J.S Bach

J.S Bach

1685-1750

Widely regarded as “one of the greatest composers of all time”, Johann Sebastian Bach (J.S Bach) revolutionized the baroque era of music and left a lasting mark on classical music. Born in 1686, Bach was born into a family of professional German musicians. He picked up the violin, organ, and composition as a child, showing a remarkable talent at a very young age. Bach spent a majority of his life in Leipzig, where he was a director of church music. During this time, he also composed many of his most popular works. These works include the infamous Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, and many cantatas. Bach also composed many chorales for the organ during his time in Leipzig.

Bach had twenty children (a normal number during the seventeenth century, given the high mortality rate) of which only ten survived. Of the ten, only four became very influential musicians like their father. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was one that continued in his father’s footsteps, learning the organ, too, at a very young age. Philipp Bach was an influential composer as well, working at a time of transition between the baroque era of music and the ascendence of the classical era. It is reasonable to assume that he laid the groundwork for the transition between some of the most important eras of music. 

Although Bach is a very highly regarded composer today, many of his compositions were neglected up to fifty years after his death. Compared to emerging composers, Bach’s style of composition was seen as “old-fashioned” in his lifetime, and therefore many of his great works were disregarded as outdated. It wasn’t until the nineteenth century, when composer Felix Mendelssohn stunned the audience with a performance of The St. Matthew Passion, that Bach’s works began to receive new found interest and its deserved recognition. 

Today, Bach is one of the most celebrated composers in the world. His compositions are analyzed and studied globally, with many being regularly performed in concert halls. Bach’s legacy continues into the twenty-first century, influencing many musicians and aspiring composers like himself today.

Written by Emily Chen