What works did Bach write? Free classical music

Johann Sebastian Bach is a German composer and musician of the Baroque era, who collected and combined in his work the traditions and the most significant achievements of European musical art, and also enriched all this with a virtuoso use of counterpoint and a subtle sense of perfect harmony. Bach is greatest classic, who left a huge legacy that has become the golden fund of world culture. This is a universal musician, who covered almost all known genres in his work. Creating immortal masterpieces, he turned each measure of his compositions into small works, then combining them into priceless creations of exceptional beauty and expressiveness, perfect in form, which vividly reflected the diverse spiritual world of man.

Brief biography of Johann Sebastian Bach and many interesting facts read about the composer on our page.

Brief biography of Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in the German town of Eisenach in the fifth generation of a family of musicians on March 21, 1685. It should be noted that musical dynasties were quite common at that time in Germany, and talented parents sought to develop appropriate talents in their children. The boy's father, Johann Ambrosius, was an organist in the Eisenach church and court accompanist. Obviously, it was he who gave the first lessons in playing the violin And harpsichord little son.

From the biography of Bach, we learn that at the age of 10 the boy lost his parents, but was not left without a roof over his head, because he was the eighth and youngest child in the family. Ohrdruf's respected organist Johann Christoph Bach, Johann Sebastian's older brother, took care of the little orphan. Among his other students, Johann Christoph taught his brother to play the clavier, but the manuscripts contemporary composers a strict teacher safely hid under lock and key, so as not to spoil the taste young performers. However, the castle did not prevent little Bach from getting acquainted with forbidden works.

Lüneburg

At the age of 15, Bach entered the prestigious Lüneburg school of church choristers, which was located at the church of St. Michael, and at the same time, thanks to his beautiful voice, young Bach was able to earn some money in the church choir. In addition, in Lüneburg, the young man met Georg Böhm, a famous organist, communication with whom had an impact on early work composer. He also repeatedly traveled to Hamburg to listen to the play of the largest representative of the German organ school A. Reinken. The first works by Bach for clavier and organ belong to the same period. After successfully completing school, Johann Sebastian receives the right to enter the university, but due to a lack Money he was unable to continue his education.

Weimar and Arnstadt

Johann began his career in Weimar, where he was accepted into the court chapel of Duke Johann Ernst of Saxony as a violinist. However, this did not last long, as such work did not satisfy the creative impulses of the young musician. Bach in 1703, without hesitation, agrees to move to the city of Arnstadt, where he was in the church of St. Boniface was initially offered the post of superintendent of the organ, and later the post of organist. A decent salary, only three days a week, a good upgraded tool set to the latest system, all this created the conditions for expansion. creative possibilities musician not only as a performer, but also as a composer.

During this period, he creates a large number organ works as well as capriccios, cantatas and suites. Here Johann becomes a true organ expert and a brilliant virtuoso, whose playing aroused unbridled delight among the listeners. It is in Arnstadt that his gift for improvisation is revealed, which the church leadership did not like very much. Bach always strived for perfection and did not miss the opportunity to get acquainted with famous musicians, for example, with the organist Dietrich Buxtehude, who served in the city of Lübeck. After receiving a four-week vacation, Bach went to listen to the great musician, whose playing impressed Johann so much that, forgetting about his duties, he stayed in Lübeck for four months. Upon returning to Arndstadt, the indignant leadership gave Bach a humiliating trial, after which he had to leave the city and look for a new job.

Mühlhausen

The next city on life path Bach was Mühlhausen. Here in 1706 he won a competition for the position of organist in the church of St. Vlasia. He was accepted with a good salary, but also with a certain condition: musical accompaniment chorales should be strict, without any kind of "decorations". The city authorities later treated the new organist with respect: they approved the plan for the reconstruction of the church organ, and also paid a good reward for the festive cantata “The Lord is my Tsar” composed by Bach, which was dedicated to the inauguration ceremony of the new consul. Staying in Mühlhausen in Bach's life was marked by a happy event: he married his beloved cousin Maria Barbara, who later gave him seven children.

Weimar

In 1708 great game Muhlhausen organist was heard by Duke Ernst of Saxe-Weimar. Impressed by what he heard, the noble nobleman immediately offered Bach the positions of court musician and city organist with a salary much higher than before. Johann Sebastian began the Weimar period, which is characterized as one of the most fruitful in the composer's creative life. At this time, he created a large number of compositions for clavier and organ, including a collection of choral preludes, Passacaglia in c-moll, the famous " Toccata and Fugue in d-moll ”, “Fantasy and Fugue C-dur” and many other great works. It should also be noted that the composition of more than two dozen spiritual cantatas also belongs to this period. Such effectiveness in Bach's composing work was associated with his appointment in 1714 as vice-kapellmeister, whose duties included regular monthly updating of church music.

At the same time, Johann Sebastian's contemporaries admired him more performing arts, and he constantly heard remarks of admiration for his game. The fame of Bach as a virtuoso musician quickly spread not only in Weimar, but also beyond. Once the Dresden royal Kapellmeister invited him to compete with the famous French musician L. Marchand. However, the musical competition did not work out, since the Frenchman, having heard Bach play at a preliminary audition, secretly, without warning, left Dresden. In 1717 Weimar period Bach's life came to an end. Johann Sebastian dreamed of getting the place of bandmaster, but when this place became vacant, the duke offered him to another, very young and inexperienced musician. Bach, considering this an insult, asked for his immediate resignation, and for this he was arrested for four weeks.

Köthen

According to Bach's biography, in 1717 he left Weimar to get a job in Köthen as a court bandmaster to Prince Anhalt of Köthen. In Köthen, Bach had to write secular music, because, as a result of the reforms, no music was performed in the church, except for the singing of psalms. Here Bach occupied an exceptional position: as a court conductor he was well paid, the prince treated him like a friend, and the composer repaid this with excellent compositions. In Köthen, the musician had many students, and for their education he compiled “ Well-Tempered Clavier". These are 48 preludes and fugues that made Bach famous as a master of clavier music. When the prince married, the young princess showed dislike for both Bach and his music. Johann Sebastian had to look for another job.

Leipzig

In Leipzig, where Bach moved in 1723, he reached the pinnacle of his career ladder: he was appointed cantor in the church of St. Thomas and musical director of all churches in the city. Bach was engaged in the education and preparation of church choir performers, the selection of music, the organization and holding of concerts in the main temples of the city. Heading the Music College since 1729, Bach began to arrange 8 two-hour concerts secular music a month in a Zimmerman's coffee shop, adapted for orchestral performances. Having received an appointment as court composer, Bach handed over the leadership of the College of Music to his former student Karl Gerlach in 1737. In recent years, Bach often reworked his early works. In 1749 he graduated from the High Mass in B minor, some parts of which were written by him 25 years ago. The composer died in 1750 while working on The Art of Fugue.

Interesting facts about Bach

• Bach was a recognized organ specialist. He was invited to check and tune instruments in various temples in Weimar, where he lived for quite some time. Each time impressing clients with the amazing improvisations he played to hear what the instrument in need of his work sounded like.
• Johann was bored during the service to perform monotonous chorales, and without restraining his creative impulse, he impromptu inserted his small embellishing variations into the established church music, which caused great displeasure of the authorities.
• Better known for his religious works, Bach also excelled in composing secular music, as evidenced by his Coffee Cantata. Bach introduced it full of humor the work is like a small comic opera. Originally titled "Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht" ("Shut up, stop talking"), it describes the lyrical hero's addiction to coffee, and, not coincidentally, this cantata was first performed in the Leipzig coffee house.
• At the age of 18, Bach really wanted to get a place as an organist in Lübeck, which at that time belonged to the famous Dietrich Buxtehude. Another contender for this position was G. Handel. The main condition for taking this position was marriage to one of Buxtehude's daughters, but neither Bach nor Handel dared to sacrifice themselves like that.
• Johann Sebastian Bach really liked to dress up as a poor teacher and in this form visit small churches, where he asked the local organist to play the organ a little. Some parishioners, hearing an unusually beautiful performance for them, frightenedly left the service, thinking that the devil himself appeared in their temple in the form of a strange man.

• The Russian envoy in Saxony, Hermann von Keyserling, asked Bach to write a piece to which he could quickly fall into a deep sleep. This is how the Goldberg Variations appeared, for which the composer received a golden cube filled with a hundred louis. These variations are still one of the best "sleeping pills" to this day.
• Johann Sebastian was known to his contemporaries not only as outstanding composer and a virtuoso performer, as well as a person of a very difficult character, intolerant of the mistakes of others. There is a case when a bassoonist, publicly insulted by Bach for an imperfect performance, attacked Johann. A real duel took place, as both were armed with daggers.
• Bach, who was fond of numerology, liked to weave the numbers 14 and 41 into his musical works, because these numbers corresponded to the first letters of the composer's name. By the way, Bach also liked to play with his surname in his compositions: the musical decoding of the word “Bach” forms a drawing of a cross. It is this symbol that is the most important for Bach, who considers non-random similar coincidences.

• Thanks to Johann Sebastian Bach, not only men sing in church choirs today. The first woman who sang in the temple was the composer's wife Anna Magdalena, who has beautiful voice.
• In the middle of the 19th century, German musicologists founded the first Bach Society, whose main task was to publish the composer's works. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the society dissolved itself and the complete works of Bach were published only in the second half of the twentieth century at the initiative of the Bach Institute, established in 1950. In the world today there are a total of two hundred and twenty-two Bach societies, Bach orchestras and Bach choirs.
• Researchers of Bach's work suggest that the great maestro composed 11,200 works, although the legacy known to posterity includes only 1,200 compositions.
• To date, there are more than fifty-three thousand books and various publications about Bach in different languages, about seven thousand complete biographies composer.
• In 1950, W. Schmider compiled a numbered catalog of Bach's works (BWV– Bach Werke Verzeichnis). This catalog was updated several times as the data on the authorship of certain works were clarified and, in contrast to the traditional chronological principles for classifying the works of others famous composers, this catalog is built according to the thematic principle. Works with close numbers belong to the same genre, and were not written at all in the same years.
• Bach's works: "Brandenburg Concerto No. 2", "Gavotte in the form of a rondo" and "HTK" were recorded on the Golden Record and launched from Earth in 1977, attached to the Voyager spacecraft.

• Everyone knows that Beethoven suffered from hearing loss, but few people know that Bach went blind in his later years. Actually, the unsuccessful operation on the eyes, performed by the charlatan surgeon John Taylor, caused the death of the composer in 1750.
• Johann Sebastian Bach was buried near the Church of St. Thomas. Some time later, a road was laid through the territory of the cemetery and the grave was lost. At the end of the 19th century, during the reconstruction of the church, the remains of the composer were found and reburied. After World War II, in 1949, Bach's relics were transferred to the church building. However, due to the fact that the grave changed its place several times, skeptics doubt that the ashes of Johann Sebastian are in the burial.
• To date, 150 postage stamps, dedicated to Johann Sebastian Bach, 90 of them published in Germany.
• Johann Sebastian Bach, the great musical genius, is treated with great reverence all over the world, monuments to him are erected in many countries, only in Germany there are 12 monuments. One of them is located in Dornheim near Arnstadt and is dedicated to the wedding of Johann Sebastian and Maria Barbara.

Family of Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian belonged to the largest German musical dynasty, whose pedigree is usually counted from Veit Bach, a simple baker, but very fond of music and perfectly performing folk melodies on his favorite instrument - the zither. This passion from the founder of the family was passed on to his descendants, many of them became professional musicians: composers, cantors, bandmasters, as well as a variety of instrumentalists. They settled not only in Germany, some even went abroad. Within two hundred years, there were so many Bach musicians that any person whose occupation was connected with music began to be named after them. The most famous ancestors of Johann Sebastian whose works have come down to us were: Johannes, Heinrich, Johann Christoph, Johann Bernhard, Johann Michael and Johann Nikolaus. Johann Sebastian's father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was also a musician and served as organist in Eisenach, the city where Bach was born.

Johann Sebastian himself was the father of a large family: from two wives he had twenty children. He first married his beloved cousin Maria Barbara, daughter of Johann Michael Bach, in 1707. Maria bore Johann Sebastian seven children, three of whom died in infancy. Maria herself also lived not long life, she died at the age of 36, leaving Bach four young children. Bach was very upset by the loss of his wife, but a year later he again fell in love with the young girl Anna Magdalena Wilken, whom he met at the court of the Duke of Anhalt-Keten and proposed to her. Despite the big difference in age, the girl agreed and it is obvious that this marriage was very successful, since Anna Magdalena gave Bach thirteen children. The girl did an excellent job with the housework, cared for the children, sincerely rejoiced at the success of her husband and provided great assistance in the work, rewriting his scores. The family for Bach was a great joy, he devoted a lot of time to raising children, making music with them and composing special exercises. In the evenings, the family very often arranged impromptu concerts, which brought joy to everyone. Bach's children had excellent natural gifts, but four of them had exceptional musical talent - these are Johann Christoph Friedrich, Carl Philipp Emanuel, Wilhelm Friedemann and Johann Christian. They also became composers and left their mark on the history of music, but none of them could surpass their father either in writing or in the art of performing.

Works of Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was one of the most prolific composers, his heritage in the treasury of world musical culture includes about 1200 immortal masterpieces. There was only one inspirer in Bach's work - this is the Creator. Johann Sebastian dedicated almost all his works to him and at the end of the scores he always signed letters that were an abbreviation of the words: “In the name of Jesus”, “Jesus help”, “Glory to God alone”. To create for God was the main goal in the life of the composer, and therefore his musical works absorbed all the wisdom of the "Holy Scripture". Bach was very faithful to his religious outlook and never betrayed it. According to the composer, even the smallest instrumental piece should indicate the wisdom of the Creator.

Johann Sebastian Bach wrote his works in virtually all, except opera, known at that time musical genres. The compiled catalog of his compositions includes: 247 works for organ, 526 vocal works, 271 pieces for harpsichord, 19 solo pieces for various tools, 31 concertos and suites for orchestra, 24 duets for harpsichord with any other instrument, 7 canons and other works.

Musicians around the world perform Bach's music and begin to get acquainted with many of his works from childhood. For example, every little pianist studying at a music school must have in his repertoire pieces from « Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach » . Then little preludes and fugues are studied, followed by inventions, and finally « Well-Tempered Clavier » but this is high school.

TO famous works Johann Sebastian also include " Matthew Passion”, “Mass in B Minor”, ​​“Christmas Oratorio”, “John Passion” and, undoubtedly, “ Toccata and Fugue in D Minor". And the cantata "The Lord is my King" is still heard at festive services in churches in different parts of the world.

Johann Sebastian Bach is the greatest figure in world culture. The work of a universal musician who lived in the 18th century is genre-wide: the German composer combined and generalized the traditions of the Protestant chant with the traditions music schools Austria, Italy and France.

200 years after the death of the musician and composer, interest in his work and biography has not cooled down, and contemporaries use Bach's works in the 20th century, finding relevance and depth in them. The composer's chorale prelude is heard in Solaris. The music of Johann Bach, as the best creation of mankind, was recorded on the Voyager Golden Record, attached to a spacecraft launched from Earth in 1977. According to The New York Times, Johann Sebastian Bach is the first in the world's top ten composers who have created masterpieces that stand above time.

Childhood and youth

Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 31, 1685 in the Thuringian city of Eisenach, located between the hills of the Heinig national park and the Thuringian Forest. The boy became the youngest and eighth child in the family of professional musician Johann Ambrosius Bach.

There are five generations of musicians in the Bach family. The researchers counted fifty relatives of Johann Sebastian, who connected life with music. Among them was the composer's great-great-grandfather Veit Bach, a baker who carried a zither everywhere, a box-shaped plucked musical instrument.

The head of the family, Ambrosius Bach, played the violin in churches and organized secular concerts, so he taught the first music lessons to his youngest son. Johann Bach sang in the choir from an early age and pleased his father with his abilities and greed for musical knowledge.

At the age of 9, Johann Sebastian's mother, Elisabeth Lemmerhirt, died, and a year later the boy became an orphan. The younger brother was taken care of by the older one, Johann Christoph, a church organist and music teacher in the nearby town of Ohrdruf. Christophe sent Sebastian to the gymnasium, where he taught theology, Latin, and history.

The older brother taught the younger to play the clavier and organ, but these lessons were not enough for the inquisitive boy: secretly from Christophe, he took out a notebook from the closet with works by famous composers and moonlit nights transcribed notes. But his brother discovered Sebastian in an illegal activity and took away the records.

At the age of 15, Johann Bach became independent: he got a job in Lüneburg and graduated brilliantly vocal gymnasium opening his way to the university. But poverty and the need to earn a living put an end to my studies.

In Lüneburg, curiosity pushed Bach to travel: he visited Hamburg, Celle and Lübeck, where he got acquainted with the work of famous musicians Reinken and Georg Boehm.

Music

In 1703, after graduating from the gymnasium in Lüneburg, Johann Bach got a job as a court musician in the chapel of the Weimar Duke Johann Ernst. Bach played the violin for six months and gained his first popularity as a performer. But soon Johann Sebastian got tired of pleasing the ears of the masters by playing the violin - he dreamed of developing and opening up new horizons in art. Therefore, without hesitation, he agreed to take the vacant position of court organist in the church of St. Boniface in Arnstadt, which is 200 kilometers from Weimar.

Johann Bach worked three days a week and received a high salary. The church organ, set up according to the new system, expanded the possibilities young performer and composer: in Arnstadt, Bach wrote three dozen organ works, capriccios, cantatas and suites. But tense relations with the authorities pushed Johann Bach to leave the city after three years.

The last straw that outweighed the patience of the church authorities was the long excommunication of the musician from Arnstadt. The inert churchmen, who already disliked the musician for his innovative approach to the performance of cult spiritual works, gave Bach a humiliating trial for a trip to Lübeck.

The famous organist Dietrich Buxtehude lived and worked in the city, whose improvisations on the organ Bach dreamed of listening to from childhood. Having no money for a carriage, Johann went to Lübeck on foot in the autumn of 1705. The play of the master shocked the musician: instead of the allotted month, he stayed in the city for four.

After returning to Arnstadt and arguing with his superiors, Johann Bach left his "familiar place" and went to the Thuringian city of Mühlhausen, where he found work as an organist in the church of St. Blaise.

The city authorities and the church authorities favored the talented musician, his earnings were higher than in Arnstadt. Johann Bach proposed an economical plan for the restoration of the old organ, approved by the authorities, and wrote a festive cantata "The Lord is my king", dedicated to the inauguration of the new consul.

But a year later, the wind of wandering "removed" Johann Sebastian from his place and transferred him to the previously abandoned Weimar. In 1708, Bach took the place of court organist and settled in a house next to the ducal palace.

The "Weimar period" of the biography of Johann Bach turned out to be fruitful: the composer composed dozens of clavier and orchestral works, got acquainted with the work of Corelli, learned to use dynamic rhythms and harmonic schemes. Communication with the employer - Crown Duke Johann Ernst, a composer and musician, influenced Bach's work. In 1713, the duke brought from Italy the notes of musical works by local composers, which opened up new horizons in art for Johann Bach.

In Weimar, Johann Bach began work on the Organ Book, a collection of choral preludes for organ, composed the majestic organ Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, Passacaglia in C Minor, and 20 spiritual cantatas.

By the end of his service in Weimar, Johann Sebastian Bach became widely famous master harpsichord and organist. In 1717, the famous French harpsichordist Louis Marchand arrived in Dresden. The concertmaster Volumier, having heard about Bach's talent, invited the musician to compete with Marchand. But on the day of the competition, Louis ran away from the city, afraid of failure.

The desire for change called Bach on the road in the autumn of 1717. The Duke released his beloved musician "with an expression of disgrace." The organist was hired as bandmaster by Prince Anhalt-Ketensky, who was well versed in music. But the prince's commitment to Calvinism did not allow Bach to compose refined music for worship, so Johann Sebastian wrote mainly secular works.

During the "Keten" period, Johann Bach composed six suites for cello, French and English clavier suites, three sonatas for violin solos. The famous "Brandenburg Concertos" and a cycle of works, including 48 preludes and fugues, called "The Well-Tempered Clavier" appeared in Kothen. At the same time, Bach wrote two-part and three-part inventions, which he called "symphonies".

In 1723, Johann Bach took a job as cantor of the choir of St. Thomas in the church of Leipzig. In the same year, the audience heard the composer's work, The Passion According to John. Soon Bach took the position of "music director" of all city churches. For 6 years of the "Leipzig period" Johann Bach wrote 5 annual cycles of cantatas, two of which are lost.

The city council gave the composer 8 choral performers, but this number was extremely small, so Bach hired up to 20 musicians himself, which caused frequent clashes with the authorities.

In the 1720s, Johann Bach composed mainly cantatas for performance in the churches of Leipzig. Wishing to expand the repertoire, the composer wrote secular works. In the spring of 1729, the musician was appointed head of the College of Music, a secular ensemble founded by Bach's friend Georg Philipp Telemann. The ensemble held two-hour concerts twice a week throughout the year at the Zimmerman Coffee House next to the market square.

Most of the secular works composed by the composer from 1730 to 1750, Johann Bach wrote for performance in a coffee house.

These include the playful "Coffee Cantata", the comic "Peasant Cantata", clavier pieces and concertos for cello and harpsichord. During these years, the famous "Mass in B minor" was written, which is called the best choral work of all time.

For spiritual performance, Bach created the High Mass in B minor and the St. Matthew Passion, receiving from the court as a reward for his work the title of royal Polish and Saxon court composer.

In 1747, Johann Bach visited the court of King Frederick II of Prussia. The grandee offered the composer a musical theme and asked him to write an improvisation. Bach, a master of improvisation, immediately composed a three-voice fugue. Soon he supplemented it with a cycle of variations on this theme, called it "Musical Offering" and sent it as a gift to Frederick II.

Another large cycle, called The Art of the Fugue, Johann Bach did not finish. The sons published the cycle after the death of their father.

IN last decade the composer's fame faded: classicism flourished, contemporaries considered Bach's style old-fashioned. But young composers, brought up on the works of Johann Bach, revered him. The work of the great organist was loved and.

The surge of interest in the music of Johann Bach and the revival of the composer's fame began in 1829. In March, pianist and composer Felix Mendelssohn organized a concert in Berlin, where the work "St. Matthew Passion" was performed. An unexpectedly loud resonance followed, the performance gathered thousands of spectators. Mendelssohn went with concerts to Dresden, Konigsberg and Frankfurt.

The work of Johann Bach "Musical Joke" is still one of the favorites for thousands of performers in the world. Fervent, melodic, tender music sounds in different variations, adapted to playing on modern instruments.

Bach's music is popularized by Western and Russian musicians. The Swingle Singers released their debut album, Jazz Sebastian Bach, which brought the group of eight vocalists worldwide fame and a Grammy Award.

The music of Johann Bach and jazz musicians Jacques Loussier and Joel Spiegelman were processed. The Russian performer tried to pay tribute to the genius.

Personal life

In October 1707, Johann Sebastian Bach married a young cousin from Arnstadt, Maria Barbara. The couple had seven children, but three died in infancy. Three sons - Wilhelm Friedemann, Carl Philipp Emmanuel and Johann Christian - followed in the footsteps of their father and became famous musicians and composers.

In the summer of 1720, when Johann Bach and Prince Anhalt-Ketensky were abroad, Maria Barbara died, leaving four children.

The personal life of the composer improved a year later: at the court of the Duke, Bach met the young beauty and talented singer Anna Magdalena Wilke. Johann married Anna in December 1721. They had 13 children, but 9 outlived their father.

In his advanced years, the family for the composer was the only consolation. For his wife and children, Johann Bach composed vocal ensembles, arranged chamber concerts, enjoying the songs of his wife (Anna Bach had a beautiful soprano) and the playing of grown-up sons.

The fate of the wife and youngest daughter of Johann Bach was sad. Anna Magdalena died ten years later in a house of contempt for the poor, and the youngest daughter, Regina, eked out a semi-beggarly existence. In the last years of her life, Ludwig van Beethoven helped the woman.

Death

In the last 5 years, Johann Bach's eyesight has been rapidly deteriorating, but the composer composed music by dictating works to his son-in-law.

In 1750, the British ophthalmologist John Taylor arrived in Leipzig. The doctor's reputation can hardly be called impeccable, but Bach clung to straws and took a chance. After the operation, the vision did not return to the musician. Taylor operated on the composer for the second time, but a short-term return of vision worsened. On July 18, 1750, a stroke occurred, and on July 28, 65-year-old Johann Bach died.

The composer was buried in Leipzig in the church cemetery. The lost grave and remains were found in 1894 and reburied in a stone sarcophagus in the Church of St. John, where the musician served for 27 years. The temple was destroyed by bombing during World War II, but the ashes of Johann Bach were found and moved in 1949, buried at the altar of the Church of St. Thomas.

In 1907, a museum was opened in Eisenach, where the composer was born, and in 1985 a museum appeared in Leipzig.

• Johann Bach's favorite pastime was considered to be visiting provincial churches in the clothes of a poor teacher.
• Thanks to the composer, both men and women sing in church choirs. Johann Bach's wife became the first church chorus girl.
• Johann Bach did not take money for private lessons.
• The surname Bach is translated from German as "stream".

• Johann Bach spent a month in prison for constantly asking for his resignation.
• Georg Friedrich Handel is a contemporary of Bach, but the composers did not meet. The fates of the two musicians are similar: both became blind as a result of an unsuccessful operation performed by the charlatan doctor Taylor.
• A complete catalog of Johann Bach's works published 200 years after his death.
• The German nobleman ordered the composer to write a work, after listening to which he could fall asleep soundly. Johann Bach fulfilled the request: the famous Goldberg variations - and now a good "sleeping pill".

Bach's aphorisms

• “To get a good night’s sleep, you should go to bed on a different day than you need to wake up.”
• "Keyboarding is easy: you just need to know which keys to press."
• "The purpose of music is to touch hearts."

Discography

• "Ave Maria"
• "English Suite N3"
• "Brandenburg concert N3"
• "Italian Influence"
• "Concert N5 F-Minor"
• "Concert N1"
• "Concerto for Cello and Orchestra D-Minor"
• "Concerto for flute, cello and harp"
• "Sonata N2"
• "Sonata N4"
• "Sonata N1"
• "Suite N2 B-Minor"
• "Suite N2"
• "Suite for orchestra N3 D-Major"
• "Toccata and Fugue D-Minor"

Born (21) March 31, 1685 in the city of Eisenach. IN little Bach originally laid down a passion for music, because his ancestors were professional musicians.

Music training

At the age of ten, after the death of his parents, Johann Bach was taken in by his brother Johann Christoph. He taught the future composer to play the clavier and organ.

At the age of 15, Bach entered the vocal school named after St. Michael, in the city of Lüneburg. There he meets art. contemporary musicians, develops comprehensively. During 1700-1703 the musical biography of Johann Sebastian Bach begins. He wrote the first organ music.

In service

After graduation, Johann Sebastian was sent to Duke Ernst as a musician at the court. Dissatisfaction with a dependent position forces him to change jobs. In 1704, Bach received the post of organist of the New Church in Arndstadt. The brief content of the article does not make it possible to dwell in detail on the work of the great composer, but it was at this time that he created many talented works. Collaboration with the poet Christian Friedrich Heinrici, court musician Telemachus enriched the music with new motives. In 1707 Bach moved to Mühlhusen, continued to work as a church musician and engage in creativity. The authorities are satisfied with his work, the composer receives a reward.

Personal life

In 1707 Bach married his cousin Maria Barbara. He again decided to change jobs, this time becoming court organist in Weimar. In this city, six children are born in the musician's family. Three died in infancy, and three become well-known musicians in the future.

In 1720, Bach's wife died, but a year later the composer married again, now to famous singer Anna Magdalene Wilhelm. A happy family had 13 children.

Continuation of the creative path

In 1717, Bach entered the service of the Duke of Anhalt - Köthen, who highly appreciated his talent. During the period from 1717 to 1723, Bach's magnificent suites appeared (for orchestra, cello, clavier).

Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, English and French suites were written in Köthen.

In 1723, the musician received the position of cantor and teacher of music and Latin in the Church of St. Thomas, then became musical director in Leipzig. The wide repertoire of Johann Sebastian Bach included both secular and wind music. During his life, Johann Sebastian Bach managed to visit the head of the music college. Several cycles of the composer Bach used all kinds of instruments ("Musical Offering", "The Art of the Fugue")

last years of life

In the last years of his life, Bach was rapidly losing his sight. His music was then considered unfashionable, outdated. Despite this, the composer continued to work. In 1747, he created a cycle of plays called "Music of the Offering", dedicated to the Prussian King Frederick II. The last work was the collection of works "The Art of the Fugue", which included 14 fugues and 4 canons.

Johann Sebastian Bach died on July 28, 1750 in Leipzig, but his musical legacy remains immortal.

A brief biography of Bach does not give a complete picture of the complex life path of the composer, of his personality. You can get acquainted with his fate and work in detail by reading the books of Johann Forkel, Robert Franz, Albert Schweitzer.

Vocal and instrumental works: about 300 spiritual cantatas (199 have survived); 24 secular cantatas (including "Hunting", "Coffee", "Peasant"); motets, chorales; Christmas Oratorio; "Passion for John", "Passion for Matthew", "Magnificat", Mass in B minor ("High Mass"), 4 short masses.

Arias and songs - from the second Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach.

For orchestra and orchestra with solo instruments:

6 Brandenburg concerts; 4 suites ("overtures"); 7 concertos for harpsichord (clavier) and orchestra; 3 concertos for two harpsichords and orchestra; 2 concertos for three harpsichords and orchestra; 1 concerto for four harpsichords and orchestra; 3 concertos for violin and orchestra; concerto for flute, violin and harpsichord.

Works for violin, cello, flute with clavier (harpsichord) and solo: 6 sonatas for violin and harpsichord; 6 sonatas for flute and harpsichord; 3 sonatas for viola da gamba (cello) and harpsichord; trio sonatas; 6 sonatas and partitas for solo violin; 6 suites (sonatas) for cello solo.

For clavier (harpsichord): 6 "English" suites; 6 "French" suites; 6 partitas; Chromatic fantasy and fugue; Italian concert; The Well-Tempered Clavier (2 volumes, 48 ​​preludes and fugues); Goldberg variations; Inventions for two and three votes; fantasies, fugues, toccatas, overtures, capriccios, etc.

For organ: 18 preludes and fugues; 5 toccata and fugue; 3 fantasies and fugues; fugues; 6 concerts; Passacaglia; pastoral; fantasies, sonatas, canzone, trio; 46 Choral Preludes (from the Organ Book of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach); "Shubler's chorales"; 18 chorales ("Leipzig"); several cycles of choral variations.

Musical offering. The art of the fugue.

MAIN DATES OF LIFE

1685 March 21 (Gregorian March 31) in the Thuringian city of Eisenach, Johann Sebastian Bach was born, the son of the city musician Johann Ambrose Bach.

1693-1695 - Teaching at school.

1694 - Death of mother, Elisabeth, née Lemmerhirt. Father's remarriage.

1695 - Death of father moving to older brother Johann Christoph in Ohrdruf.

1696 - early 1700– Education in the Ordruf Lyceum; singing and music lessons.

1700 March 15– Moving to Lüneburg, enrollment as a scholarship holder (singer) in the school of the church of St. Michael.

1703 April– Moving to Weimar, service in the chapel of the Red Castle. August– Moving to Arnstadt; Bach is an organist and teacher of singing.

1705-1706, October - February– A trip to Lübeck, studying the organ art of Dietrich Buxtehude. Conflict with the consistory of Arnstadt.

1707 June 15– Appointment as organist at Mühlhausen. 17 October- Marriage to Maria Barbara Bach.

1708, spring- Publication of the first work, "Election Cantata". July- Moving to Weimar to serve as court organist of the ducal chapel.

1710 November 22- The birth of the first son, Wilhelm Friedemann (the future "Gallic Bach").

1714 March 8- The birth of the second son, Carl Philipp Emmanuel (the future "Hamburg Bach"). Trip to Kassel.

1717 July- Bach accepts the offer of the Köthen prince Leopold to become bandmaster of the court chapel.

September– A trip to Dresden, his success as a virtuoso.

October– Return to Weimar; resignation, by order of the duke arrest from 6 November to 2 December. Moving to Keteya. Trip to Leipzig.

1720 May– A trip with Prince Leopold to Karlsbad. Early July- Death of wife Maria Barbara.

1723 February 7– Performance in Leipzig of Cantata No. 22, as a test for the post of cantor of the Thomaskirche. 26 March– First performance of the Passion according to John. May- Assuming the office of cantor of St. Thomas and the teacher of the school.

1729 February- Performance of the "Hunting Cantata" in Weissenfels, receiving the title of court Kapellmeister of Saxe-Weissenfels. April 15– First performance of the Matthew Passion at the Thomaskirche. Differences with the council of Thomasshule, and then with the magistrate, because of the order at the school. Bach leads the Telemann student circle, Collegium musicum.

1730 October 28– A letter to a former school friend G. Erdman describing the unbearable circumstances of life in Leipzig.

1732 - Performance of "Coffee Cantata". 21st of June- The birth of the son of Johann Christoph Friedrich (the future "Bückeburg Bach").

1734 end of December- Performance of the Christmas Oratorio.

1735 June- Bach with his son Gottfried Bernhard in Mühlhausen. The son passes the test for the position of organist. September 5 was born last son Johann Christian (future "London Bach").

1736 – The beginning of a two-year “fight for the prefect” with the rector Tomasshule I. Ernesti. November 19 In Dresden, a decree was signed conferring the title of royal court composer on Bach. Friendship with the Russian Ambassador G. Keyserling. December 1– A two-hour concert in Dresden on the Silbermann organ.

1738 April 28- "Night music" in Leipzig. Bach completes his High Mass.

1740 - Bach ceases leadership of the Musical Collegium.

1741 - In the summer, Bach is with his son Emmanuel in Berlin. Trip to Dresden.

1742 – The publication of the last, fourth volume of Exercises for the Clavier. August 30- Performance of the "Peasant Cantata".

1745 – Test in Dresden of a new body.

1746 – Son Wilhelm Friedemann becomes director of urban music in Halle. Bach's trip to Zshortau and Naumberg.

1749, January 20- The betrothal of daughter Elisabeth to Bach's student Altnicol. Beginning of The Art of Fugue. In summer- Illness, blindness. Johann Friedirch enters the Bückeburg chapel.

1750 January– Unsuccessful operations on the eyes, complete blindness. Composing the counterpoints of The Art of the Fugue and the Fugue on topic B-A-C-H. Completion of chorale processing.

BRIEF BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bazunov S. A. I. S. Bach, his life and musical activity. SPb., 1894.

Besseler G. Bach as an innovator. Sat. "Selected Papers of the Musicologists of the German Democratic Republic". Comp. N. Notovich. Per. with him. M., 1960.

Belza I. High Mass. Introductory article to the publication: Bach J.S. Mass in B minor. Arrangement for singing with pianoforte. M., 1955.

Wolfrum F. Johann Sebastian Bach. Introductory article by E. Braudo. Per. from German, vol. 1-2. Pb. - M., 1912.

Galatskaya V. S. and J. S. Bach. M., Muzgiz, 1958.

Galatskaya V. S. Musical literature foreign countries, issue. 1. M., "Music", 1967, p. 49-133.

Druskin M.S. Bach's Passives. L., "Music", 1972.

Kershner L. Folk song origins of Bach's melody. M., 1959.

Konen V, Bach Johann Sebastian. " Music Encyclopedia”, vol. 1. M.,“ Soviet Encyclopedia", 1973, p. 353-364.

Livanova T. History of Western European music until 1789. M.-L., Gosmuzizdat, 1940, p. 386-449.

Livanova T. Bach's Dramaturgy and Its Historical Connections. Part I. Symphonism. M.-L., 1948.

"Materials and documents on the history of music", vol. II, XVIII century. Per. with him. Ed. M. V. Ivanov-Boretsky. M., 1934.

Milshtein J. Well-Tempered Clavier by J.S. Bach and Features of Its Performance. M., "Music", 1967.

"Musical Aesthetics of Western Europe in the 17th-18th Centuries". M., "Music", 1971.

Rosenov E. K. I. S. Bach (and his family). M., 1912.

Rosenshield K. History foreign music. Issue. first. Until the middle of the XVIII century. Edition 3rd. M., "Music", 1973, p. 406-533.

Roizman L. Modern organ culture and its originality. Sat. "Issues of musical and performing arts", vol. 5. M., "Music", 1969.

Forkel Johann Nikolaus. About the life, art and works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Per. with him. E; Sazonova. Edition, afterword and comments by N. Kopchevsky. M., "Music", 1974.

Hammerschlag J. If Bach kept a diary. Budapest, Corvina, 1965.

Khubov G. N. Sebastian Bach. Edition 4. M., Gosmuzizdat, 1963.

Schweitzer L. I. S. Bach. Per. with him. Ya. S. Druskina, edition of the translation and afterword by M. S. Druskin. M, 1964.

Yampolsky I. M. Sonatas and partitas for solo violin J. S. Bach. Moscow, 1963.

Bach-Documente, Herausgegeben vom Bach-Archiv Leipzig, Band I, Schriftstucke von der Hand Johann Sebastian Bachs. Vorgelegt und erlautert von W. Neumann und H.-J. Schulze, Leipzig, 1963. Band II, Fremdschriftliche und gedruckte Dokumente zur I phensgeschichte I. S. Bachs, 1685-1750. Leipzig, 1969. Band III, Dokumente zum Nachwirken I. S. Bachs, 1750-1880. Leipzig, 1972.

Schmieder W. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der Werke Iohann Sebastian Bachs (BWV), Leipzig, 1971.

Arnstadtes Bachbuch, I. S. Bach und seine Verwanden in Arnstadt. Arnstadt, 1957,

Bach. Opracowal Wladislaw Duleba. Teksty Bohdarr Pociej. Krakow, 1973.

Besseler H. I. S. Bach. Berlin, 1956.

Buchet E. I. S. Bach, l "oeuvre et la vie. Paris, 1963.

Der Thomaskantor, Aus dem Leben und Schaffen I. S. Bachs. Berlin, 1950.

Forkel I. N. Uber lohann Sebastian Bachs Leben, Kunst und Kunstwerke. Berlin, 1968.

Frank H. I. S. Bach, Die Geschichte eines Lebens. Bertin, 1961.

Geiringer K, Johann Sebastian Bach Jhe Culmination of an Era. London, 1967.

Johann Sebastian Bach und Leipzig zu seiner Zeit. Leipzig, 1950.

Johann Sebastian Bach. Das Schaffen des Meisters im Spiegel einer Stadt. Leipzig, 1950.

I. S. Bach, 1750-1950. Dresden, 1950.

Neumann W. Auf den Lebenswegen I. S. Bachs. Berlin, 1962.

Neumann W. Bach, Eine Bildbiographie. Munchen, 1960.

Spitta Ph, I, S, Bach, Bd. l - 2. Leipzig, 1873-1880.

The numbers in parentheses throughout indicate the number of this work according to the book "BWV": W. Schmieder. Thematisch-sistematische Verzeichnis der Werke lohann Sebastian Bachs. Liepzig, 1971.

Translation by Ksenia Stebneva.

Translated by Ya. S. Druskin.

Some biographers refer Bach's trip to Dresden to the autumn of 1714. We adhere to the generally accepted date: September 1717. In 1714, Friedemann was only four years old; he could hardly have been taken by his father to Dresden.

See Art. B. Kuznetsova "Einstein and Mozart". "Soviet music", 1971, e 12, p. 38.

Cit. according to the book: Hammerschlag. If Bach had kept a diary, p. 43.

Translation by Ksenia Stebneva.

Emphasized by us. CM.

A. V. Lunacharsky. In the world of music. Articles and speeches. Ed. 2. M., "Soviet composer", 1971, p. 312, 314.

V. D. Konen, Bach. "Musical Encyclopedia", vol. 1. M., "Soviet Encyclopedia", 1973, p. 357.

Riemann was mistaken: not six, but five sons survived the father.

The author of the story does not always give the exact age at which Bach's children died. Now, according to documentary evidence, the dates of birth and death of children have been clarified: Christian Sophia (29.VI.1723-1.VII.1726); Christian Gottlieb (14.IV.1720-21.IX.1728); Ernst Andreas (30.X.-1.XI.1727); Regina Johanna (10.X.1728-25.IV.1733); Christian Benedict (1.I.-4.I.1730); Christian Dorothea (18.III.1731-31.VIII.1732); Johann August (5.XI.-6.XI.1733).

In addition to Bach, another conductor of the collegium, Johann Gottlieb Gerner, is mentioned in the report of Mitzler's journal; He now served as organist at St. Thomas.

G. Chicherin" Mozart. M., "Music", 1970, p. 181.

7

The influence of music on a person 03.12.2017

Dear readers, today in our column there will be a meeting with the greatest of composers J. S. Bach. Take the time to communicate with him, and he will immediately respond. The article was prepared by Liliya Shadkovska, music teacher, she continues to open the wonderful world of music for readers. I pass the word to Lily.

Hello, dear readers blog by Irina Zaitseva. The first days of winter delighted us light frost and snowfalls. The first snowfall is the most beautiful. Like white fluff, gentle clean snow transformed everything around. Beautiful landscapes pleasing to the eye. And what can please our soul and heart in these long winter evenings? Of course, music!

The embodiment of divine beauty

Today we will go to visit Johann Sebastian Bach himself. Each generation discovers something new in Bach's music, consonant with its time. Perhaps you, too, will rediscover this composer and his music. We will listen to the best works of J. S. Bach.

The music that will sound at the beginning of our meeting creates an atmosphere of loftiness, expectation of a miracle and anticipation of the holiday. But in this work, J.S. Bach belongs only to the accompaniment part. How could the composer foresee that on the basis of his prelude, the French composer of the 19th century, Charles Gounod, would compose a vocal melody?

Inspired by Bach's divine harmony, Ch. Gounod wrote variations for violin and piano. After adding the words of the Latin prayer "Ave Maria" to the melody, this work becomes another masterpiece of musical art.

Ch. Gounod - J. S. Bach "Ave Maria"

I suggest listening to the original Bach prelude. Pay attention to the fact that the entire melodic sphere is dispersed in chords that replace each other continuously. Bach managed to create an incredible image of the Annunciation, touching the strings of our soul, reviving the good, the eternal, the beautiful.

J. S. Bach "Prelude and Fugue in C"

The purpose of music is to touch hearts!
J. S. Bach

J.S. Bach - German composer, the greatest genius in the history of music, lived and worked in the Baroque era. Bach's musical heritage has entered the golden fund of world culture, and his immortal masterpieces are timeless. Bach's music is the history of mankind, expressed in sounds. His talent was multifaceted - a composer, an unsurpassed master of polyphony, an organist, a harpsichordist, a violinist, and a teacher. Bach's work belongs to intellectual music, in a word - it is an eternal and beautiful art!

The most musical family in history

J.S. Bach was born in 1685 in Eisenach, a small Thuringian town in Germany. He was the eighth child in the family of the musician Johann Ambrosius Bach. His father taught him to play the violin. Young Bach had a wonderful voice and sang in the church choir. Music filled his whole life, and the father had high hopes for his youngest son.

By the way, if ever there was a family in which reverence for music was inherited from generation to generation, it was the Bach family. The composer himself compiled the genealogy of his family, and the researchers counted fifty relatives of Johann Sebastian who connected life with music.

Musical biography of I.S. Bach

A happy childhood ended when he lost his mother, and a year later, his father.
After the death of his parents at the age of ten, Johann was taken in by his older brother Johann Christoph. The elder brother taught the future composer to play the clavier, organ, and the basics of music.

At the age of 15, Johann continues his musical education V vocal school city ​​of Lüneburg. Here he gets acquainted with the work of composers, receives a comprehensive education. In the same period, J.S. Bach wrote his first works. Thus begins the musical biography of the great composer and organist.

Having brilliantly graduated from the vocal gymnasium, he gets the right to enter the university. But due to lack of funds, he is unable to continue his studies. He is invited to the position of court musician at the Weimar court, but dissatisfaction with his dependent position makes him look for a new job. So he gets a job as organist at the New Church in Arnstadt.

Organ virtuoso

J. S. Bach writes many pieces of music, but the fame of him first of all spreads as a virtuoso performer. He was a big fan keyboard instruments He played the harpsichord and clavichord. But it was the organ that allowed him to fully reveal his talent as a composer. Johann Sebastian Bach mastered it to perfection, his skill was unsurpassed. This fact was recognized even by his rivals.

Plunging into this boundless ocean of sounds, we are distracted from everyday bustle and remain alone with the divine. The light sounds of this organ prelude give us a feeling of silence, peace and tranquility. This music sounded in A. Tarkovsky's film "Solaris".

J. S. Bach "Organ Choral Prelude in F Minor"

There is a sacred silence in music,
Pinching, like faith in the Almighty,
And this silence is embodied
In the nightly prayers of a sinful musician.
The silence of the night chills the soul,
The glow of the stars sways slightly,
Among the stars in the night, the most pure face burns,
Prayer lasts and is heard in prayer ...
Oh Lord, I'm sorry...

WITH young years J.S. Bach gets acquainted with the work of various musicians. But he thoroughly studies the work of Italian composers, processing their music. So, the author of the following work is Alessandro Marcello, a composer of Italy during the Baroque. Although he was an amateur composer, his works were very popular. The most famous of them was the "Adagio" arranged by J.S. Bach. Sounded in a new way, it captivates us with the strength and depth of feeling.

A. Marcello, J. S. Bach "Adagio"

“Great Bach, you are the music of the Universe…”

Very often the composer's music is compared with space. Why do you think? After all, Bach lived long before the space age. After watching the video and hearing the sound of the organ, you can answer this question. I think that J.S. Bach was allowed to hear the music of the heavenly spheres. Is it not because the divine harmony of the composer and the piercing power of the organ, falling upon us, excite our souls, creating truly stellar and cosmic associations?

Many musicians believe that if we could hear the sounds of the universe, they would be like Bach's music.

J. S. Bach "Toccata in D Minor"

Great Bach, you are the music of the Universe,
Curbing the breath of the organ,
And in the XXI century modern
You will be in people's hearts.
A powerful sound will merge in a stream
In the last triumphant chord,
And man - a particle of the universe -
Feel the delight of immortality.

Bach's message to extraterrestrial civilizations

In 1977, an unusual golden disc was released with a message on behalf of the inhabitants of our planet to extraterrestrial civilizations. This golden disc contains not only the sounds of the Earth, but also music, including the music of J.S. Bach. This disk, placed aboard the Voyager spacecraft, is already at a distance of about 20 billion kilometers from Earth, that is, outside the solar system.

exemplary family

I would like to note that Johann Sebastian was an exemplary family man, and family life was as dear to him as music. The house was filled with music, concerts were often held here, in which the children of Bach took part. He taught his gifted children himself. Four of Bach's children later became famous composers: Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel from their first marriage, Johann Christoph Friedrich and Johann Christian from their second.

Hard trials befell Bach when he lost his first wife and children. Under the heavy impressions of the death of his wife, Siciliana was written - music permeated with grief and deep sadness.

J. S. Bach "Siciliana"

Soon he fell in love again. This time, the very young Anna Magdalena became his chosen one. She did an excellent housekeeping job and became a caring stepmother for the children. But most importantly, she was sincerely interested in her husband's success, helped to rewrite notes, and was keenly interested in music.

The Bach family began to grow again. Anna gave her husband 13 children. New family she also often gathered together in the evenings, arranging concerts. The house was once again filled with happiness.

J.S. Bach's "Musical Joke" embodies everything that the composer wanted to give to children. Like the bright smile of a father who watched the carefree fun of his children, she conquers us with her light, gentle sound of the flute and the silvery ringing of stringed instruments in different variations.

J. S. Bach "Musical Joke" (Suite No. 2 for flute and orchestra)

Oh! How sweet coffee tastes!

This amazing story about coffee and music began with the fact that the owner of the coffee house ordered to write a piece of music about coffee in the cantata genre. The composer was Johann Sebastian, the lyrics were written by H. F. Henriki.

In those distant times, coffee was a little-known drink, many treated it with distrust. To draw attention to this drink, J.S. Bach wrote a cantata in a playful way.

“Coffee cantata” is especially pleasant to listen to when enjoying the magical taste of coffee. I am sure that every time you pour yourself a cup of aromatic drink, you will remember Bach's music!

J. S. Bach "Coffee Cantata"

Quite a lot of secular cantatas and music of other genres were written to order, because they helped to get additional income. But at the same time, the composer steadily defended his views on music. It is known that J.S. Bach was a deeply religious person and was convinced that music is an expression of the divine. He said so: "All my music belongs to God, and all my abilities are intended for Him."

From the abyss of troubles I call to you

Through music, he reflects on the most important, eternal questions human life. And these reflections are most often connected with religious themes, because Bach served in the church for most of his life. He wrote many cantatas on spiritual texts. The composer knew the Holy Scripture perfectly, and Jesus was the main character and ideal in music. He even decorated his scores with inscriptions: “Glory to God alone!”, “Jesus, help!”

J. S. Bach "Jesus Remains My Joy"

Bach also has works that are truly tragic. But don't be afraid of this word. Find strength in yourself and listen to one of the most grandiose, sublime and majestic works. This is the scene of the last farewell to Christ. "Sleep sweetly. Away, rather away from earthly sorrows…” The door to eternity is open.

Indescribable and captivating, it awakens the greatest feelings in the soul.
human. I had the opportunity to attend a concert in Leipzig, which was dedicated to the work of Bach, and I must say that even men stingy with emotions could not hold back tears during the sound of the final choir.

J. S. Bach "Passion according to Matthew". Final chorus "We sit with tears"

But again I rise to the sky
Carried by the vibration of the Father's love,
Where God is, where the light of the home is
The path of ascent illuminates us
To the source of existence, to the divine feet.

In 1723 Bach moved the family to Leipzig. Here his sons were able to get a good education and start musical career. The composer himself received the post of cantor of the main churches of the city. He worked hard, his creative list of works has grown considerably.

But in the last years of his life, Bach's health deteriorated sharply, due to eye strain, which he received in his youth. As a result of an unsuccessful operation, Bach became blind. But he continues to compose music, dictating his works to his son-in-law. After some time, he decides on a second operation, which only aggravates his condition. July 28, 1759 J.S. Bach dies.

The composer was buried in Leipzig in the church cemetery. But during World War II, the temple was destroyed. In 1949, the ashes of the composer were transferred and buried at the altar of the Church of St. Thomas.

After the death of the composer, his name was forgotten. And only an accidental discovery of the old clavier "Passion according to Matthew" resurrected the undeservedly forgotten name. The triumphal procession of Bach's music around the world began precisely with the Matthew Passion, which was performed in 1829 in Berlin. Conducted
performance of the oratorio by the young composer Felix Mendelssohn.

Moreover, Bach's biography was published in one of the popular newspapers. She further spurred interest in the composer's work among the general public. People were discovering Bach's music. Was published complete collection composer's works, catalogs were compiled, concerts were held. And in order to pay tribute and admiration for the genius, musicians, music copyists, members of the Bach Society worked for free. With the money of Felix Mendelssohn, a monument to the great composer was made.

Throughout his life, Bach wrote more than 1,000 works in all genres except opera. Bach's work is the pinnacle of the universe and once again proves that a person is capable of creating magical objects of art and beauty.

Did you know that:

• one day, having no money for a trip, young Bach went to another city on foot. He covered a distance of 350 km to hear the organist Dietrich Buxtehude play;
• in Dresden, the performance of the "world star" of that time, L. Marchand, was to take place. He and Bach met on the eve of the concert, they even managed to play together, after which Marchand left Dresden, unable to withstand the competition and recognizing Bach as the best musician;
• Bach sometimes disguised himself as a poor schoolteacher and in a church in some small town asked permission to play the church organ. His game always made such a strong impression on the parishioners that they could not believe that they were a simple teacher;
• It is known that J.S. Bach was an excellent teacher. But he never charged for his private lessons;
• Bach had a unique ear. He could, without a single mistake, perform a work heard once;
• Bach music festivals are held all over the world, and in Leipzig every 4 years one of the largest organ competitions in the world, named after J.S. Bach, is held;
• “I loved the long autumn and winter evenings when the children went to bed. Sebastian and I sat down to our usual activity of copying music. Two candles stood between us. So quietly and joyfully we worked side by side, keeping a deep silence. Often inspiration descended on him, he took a blank sheet of music from a pile that I always put next to him, and sketched out what was born in his soul - this inexhaustible source of music. (From the memoirs of Anna Magdalena).

The great musician and composer left us not only his creations - he left us a whole world of his music - the world of Bach. This is the height at which human genius can abide. This is the height at which man is equal to God.

Shadkovska Lilia

I thank Lilia for the story about J.S. Bach, about his musical genius. We all heard something about him, because he was an extraordinary person, but still every time you are surprised anew by the facts from his life - both professional and personal. It was so full of music, love, piety that it cannot but arouse respect and admiration, like all his great works.

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