Download Class number: 22 Johann Sebastian Bach`s musical life Johann

Class number: 22
Johann Sebastian Bach’s musical life
Johann Sebastian Bach is one of my most favorite musical composers, and his musical piece made me to
become one of the classical musical piano players. Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and
musician of the Baroque period. Also, he established German styles through his skill in countering, harmonic
and motivic organization, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from
Italy and France. Bach is widely regarded as one of the most important composers in the history of music. In
fact, Bach’s musical piece is revered for its technical command, artistic beauty, and intellectual depth, even
people thought his piece is boring or hard to understanding when they listen his pieces at the firs time.
A large amount of Bach’s music pieces in the conventions of his day is the final stage of the baroque
style, similar with Handel, Telemann and Vivaldi wrote concertos at that special period. However, special
characteristic of his musical style are his skill in contrapuntal invention and motivic control and his talent for
writing tightly woven music of powerful sonority.
Bach was born in Eisenach, in the duchy of Saxe-Eisenach, into a great musical family. His father was
the director of the town musicians, and all of his uncles were professional musicians. Bach was learning music
from his family at the early period; his father taught his to play the violin and harpsichord, and his brother
taught him the clavichord and exposed him many contemporary music. Apparently at Bach’s own initiative,
Bach attended St. Michael’s School in Lunegurg for two years, and he began his musical life.
After Bach graduated from St. Michael, he was appointed court musician in the chapel of Duke Johann
Ernst III in Weimar. In fact, Bach’s time in Weimar was the start of a sustained period of composing keyboard
and orchestral works, and he learned to write dramatic openings and employ the dynamic motor rhythms and
harmonic schemes found in the music of Italians such as Vivaldi, Corelli, and Torelli.
Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Kothen, hired Bach to serve as his Kapellmeister in 1717. Bach’s work from
this period was secular, including the orchestral suites, the cello suites, the sonatas and partitas for solo violin,
and the Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046-1051. At the same time, Bach composed secular cantatas for the
court, such as Die Zeit, Die Tag und Jahre macht, BWV 134a. A significant influence upon Bach’s musical
development during his years with the prince is recorded by Stauffer as Bach’s “complete embrace of dance
music, perhaps the most important influence on his mature style other than his mature style other than his
adoption of Vivaldi’s music in Weimar.
Religious music was at the center of Bach’s output for much of his life, and the hundreds of sacred
works he created are usually seen as manifesting not just his craft but also a truly devout relationship with God.
Also, the large-scale structure of every major Bach sacred vocal work is evidence of subtle, elaborate planning
to create a religiously and musically powerful expression. Such as Matthaus Passion, BWV244, illustrated the
Passion with Bible text reflected in recitative, arias, choruses, and chorales.
In Leipzig, as the conductor of church music, he was required to instruct the students of the
Thomasschule in singing and to provide church music for the main churches in Leipzig. During this period,
Bach composed a mass for the Dresden court, which he later incorporated in his Mass in B Minor, BWV 232, in
1733. Mass in B minor is Bach’s last large work, and Stauffer described as “Bach’s most universal church work.
Consisting mainly of recycled movements from cantatas written over a thirty-five-year period, it allowed Bach
to survey his vocal pieces one last time and pick select movements for further revision and refinement.”
Although the complete mass was never performed during the composer’s lifetime, it is considered to be among
the greatest choral works of all time.
Bach’s abilities as an organist were highly respected during his lifetime, even he was not widely
recognized as a great composer until a revival of interest in and performances of his music in the first half of the
19th century. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time nowadays. Also, all of his
musical piece should to be listened by heard with deep feeling, and people will enjoy his talent and amazing
musical style. Which like Bach’s whole musical life, which is talent and amazing.
URL links:
Johann Sebastian Bach, “Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046-1051”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehbar90jHz8
Johann Sebastian Bach, “Matthaus Passion, BWV244”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm1os4VzTgA
Johann Sebastian Bach, “Mass in B Minor, BWV 232”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY1w3EhXqwo