Johann Sebastian Bach Research Paper

991 Words4 Pages
It has been argued for many years that Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most gifted composers of all time. This does not mean that he is everyone’s favorite composer, but argued to be one of the leading composers in all history. This is argued by many scholars because of many factors. Bach is one of the most gifted composers of his time because of his difficult early life, compositions of giving God the glory in spite of that, bringing different styles of music together, and his numerous works from inventions to chorales to symphonies. Johann Sebastian Bach was orphaned at age 10, and lost 11 out of his 20 children, yet he still found a way to compose all of his works in a way that glorified Christ. Bach wrote the initials S. D. G. at…show more content…
Bach lived a long, eventful life that consisted of many things, yet he is known most for being one of the leading composers of his generation. J.S. Bach once said, “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” Much of Bach’s life was spent working for church, and his devoted Christian life has influenced his music. This quote has proven to be true among many of Bach’s works, as they focus on sacred text and concepts. I will focus on four main reasons why Bach is one of the leading composers of his generation. Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the leading composers of his time because of what he made of his difficult early life, countless compositions of giving God the glory in spite of that, bringing different styles of music together, and his numerous works from inventions to chorales to…show more content…
He comes from a musical family full of performers, teachers, and composers. He was the youngest of four children, and was orphaned at age 10. After losing his parents, J.S. Bach went to live with his brother, Johann Christoph Bach in Ohrdruf. During this time, Johann Christoph gave Johann Sebastian his first keyboard lessons. It has been said that Johann Christoph withheld certain Pachelbel manuscripts from Johann Sebastian, and Johann Sebastian copied them by moonlight, which is said to have caused a division between the brothers (Boyd, 35). From 1700-1702, Bach attended Luneburg, a school in northern Germany. In 1707, J.S. Bach moved to Muhlhausen to study church music and play the organ. During this time, he wrote many cantatas and married his first wife and second cousin, Maria Barbara Bach. Together they had seven children before she died prematurely of unknown causes (Boyd, 39). In 1708, Bach became the concert master and court organist for the Duke of Weimar. These compositions were at such a level that leads us to believe that he was an incredibly gifted performer because of the technicality within the works. In 1721, J.S. Bach married his second wife, Anna Magdalena Wilcken, and together had 13 children. In 1723, Bach was given the cantor position at Leipzig, where he wrote most of his choral music. J.S. Bach passed away due to failing health and eyesight at 65 (Tucker 2). Johann Sebastian Bach had a
Show More
Related

  • Paul Creston

    769 Words  | 4 Pages

    Introduction Paul Creston’s Sonata for Eb Alto Saxophone and Piano, Op. 19 is one of the most famous and widely played pieces in the solo saxophone repertoire. This paper is divided into three major sections: history, analysis, and performance considerations. Within the history section, there is a brief description of Paul Creston’s life through the composition. The analysis section examines the basic form and structure, and also provides a brief harmonic analysis of each movement. The

    Read More

  • Antonio Vivaldi Research Paper

    967 Words  | 4 Pages

    HyeonSu Nam John T. Harrell Music 101-02 Research Paper Antonio Vivaldi Through the whole of history there were many periods of time. There many periods are all alike in some way because they all flow slowly and it called the Baroque period. He was ordained as a priest from his dad, but he chose to do music. He made hundreds of works and became famous for his concertos in Baroque style and became a highly influential innovator in form and pattern. He is recognized as one of the greatest the Baroque

    Read More

More about Johann Sebastian Bach Research Paper

Open Document