Johann Christoph, he adopted many knowledge in the field of music. At the same time, Bach studied theology, Latin, Greek, French, Italian at the local gymnasium. As Johann Sebastian Bach later admitted, the classics inspired and amazed him from the very beginning.

Arnstadt, Weimar and Mühlhausen (1703 - 1717)

In 1703, after finishing his studies at St. Michael's School in Lüneburg, the composer was appointed court musician to Duke Johann Ernst III's chapel in Weimar. During his seven-month stay there, Bach established a reputation as an excellent keyboard player, and he was invited to a new position as caretaker of the organ at the church of St. Boniface, located in Arnstadt, 30 km southwest of Weimar. Despite good family connections and his own musical enthusiasm, tensions arose with his superiors after several years of service. In 1706, Bach was offered the post of organist at St. Blaise's (Mühlhausen), which he took up the following year. The new position paid much more, included much better working conditions, as well as a more professional choir with which Bach was to work. Four months later, the wedding of Johann Sebastian and Maria Barbara took place. They had seven children, four of whom survived to adulthood, including Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel, who later became well-known composers.

In 1708, Johann Sebastian Bach, whose biography took a new direction, leaves Mühlhausen and returns to Weimar, this time as an organist, and since 1714 as a concert organizer, and has the opportunity to work with more professional musicians. In this city, the composer continues to play and compose works for the organ. He also began to write preludes and fugues, which later became part of his monumental work, The Well-Tempered Clavier, which consisted of two volumes. Each of them includes preludes and fugues, written in all possible minor and major keys. Also in Weimar, the composer Johann Sebastian Bach set to work on the work "Organ Book", containing Lutheran chorales, a collection of choral preludes for organ. In 1717 he fell out of favor in Weimar, was taken into custody for almost a month and subsequently removed from office.

Köthen (1717 - 1723)

Leopold (an important person - Prince Anhalt-Köthen) offered Bach the job of bandmaster in 1717. Prince Leopold, being himself a musician, admired the talent of Johann Sebastian, paid him well and gave him considerable freedom in composing and performing. The prince was a Calvinist, and they do not use complex and sophisticated music in worship, respectively, the work of Johann Sebastian Bach of that period was secular and included orchestral suites, suites for cello solo, for clavier, as well as the famous Brandenburg Concertos. In 1720, on July 7, his wife Maria Barbara dies, having given birth to seven children. The composer's acquaintance with his second wife takes place next year. Johann Sebastian Bach, whose works are gradually gaining popularity, marries a girl named Anna Magdalena Wilke, a singer (soprano), in 1721, on December 3rd.

Leipzig (1723 - 1750)

In 1723, Bach received a new position, starting to work as cantor of the choir of St. Thomas. It was a prestigious service in Saxony, which the composer carried for 27 years, until his death. Bach's duties included teaching students how to sing and writing church music for the main churches in Leipzig. Johann Sebastian was also supposed to give Latin lessons, but he had the opportunity to hire a special person instead of himself. During Sunday services, as well as on holidays, cantatas were required for worship in the church, and the composer usually performed his own compositions, most of which appeared in the first 3 years of his stay in Leipzig.

Johann Sebastian Bach, whose authorship of classics is now well known to many people, expanded his composing and performing possibilities in March 1729 by taking charge of the College of Music, a secular gathering under the composer Georg Philipp Telemann. The college was one of dozens of private societies that were popular at that time in large German cities, created on the initiative of students in musical institutions. These associations played an important role in German musical life, being led for the most part by eminent specialists. Many of Bach's works from the period 1730-1740s. were written and performed at the College of Music. The last major work of Johann Sebastian - "Mass in B minor" (1748-1749), which was recognized as his most global church work. Although the Mass was never performed in its entirety during the author's lifetime, it is considered one of the composer's most outstanding works.

The Death of Bach (1750)

In 1749, the composer's health deteriorated. Bach Johann Sebastian, whose biography ends in 1750, began to suddenly lose his sight and turned to the English ophthalmologist John Taylor for help, who performed 2 operations in March-April 1750. However, both were unsuccessful. The composer's vision never returned. On July 28, at the age of 65, Johann Sebastian passed away. Modern newspapers wrote that "death was the result of an unsuccessful operation on the eyes." Currently, historians consider the cause of the composer's death to be a stroke complicated by pneumonia.

Carl Philipp Emmanuel, son of Johann Sebastian, and his student Johann Friedrich Agricola wrote an obituary. It was published in 1754 by Lorenz Christoph Mitzler in a musical magazine. Johann Sebastian Bach, whose brief biography is presented above, was originally buried in Leipzig, near the Church of St. John. The grave remained untouched for 150 years. Later, in 1894, the remains were transferred to a special storage in the Church of St. John, and in 1950 - to the Church of St. Thomas, where the composer still rests.

Organ creativity

Most of all, during his lifetime, Bach was known precisely as an organist and composer of organ music, which he wrote in all traditional German genres (preludes, fantasies). The favorite genres in which Johann Sebastian Bach created are toccata, fugue, choral preludes. His organ work is very diverse. At a young age, Johann Sebastian Bach (we have already briefly touched on his biography) earned a reputation as a very creative composer, able to adapt many foreign styles to the requirements of organ music. He was greatly influenced by the traditions of Northern Germany, in particular Georg Böhm, whom the composer met in Lüneburg, and Dietrich Buxtehude, whom Johann Sebastian visited in 1704 during an extended vacation. Around the same time, Bach rewrote the works of many Italian and French composers, and later Vivaldi's violin concertos, in order to breathe new life into them already as works for organ performance. During the most productive creative period (from 1708 to 1714), Johann Sebastian Bach wrote fugues and toccatas, several dozen pairs of preludes and fugues, and the Organ Book, an unfinished collection of 46 choral preludes. After leaving Weimar, the composer writes less organ music, although he creates a number of well-known works.

Other works for clavier

Bach wrote a great deal of harpsichord music, some of which can be played on the clavichord. Many of these writings are encyclopedic, incorporating the theoretical methods and techniques that Johann Sebastian Bach liked to use. The works (list) are presented below:

• The Well-Tempered Clavier is a two-volume work. Each volume contains preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys in use, arranged in chromatic order.
• Inventions and overtures. These two- and three-part works are in the same order as the Well-Tempered Clavier, with the exception of some rare keys. They were created by Bach for educational purposes.
• 3 collections of dance suites, "French suites", "English suites" and scores for clavier.
• "Goldberg Variations".
• Various pieces such as "French Style Overture", "Italian Concerto".

Orchestral and chamber music

Johann Sebastian also wrote works for individual instruments, duets and small ensembles. Many of them, such as partitas and sonatas for solo violin, six different suites for solo cello, partita for solo flute, are considered among the most outstanding in the composer's repertoire. Johann Sebastian wrote Bach symphonies, and also created several compositions for solo lute. He also created trio sonatas, solo sonatas for flute and viola da gamba, a large number of ricercars and canons. For example, the cycles "Art of the Fugue", "Musical Offering". Bach's most famous orchestral work is the Brandenburg Concertos, so named because Johann Sebastian submitted it in the hope of getting a work from Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg-Swedish in 1721. His attempt, however, was unsuccessful. The genre of this work is concerto grosso. Other surviving works by Bach for orchestra: 2 violin concertos, a concerto written for two violins (key "D minor"), concertos for clavier and chamber orchestra (from one to four instruments).

Vocal and choral compositions

• Cantatas. Beginning in 1723, Bach worked in the church of St. Thomas, and every Sunday, as well as on holidays, he led the performance of cantatas. Although he sometimes staged cantatas by other composers, Johann Sebastian wrote at least 3 cycles of his works in Leipzig, not counting those composed in Weimar and Mühlhausen. In total, more than 300 cantatas were created on spiritual topics, of which approximately 200 have survived.
• Motets. Motets, authored by Johann Sebastian Bach, are works on spiritual themes for choir and basso continuo. Some of them were composed for funeral ceremonies.
• Passions, or passions, oratorios and magnificats. Bach's major works for choir and orchestra are the John Passion, the Matthew Passion (both written for Good Friday in the churches of St. Thomas and St. Nicholas) and the Christmas Oratorio (a cycle of 6 cantatas intended for the celebration ). Shorter compositions - "Easter Oratorio" and "Magnificat".
• "Mass in B minor". Bach created his last major work, Mass in B Minor, between 1748 and 1749. "Mass" was never staged in its entirety during the composer's lifetime.

musical style

Bach's musical style was shaped by his talent for counterpoint, ability to lead the motive, flair for improvisation, interest in the music of Northern and Southern Germany, Italy and France, as well as devotion to Lutheran traditions. Thanks to the fact that Johann Sebastian had access to many instruments and works in childhood and adolescence, as well as to the ever-increasing talent for writing dense music with amazing sonority, Bach's work was filled with eclecticism and energy, in which foreign influence was skillfully combined with already existing improved German music school. During the baroque period, many composers mainly composed only frame works, and the performers themselves supplemented them with their melodic embellishments and developments. This practice varies considerably among European schools. However, Bach composed most or all of the melodic lines and details himself, leaving little room for interpretation. This feature reflects the density of contrapuntal textures to which the composer gravitated, limiting the freedom of spontaneous change in musical lines. For some reason, some sources mention works by other authors that Johann Sebastian Bach allegedly wrote. Moonlight Sonata, for example. You and I, of course, remember that this work was created by Beethoven.

Execution

Modern performers of Bach's works usually follow one of two traditions: the so-called authentic (historically oriented performance) or modern (using modern instruments, often in large ensembles). In Bach's time, orchestras and choirs were much more modest than they are today, and even his most ambitious works, Passions and the Mass in B Minor, were written for far fewer performers. In addition, today you can hear very different versions of the sound of the same music, because in some of Johann Sebastian's chamber works, initially there was no instrumentation at all. Modern "lite" versions of Bach's works have made a great contribution to the popularization of his music in the 20th century. Among them are famous tunes performed by the Swinger Singers and Wendy Carlos' 1968 Switched-On-Bach recording using a newly invented synthesizer. Jazz musicians, such as Jacques Loussier, also showed interest in Bach's music. Joel Spiegelman performed an arrangement of his famous "Goldberg Variations", creating his new-age piece.

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Biography

Johann Sebastian Bach is a great German composer of the 18th century. More than two hundred and fifty years have passed since the death of Bach, and interest in his music is growing. During his lifetime, the composer did not receive the deserved recognition as a writer, but was known as a performer and, especially, as an improviser.

Interest in Bach's music arose almost a hundred years after his death: in 1829, under the baton of the German composer Mendelssohn, Bach's greatest work, The Matthew Passion, was publicly performed. For the first time - in Germany - the complete collection of Bach's works was published. And musicians all over the world play Bach's music, marveling at its beauty and inspiration, mastery and perfection. "Not a stream! “The sea must be his name,” said the great Beethoven about Bach.

Bach's ancestors have long been famous for their musicality. It is known that the composer's great-great-grandfather, a baker by profession, played the zither. Flutists, trumpeters, organists, violinists came out of the Bach family. In the end, every musician in Germany began to be called Bach and every Bach a musician.

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in 1685 in the small German town of Eisenach. He received his first violin skills from his father, a violinist and city musician. The boy had an excellent voice (soprano) and sang in the choir of the city school. No one doubted his future profession: little Bach was to become a musician. For nine years, the child was left an orphan. His elder brother, who served as a church organist in the city of Ohrdruf, became his tutor. The brother assigned the boy to the gymnasium and continued to teach music. But he was an insensitive musician. Classes were monotonous and boring. For an inquisitive ten-year-old boy, this was excruciating. Therefore, he strove for self-education. Having learned that his brother kept a notebook with the works of famous composers in a locked cabinet, the boy secretly took out this notebook at night and rewrote the notes in the moonlight. This tedious work lasted six months, it severely damaged the vision of the future composer. And what was the grief of the child when his brother caught him one day doing this and took away the already transcribed notes.

At the age of fifteen, Johann Sebastian decided to start an independent life and moved to Lüneburg. In 1703 he graduated from the gymnasium and received the right to enter the university. But Bach did not have to use this right, since it was necessary to earn a livelihood.

During his life, Bach moved from city to city several times, changing jobs. Almost every time the reason turned out to be the same - unsatisfactory working conditions, a humiliating, dependent position. But no matter how unfavorable the situation, he never left the desire for new knowledge, for improvement. With tireless energy, he constantly studied the music of not only German, but also Italian and French composers. Bach did not miss the opportunity to personally meet outstanding musicians, to study the manner of their performance. Once, having no money for a trip, young Bach went to another city on foot to listen to the famous organist Buxtehude play.

The composer also steadily defended his attitude to creativity, his views on music. Contrary to the admiration of court society for foreign music, Bach studied and widely used German folk songs and dances in his works with special love. Having perfectly known the music of composers from other countries, he did not blindly imitate them. Extensive and deep knowledge helped him improve and polish his composing skills.

Sebastian Bach's talent was not limited to this area. He was the best organ and harpsichord player among his contemporaries. And if, as a composer, Bach did not receive recognition during his lifetime, then in improvisations behind the organ his skill was unsurpassed. This was forced to admit even his rivals.

It is said that Bach was invited to Dresden to take part in a competition with the then famous French organist and harpsichordist Louis Marchand. The day before, a preliminary acquaintance of the musicians took place, both of them played the harpsichord. That same night, Marchand hurriedly left, thus recognizing the undeniable superiority of Bach. On another occasion, in the city of Kassel, Bach amazed his listeners by performing a solo on the organ pedal. Such success did not turn Bach's head; he always remained a very modest and hardworking person. When asked how he achieved such perfection, the composer replied: "I had to work hard, whoever is as hard will achieve the same."

From 1708 Bach settled in Weimar. Here he served as court musician and city organist. During the Weimar period, the composer created his best organ works. Among them are the famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor, the famous Passacaglia in C minor. These works are significant and deep in content, grandiose in their scope.

In 1717 Bach and his family moved to Köthen. At the court of the Prince of Köthen, where he was invited, there was no organ. Bach wrote mainly clavier and orchestral music. The composer's duties included directing a small orchestra, accompanying the prince's singing, and entertaining him by playing the harpsichord. Easily coping with his duties, Bach devoted all his free time to creativity. The works for the clavier created at that time represent the second pinnacle in his work after organ compositions. Two-part and three-part inventions were written in Köthen (Bach called three-part inventions "sinfonias"). The composer intended these pieces to study with his eldest son Wilhelm Friedemann. Pedagogical goals guided Bach in the creation of suites - "French" and "English". In Köthen, Bach also completed 24 preludes and fugues, which made up the first volume of a great work called The Well-Tempered Clavier. In the same period, the famous "Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue" in D minor was also written.

In our time, Bach's inventions and suites have become obligatory pieces in the programs of music schools, and the preludes and fugues of the Well-Tempered Clavier - in schools and conservatories. Intended by the composer for a pedagogical purpose, these works are also of interest to a mature musician. Therefore, Bach's pieces for the clavier, starting with relatively easy inventions and ending with the most complex Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, can be heard at concerts and on the radio, performed by the world's best pianists.

From Köthen in 1723, Bach moved to Leipzig, where he remained until the end of his life. Here he took the position of cantor (choir leader) of the singing school at the Church of St. Thomas. Bach was obliged to serve the main churches of the city with the help of the school and be responsible for the state and quality of church music. He had to accept difficult conditions for himself. Along with the duties of a teacher, educator and composer, there were also such instructions: "Do not leave the city without the permission of Mr. Burgomaster." As before, his creative possibilities were limited. Bach had to compose such music for the church that "would not be too long, and also ... opera-like, but that would arouse reverence in the listeners." But Bach, as always, sacrificing a lot, never gave up the main thing - his artistic convictions. Throughout his life, he created works that are striking in their deep content and inner richness.

So it was this time. In Leipzig, Bach created his best vocal and instrumental compositions: most of the cantatas (in total, Bach wrote about 250 cantatas), the Passion according to John, the Passion according to Matthew, Mass in B minor. "Passion", or "passions" according to John and Matthew is a story about the suffering and death of Jesus Christ in the description of the evangelists John and Matthew. The Mass is close in content to the Passion. In the past, both the mass and the "passion" were choral chants in the Catholic Church. In Bach, these works go far beyond the scope of the church service. The Mass and the Passion by Bach are monumental works of a concert character. Soloists, choir, orchestra, organ participate in their performance. In terms of their artistic significance, the cantatas, the Passion and the Mass represent the third and highest pinnacle of the composer's work.

The church authorities were clearly dissatisfied with Bach's music. As in previous years, she was found too bright, colorful, humane. Indeed, Bach's music did not answer, but rather contradicted the strict church atmosphere, the mood of detachment from everything earthly. Along with major vocal and instrumental works, Bach continued to write music for the clavier. Almost at the same time as the Mass, the famous "Italian Concerto" was written. Bach later completed the second volume of The Well-Tempered Clavier, which included 24 new preludes and fugues.

In addition to the enormous creative work and service in the church school, Bach took an active part in the activities of the "Music College" of the city. It was a society of music lovers, which arranged concerts of secular, not church music for the inhabitants of the city. With great success, Bach performed in concerts of the "Musical Collegium" as a soloist and conductor. Especially for the concerts of the society, he wrote many orchestral, clavier and vocal works of a secular nature.

But the main work of Bach - the head of the school of choristers - brought him nothing but grief and trouble. The funds allocated by the church for the school were negligible, and the singing boys were starving and poorly dressed. The level of their musical abilities was also low. Singers were often recruited, regardless of the opinion of Bach. The school orchestra was more than modest: four trumpets and four violins!

All petitions for help to the school, submitted by Bach to the city authorities, were ignored. The cantor was responsible for everything.

The only consolation was still creativity, family. The grown sons - Wilhelm Friedemann, Philip Emmanuel, Johann Christian - turned out to be talented musicians. Even during the life of their father, they became famous composers. Anna Magdalena Bach, the second wife of the composer, was distinguished by great musicality. She had an excellent ear and a beautiful, strong soprano voice. The eldest daughter of Bach also sang well. For his family, Bach composed vocal and instrumental ensembles.

The last years of the composer's life were overshadowed by a serious eye disease. After an unsuccessful operation, Bach became blind. But even then he continued to compose, dictating his works for recording. Bach's death remained almost unnoticed by the musical community. He was soon forgotten. The fate of Bach's wife and youngest daughter was sad. Anna Magdalena died ten years later in a house of contempt for the poor. The youngest daughter Regina eked out a beggarly existence. In the last years of her difficult life, Beethoven helped her. Bach died on July 28, 1750.

He is one of those rare and wonderful people who could record Divine light.

From the 19th century to the present day, interest in the works of Johann Sebastian Bach has not subsided. The creativity of an unsurpassed genius is striking in its scale. known all over the world. His name is known not only by professionals and music lovers, but also by listeners who do not show much interest in "serious" art. On the one hand, Bach's work is a kind of result. The composer relied on the experience of his predecessors. He knew very well the choral polyphony of the Renaissance, German organ music, and the peculiarities of the Italian violin style. He carefully got acquainted with new material, developed and generalized the accumulated experience. On the other hand, Bach was an unsurpassed innovator who managed to open up new prospects for the development of world musical culture. The work of Johann Bach had a strong influence on his followers: Brahms, Beethoven, Wagner, Glinka, Taneyev, Honegger, Shostakovich and many other great composers.

Bach's creative legacy

He created over 1000 works. The genres to which he addressed were the most diverse. Moreover, there are such works, the scale of which was exceptional for that time. Bach's work can be divided into four main genre groups:

• Organ music.
• Vocal-instrumental.
• Music for various instruments (violin, flute, clavier and others).
• Music for instrumental ensembles.

The works of each of the above groups belong to a certain period. The most outstanding organ compositions were composed in Weimar. The Keten period marks the appearance of a huge number of clavier and orchestral works. In Leipzig, most of the vocal-instrumental songs were written.

Johann Sebastian Bach. Biography and creativity

The future composer was born in 1685 in the small town of Eisenach, into a musical family. For the whole family, this was a traditional profession. Johann's first music teacher was his father. The boy had an excellent voice and sang in the choir. At the age of 9, he turned out to be an orphan. After the death of his parents, he was raised by Johann Christoph (elder brother). At the age of 15, the boy graduated from the Ohrdruf Lyceum with honors and moved to Lüneburg, where he began to sing in the choir of the "chosen". By the age of 17, he learned to play various harpsichords, organ, and violin. Since 1703 he lives in different cities: Arnstadt, Weimar, Mühlhausen. The life and work of Bach during this period were full of certain difficulties. He constantly changes his place of residence, which is connected with the unwillingness to feel dependent on certain employers. He served as a musician (as an organist or violinist). Working conditions also did not suit him constantly. At this time, his first compositions for clavier and organ appeared, as well as spiritual cantatas.

Weimar period

From 1708, Bach began to serve as court organist to the Duke of Weimar. At the same time he works in the chapel as a chamber musician. The life and work of Bach during this period are very fruitful. These are the years of the first composer's maturity. The best organ works appeared. This:

• Prelude and fugue c-moll, a-moll.
• Toccata C-dur.
• Passacaglia c-moll.
• Toccata and fugue in d-moll.
• "Organ Book".

At the same time, Johann Sebastian is working on compositions in the cantata genre, on arrangements for the clavier of Italian violin concertos. For the first time he turns to the genre of solo violin suite and sonata.

Keten period

Since 1717, the musician settled in Köthen. Here he holds a high-ranking position of head of chamber music. He, in fact, is the manager of all musical life at court. But he is not satisfied with a too small town. Bach is keen to move to a larger and more promising city in order to give his children the opportunity to go to university and get a good education. There was no quality organ in Keten, and there was also no choir. Therefore, Bach's clavier creativity develops here. The composer also pays much attention to ensemble music. Works written in Köthen:

• 1 volume "HTK".
• English suites.
• Sonatas for solo violin.
• "Brandenburg Concertos" (six pieces).

Leipzig period and last years of life

Since 1723, the maestro has been living in Leipzig, where he directs the choir (occupies the position of cantor) at the school at the Church of St. Thomas in Thomasschul. He takes an active part in the public circle of music lovers. The "college" of the city constantly arranged concerts of secular music. What masterpieces at that time replenished the work of Bach? Briefly, it is worth pointing out the main works of the Leipzig period, which can rightfully be considered the best. This:

• "Passion according to John".
• Mass in h-moll.
• "Passion according to Matthew".
• About 300 cantatas.
• "Christmas Oratorio".

In the last years of his life, the composer focuses on musical compositions. Writes:

• Volume 2 "HTK".
• Italian concert.
• Partitas.
• "The Art of the Fugue".
• Aria with various variations.
• Organ Mass.
• "Musical offering".

After an unsuccessful operation, Bach went blind, but did not stop composing music until his death.

Style characteristic

Bach's creative style was formed on the basis of various musical schools and genres. Johann Sebastian organically wove the best harmonies into his works. In order to understand the musical language of the Italians, he rewrote their compositions. His creations were saturated with texts, rhythms and forms of French and Italian music, North German contrapuntal style, as well as Lutheran liturgy. The synthesis of various styles and genres was harmoniously combined with the deep poignancy of human experiences. His musical thought stood out for its special uniqueness, versatility and a certain cosmic nature. Bach's work belongs to a style that has firmly established itself in the art of music. This is the classicism of the high baroque era. Bach's musical style is characterized by possession of an extraordinary melodic structure, where the main idea dominates the music. Thanks to the mastery of the technique of counterpoint, several melodies can simultaneously interact at once. was a true master of polyphony. He was characterized by a penchant for improvisation and brilliant virtuosity.

Main genres

Bach's work includes various traditional genres. This:

• Cantatas and oratorios.
• Passions and Masses.
• Preludes and Fugues.
• Choral arrangements.
• Dance suites and concerts.

Of course, he borrowed the listed genres from his predecessors. However, he gave them the broadest scope. The maestro skillfully updated them with new musical and expressive means, enriched them with features of other genres. The clearest example is "Chromatic Fantasy in D Minor". The work was created for the clavier, but contains a dramatic recitation of theatrical origin and the expressive properties of large organ improvisations. It is easy to see that Bach's work "bypassed" the opera, which, by the way, was one of the leading genres of its time. However, it is worth noting that many of the composer's secular cantatas are difficult to distinguish from a comedic interlude (at that time in Italy they were reborn as opera buffa). Some of Bach's cantatas, created in the spirit of witty genre scenes, anticipated the German Singspiel.

The ideological content and range of images of Johann Sebastian Bach

The composer's work is rich in its figurative content. From the pen of a real master, both extremely simple and extremely majestic creations come out. Bach's art contains both ingenuous humor, and deep sorrow, and philosophical reflection, and the sharpest drama. The brilliant Johann Sebastian in his music displayed such significant aspects of his era as religious and philosophical problems. With the help of the amazing world of sounds, he reflects on the eternal and very important issues of human life:

• On the moral duty of man.
• About his role in this world and purpose.
• About life and death.

These reflections are directly related to religious themes. And this is not surprising. The composer served almost all his life at the church, so he wrote most of the music for her. At the same time, he was a believer, he knew the Holy Scriptures. His reference book was the Bible, written in two languages ​​(Latin and German). He adhered to fasts, confessed, observed church holidays. A few days before his death, he took communion. The main character of the composer is Jesus Christ. In this ideal image, Bach saw the embodiment of the best qualities inherent in a person: purity of thoughts, fortitude, fidelity to the chosen path. The sacrificial feat of Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind was the most intimate for Bach. In the composer's work, this theme was the most important.

Symbolism of Bach's works

Musical symbolism appeared in the Baroque era. It is through her that the complex and wonderful world of the composer is revealed. Bach's music was perceived by contemporaries as transparent and understandable speech. This was due to the presence in it of stable melodic turns expressing certain emotions and ideas. Such sound formulas are called musical-rhetorical figures. Some conveyed affect, others imitated the intonations of human speech, and others were pictorial in nature. Here are some of them:

• anabasis - ascent;
• circulatio - rotation;
• catabasis - descent;
• exclamatio - exclamation, rising sixth;
• fuga - running;
• passus duriusculus - a chromatic move used to express suffering or grief;
• suspiratio - breath;
• tirata - an arrow.

Gradually musical-rhetorical figures become a kind of "signs" of certain concepts and feelings. So, for example, the descending figure of catabasis was often used to convey sadness, sadness, grief, death, the position in the coffin. Gradual upward movement (anabasis) was used to express ascension, uplifted spirit and other moments. Motives-symbols are observed in all works of the composer. Bach's work was dominated by the Protestant chorale, to which the maestro turned throughout his life. It also has a symbolic meaning. Work with the chorale was carried out in a wide variety of genres - cantatas, passions, preludes. Therefore, it is quite logical that the Protestant chant is an integral part of Bach's musical language. Among the important symbols found in the music of this artist, stable combinations of sounds that have permanent meanings should be noted. Bach's work was dominated by the symbol of the cross. It consists of four multidirectional notes. It is noteworthy that if the composer's surname (BACH) is deciphered in notes, then the same graphic pattern is formed. B - si flat, A - la, C - do, H - si. A great contribution to the development of Bach's musical symbols was made by such researchers as F. Busoni, A. Schweitzer, M. Yudina, B. Yavorsky and others.

"Second birth"

During his lifetime, the work of Sebastian Bach was not appreciated. Contemporaries knew him more as an organist than a composer. Not a single serious book has been written about him. Of the vast number of his works, only a few were published. After his death, the name of the composer was soon forgotten, and the surviving manuscripts gathered dust in the archives. Perhaps we would never know anything about this brilliant man. But, fortunately, this did not happen. True interest in Bach arose in the 19th century. Once, F. Mendelssohn found in the library the notes of the Matthew Passion, which interested him very much. Under his direction, this work was successfully performed in Leipzig. Many listeners were delighted with the music of the still little-known author. We can say that this was the second birth of Johann Sebastian Bach. In 1850 (on the 100th anniversary of the composer's death) the Bach Society was founded in Leipzig. The purpose of this organization was to publish all Bach's manuscripts found in the form of a complete collection of works. As a result, 46 volumes were collected.

Bach's organ work. Summary

For the organ, the composer created excellent works. This instrument for Bach is a real element. Here he was able to liberate his thoughts, feelings and emotions and convey all this to the listener. Hence the enlargement of the lines, concert quality, virtuosity, dramatic images. The compositions created for the organ are reminiscent of frescoes in painting. Everything in them is presented mainly in close-up. In the preludes, toccatas and fantasies, there is a pathos of musical images in free, improvisational forms. Fugues are characterized by a special virtuosity and unusually powerful development. Bach's organ work conveys the high poetry of his lyrics and the grandiose scope of magnificent improvisations.

Unlike clavier works, organ fugues are much larger in volume and content. The movement of the musical image and its development proceed with increasing activity. The unfolding of the material is presented as a layering of large layers of music, but there is no particular discreteness and gaps. On the contrary, continuity (continuity of movement) prevails. Each phrase follows from the previous one with increasing tension. So are the climaxes. Emotional uplift eventually intensifies to the highest point. Bach is the first composer who showed the patterns of symphonic development in major forms of instrumental polyphonic music. Bach's organ work seems to fall into two poles. The first is preludes, toccatas, fugues, fantasies (large musical cycles). The second - one-part They are written mainly in the chamber plan. They reveal mainly lyrical images: intimate and mournful and sublimely contemplative. The best works for organ by Johann Sebastian Bach - and fugue in D minor, prelude and fugue in A minor and many other compositions.

Works for clavier

When writing compositions, Bach relied on the experience of his predecessors. However, here, too, he showed himself as an innovator. Bach's clavier creativity is characterized by scale, exceptional versatility, and the search for expressive means. He was the first composer to feel the versatility of this instrument. When composing his works, he was not afraid to experiment and implement the most daring ideas and projects. When writing, he was guided by the entire world musical culture. Thanks to him, the clavier has expanded significantly. He enriches the instrument with new virtuoso technique and changes the essence of musical images.

Among his works for organ, the following stand out:

• Two-part and three-part inventions.
• "English" and "French" suites.
• "Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue".
• "The Well-Tempered Clavier"

Thus, Bach's work is striking in its scope. The composer is widely known all over the world. His works make you think and reflect. Listening to his compositions, you involuntarily immerse yourself in them, thinking about the deep meaning underlying them. The genres to which the maestro turned throughout his life were the most diverse. This is organ music, vocal-instrumental, music for various instruments (violin, flute, clavier and others) and for instrumental ensembles.

Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the greatest and most famous composers. He wrote many magnificent pieces of music that are still listened to and admired by millions of people around the world. Let's learn more about the life of this outstanding German composer.

Johann Sebastian Bach: biography

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in 1685, March 31, in Germany, in the city of Eisenach. His parents were German musician and conductor Johann Ambrosius Bach and Elisabeth Lemmerhirt. Johann Sebastian's mother died when he was 9 years old, and his father died a year later. Then his elder brother, Johann Christoph, an organist, took him to his care in the city of Ohrdruf. He taught the boy music, in particular, playing the organ and clavier. A few years later he died, and Bach left for Lüneburg, where he entered a vocal school. During his studies, he often visited the cities of Hamburg and Celle, where he heard the works of many of his famous contemporaries.

In 1703, Johann Sebastian Bach became court musician to Duke Johann Ernst in Weimar. After some time, he was invited to Arnstadt to the church of St. Boniface for the position of organist. At this time, the composer created several works for organ. In 1705 Bach traveled to Lübeck to meet the outstanding German organist Dietrich Buxtehude. After 2 years, Johann Sebastian began to work in the church of St. Blaise in Mühlhausen. In the same year, 1707, he married Maria Barbara Bach, his cousin. In the future, they had 7 children, 3 of whom died in childhood.

In 1708 Johann Sebastian Bach returned to Weimar and became court organist. There he worked until 1717. During this time, Bach composed many pieces of music for various instruments. The fame of him as a performer has spread widely. In 1717, the French organist and pianist Louis Marchand arrived in Dresden. Bach and Marchand were invited to take part in a musical competition between them, both agreed, but Marchand, who heard Bach play, unexpectedly left Dresden.

In 1718, the composer received the post of court bandmaster from Prince Anhalt-Ketensky. Bach's wife, Maria Barbara, died in 1720. A year later, Johann Sebastian met the German singer Anna Magdalena Wilke, whom he soon married. Later they had 13 children, 7 of them died in childhood. After 3 years, in 1723, Bach changed his job to the school of St. Thomas in Leipzig, where he became the cantor of the choir. There he worked until his death, and during these years most of his famous musical works were written. Over time, the composer had serious vision problems. In 1750, Bach was operated on, but this did not improve, and he became blind. Johann Sebastian Bach died on July 28 of the same year in Leipzig.

Works by Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach wrote more than a thousand pieces of music in a variety of genres. Known for his music for organ, harpsichord, orchestra, as well as vocal works.

1. Organ works.

Bach's works for organ include preludes, toccatas, fantasies, and fugues. Known for his "Organ Book", which contains 46 preludes, 6 tri-sonatas, Leipzig chorales, the collection "Clavier-Übung" (3rd part).

2. Keyboard works.

Speaking of Bach's works for keyboards, one cannot fail to mention the collection "The Well-Tempered Clavier". It contains 48 preludes and fugues for each key. Johann Sebastian also wrote 15 two-part and 15 three-part inventions. Known for his English and French suites, French-style Overture, Italian Concerto, Goldberg Variations.

3. Works for orchestra.

One of Bach's most famous works for orchestra is the Brandenburg Concertos. Famous for his "Joke" - the last part of the Second Suite - and "Aria" - 2nd part of the Third Suite. The composer also wrote 2 violin concertos, a concerto for 2 violins in D minor, concertos for claviers and chamber orchestra, suites for violin, cello, flute, lute.

4. Vocal works.

Bach wrote more than 300 cantatas, including "Christ lag in Todesbanden", "Ein' feste Burg", "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme", "Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben". secular, it is, for example, "Coffee" and "Peasant. " Known works "Passion according to John" and "Passion according to Matthew", as well as Christmas and Easter oratorios, Mass in B minor.

Johann Sebastian Bach, whose biography is still being carefully studied, is included, according to the New York Times, in the top 10 most interesting biographies of composers.

In the same row with his name are such names as Beethoven, Wagner, Schubert, Debussy, etc.

Let us also get acquainted with this great musician in order to understand why his work has become one of the pillars of classical music.

J. S. Bach - German composer and virtuoso

The name of Bach comes to our minds one of the first when listing the great composers. Indeed, he was outstanding, as evidenced by the more than 1,000 pieces of music left over from his lifetime.

But do not forget about the second Bach - a musician. After all, both of them were true masters of their craft.

In both incarnations, Bach honed his skills throughout his life. With the end of the vocal school, the training did not end. It continued throughout life.

Proof of professionalism, in addition to surviving musical compositions, is an impressive career as a musician: from organist in the first position to director of music.

It is all the more surprising to realize that many contemporaries negatively perceived the composer's musical compositions. At the same time, the names of musicians popular in those years have practically not been preserved to this day. Only later did Mozart and Beethoven rave about the composer's work. From the beginning of the 19th century, the work of the virtuoso musician began to revive thanks to the propaganda of Liszt, Mendelssohn and Schumann.

Now, no one doubts the skill and great talent of Johann Sebastian. Bach's music is an example of the classical school. Books are written about the composer and films are made. The details of life are still the subject of research and study.

Brief biography of Bach

The first mention of the Bach family appeared in the 16th century. Among them were many famous musicians. Therefore, the choice of a profession by little Johann was expected. By the 18th century, when the composer lived and worked, they knew about 5 generations of the musical family.

Father and mother

Father - Johann Ambrosius Bach was born in 1645 in Erfurt. He had a twin brother, Johann Christoph. Along with most members of his family, Johann Ambrosius worked as a court musician and music teacher.

Mother - Maria Elisabeth Lemmerhirt was born in 1644. She was also from Erfurt. Maria was the daughter of a city councilor, a respected person in the city. The dowry left by him for his daughter was solid, thanks to which she could live comfortably in marriage.

The parents of the future musician got married in 1668. The couple had eight children.

Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 31, 1685, becoming the youngest child in the family. They lived then in the picturesque city of Eisenach with a population of about 6,000 people. Johann's mother and father are Germans, therefore the son is also German by nationality.

When little Johann was 9 years old, Maria Elisabeth died. A year later, a few months after the registration of the second marriage, the father dies.

Childhood

The orphaned 10-year-old boy was taken in by his older brother, Johann Christoph. He worked as a music teacher and church organist.

Johann Christoph taught little Johann how to play the clavier and organ. It is the latter that is considered the composer's favorite instrument.

Little is known about this period of life. The boy studied at a city school, which he graduated at the age of 15, although usually young people 2-3 years older became her graduates. So we can conclude that the study was given to the boy easily.

Another fact from the biography is often mentioned. At night, the boy often rewrote the notes of the works of other musicians. One day, the older brother discovered this and strictly forbade doing this from now on.

Music training

After graduating from school at the age of 15, the future composer entered the St. Michael vocal school, which was located in the city of Lüneburg.

During these years, the biography of Bach, the composer, begins. During his studies from 1700 to 1703, he wrote the first organ music, gaining knowledge of modern composers.

In the same period, for the first time, he travels to the cities of Germany. In the future, he will have this passion for travel. Moreover, all of them were made for the sake of acquaintance with the work of other composers.

After graduating from a vocal school, the young man could go to university, but the need to earn a living forced him to abandon this opportunity.

Service

After graduating, J.S. Bach received a position as a musician at the court of Duke Ernst. He was just a performer, he played the violin. I haven't started writing my own musical compositions yet.

However, dissatisfied with the work, after a few months he decides to change it and becomes the organist of the Church of St. Boniface in Arndstadt. During these years, the composer created many works, mainly for the organ. That is, for the first time in the service I got the opportunity to be not only a performer, but also a composer.

Bach received a high salary, but after 3 years he decided to move because of tense relations with the authorities. Problems arose due to the fact that the musician was absent for a long time due to a trip to Lübeck. According to available information, he was released to this German city for 1 month, and he returned only after 4. In addition, the community expressed claims about the ability to lead the choir. All this together prompted the musician to change jobs.

In 1707, the musician moved to Mühlhusen, where he continued to work. In the Church of St. Blaise, he had a higher salary. Relations with the authorities developed successfully. The city government was satisfied with the performance of the new worker.

Yet a year later, Bach again moved to Weimar. In this city, he received a more prestigious position as a concert organizer. 9 years spent in Weimar became a fruitful period for the virtuoso, here he wrote dozens of works. For example, he composed "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" for organ.

Personal life

Before moving to Weimar, in 1707, Bach married his cousin Maria Barbare. During their 13 years of marriage, they had seven children, three of whom died in infancy.

After 13 years of marriage, his wife died, and the composer remarried 17 months later. This time Anna Magdalena Wilke became his wife.

She was a talented singer and subsequently sang in a choir led by her husband. They had 13 children.

Two sons from his first marriage - Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emmanuel - became famous composers, continuing the musical dynasty.

creative path

Since 1717, he has been working for the Duke of Anhalt-Köthen as a bandmaster. Numerous suites were written over the next 6 years. The Brandenburg Concertos also belong to this period. If in general to evaluate the direction of the composer's creative activity, then it is worth noting that during this period he wrote mainly secular works.

In 1723, Bach became a cantor (that is, organist and choir conductor), as well as a teacher of music and Latin at the Church of St. Thomas. For the sake of this, he again moves to Leipzig. In the same year, the work "Passion according to John" was performed for the first time, thanks to which the high position was received.

The composer wrote both secular and sacred music. He performed classical spiritual works in a new way. The Coffee Cantata, the Mass in B minor and many other works were composed.

If we briefly characterize the work of a musical virtuoso, then it is impossible to do without mentioning Bach's polyphony. This concept in music was known even before him, but it was during the composer's life that they began to talk about the polyphony of a free style.

In general, polyphony means polyphony. In music, two equal voices sound simultaneously, and not just melody and accompaniment. The skill of the musician is evidenced by the fact that students-musicians are still studying according to his works.

Last years of life and death

For the last 5 years of his life, the virtuoso was rapidly losing his sight. To keep composing, he had to dictate the music.

There were also problems with public opinion. Contemporaries did not appreciate Bach's music, they considered it obsolete. This was due to the flowering of classicism, which began in that period.

In 1747, three years before his death, the Music of the Offering cycle was created. It was written after the composer visited the court of Frederick II, King of Prussia. This music was meant for him.

The last work of the outstanding musician - "The Art of the Fugue" - consisted of 14 fugues and 4 canons. But he didn't get to finish it. After his death, his sons did it for him.

Some interesting moments from the life and work of the composer, musician and virtuoso:

1. After studying the history of the family, 56 musicians were found among the relatives of the virtuoso.
2. The musician's surname is translated from German as "stream".
3. Having once heard a work, the composer could repeat it without error, which he did repeatedly.
4. Throughout his life, the musician moved eight times.
5. Thanks to Bach, women were allowed to sing in church choirs. His second wife became the first chorus girl.
6. He wrote more than 1000 works in his entire life, therefore he is rightfully considered the most "prolific" author.
7. In the last years of his life, the composer was almost blind, and the operations performed on his eyes did not help.
8. The grave of the composer for a long time remained without a tombstone.
9. Until now, not all the facts of the biography are known, some of them are not confirmed by documents. Therefore, the study of his life continues.
10. Two museums dedicated to him were opened in the homeland of the musician. In 1907 a museum was opened in Eisenach, and in 1985 in Leipzig. By the way, the first museum contains a lifetime portrait of the musician, made in pastel, about which nothing was known for many years.

Bach's most famous musical compositions

All works of his authorship were combined into a single list - the BWV catalog. Each composition is assigned a number from 1 to 1127.

The catalog is convenient in that all works are divided by types of works, and not by year of writing.

To count how many suites Bach wrote, just look at their numbering in the catalog. For example, the French suites are numbered from 812 to 817. This means that a total of 6 suites were written within this cycle. In total, 21 suites and 15 parts of suites can be counted.

The most recognizable piece is the Scherzo in B minor from "Suite for Flute and String Orchestra No. 2", called "The Joke". This melody was often used for calling on mobile devices, but despite this, unfortunately, not everyone will be able to name its author.

Indeed, the titles of many of Bach's works are not well known, but their melodies will seem familiar to many. For example, Brandenburg Concertos, Goldberg Variations, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.