BACH, JOHANN SEBASTIAN

born March 21, 1685, Eisenach, Thuringia, Ernestine Saxon Duchies died July 28, 1750, Leipzig composer of the Baroque era, the most celebrated member of a large family of northern German musicians. Although he was admired by his contemporaries primarily as an outstanding harpsichordist, organist, and expert on organ building, Bach is now generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time and is celebrated as the creator of the Brandenburg Concertos, The Well-Tempered Clavier, the Mass in B Minor, and numerous other masterpieces of church and instrumental music. Appearing at a propitious moment in the history of music, Bach was able to survey and bring together the principal styles, forms, and national traditions that had developed during preceding generations and, by virtue of his synthesis, enrich them all. He was a member of a remarkable family of musicians who were proud of their achievements, and about 1735 he drafted a genealogy, Ursprung der musicalisch-Bachischen Familie (Origin of the Musical Bach Family), in which he traced his ancestry back to his great-great-grandfather Veit Bach, a Lutheran baker (or miller) who was driven from Hungary to Wechmar in Thuringia, a historic region of Germany, by religious persecution late in the 16th century and died in 1619. There were Bachs in the area before then, and it may be that, when Veit moved to Wechmar, he was returning to his birthplace. He used to take his cittern to the mill and play it while grinding was going on. Johann Sebastian remarked, A pretty noise they must have made together! However, he learnt to keep time, and this apparently was the beginning of music in our family. Until the birth of Johann Sebastian, his was the least distinguished branch of the family; its members had been competent practical musicians, but not composers, such as Johann Christoph and Johann Ludwig. In later days the most important musicians in the family were Johann Sebastian's sons, Wilhelm Friedemann, Carl Philipp Emanuel, and Johann Christian (the English Bach). born March 21, 1685, Eisenach, Thuringia, Ernestine Saxon Duchies died July 28, 1750, Leipzig composer of the Baroque era, the most celebrated member of a large family of northern German musicians. Though he was considered old-fashioned in his lifetime and his works were neglected after his death, Bach was recognized in the 19th century as one of the greatest composers of the Western world, a preeminence that has continued undiminished in the 20th century. A brief account of the life and works of Johann Sebastian Bach follows; for a full biography, see Bach. After the death of his parents when he was 10, Bach was looked after and taught by his eldest brother, Johann Christoph. He became a choirboy at the Michaelskirche, Lneburg, when he was 15. In 1703 he was appointed organist at the Neukirche, Arnstadt, where he remained for four years, after which he moved to a similar post at Mhlhausen and about the same time married his cousin, Maria Barbara Bach. A year later he became court organist at Weimar, staying there until 1717, when he went into the service of Prince Leopold of Kthen as musical director. There in 1721 he completed his Brandenburg Concertos. His first wife died in 1720, and at the end of the following year he married Anna Magdalena Wilcken. In 1723 he was appointed musical director for the city of Leipzig, where he had to supply performers for four churches. In May 1747 he played before Frederick II the Great of Prussia at Potsdam. Two years later his eyesight began to fail, and he became blind shortly before his death in 1750. In the course of his various duties, Bach wrote an enormous amount of sacred choral music, including more than 200 cantatas, his noble Mass in B Minor, and three settings of the Passion story (one of which is lost). He also wrote extensively and significantly for the organ and harpsichord, the latter works including the great 48 Preludes and Fugues called The Well-Tempered Clavier (Book I, 1722; Book II, 1744) and the Goldberg Variations (1742). Among his many instrumental works are some 20 concertos and 12 unaccompanied sonatas for violin and cello. Additional reading Catalogs Wolfgang Schmieder, Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Johann Sebastian Bach: Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, 2nd rev. and enlarged ed. (1990), known as BWV, is the standard catalog of Bach's music, including a bibliography for each work. Ray Reeder, The Bach English-Title Index (1993), lists titles in English, each accompanied by its respective BWV number from the aforementioned Schmieder work. Paul Kast, Die Bach-Handschriften der Berliner Staatsbibliothek (1958), contains a descriptive catalog of the Bach manuscripts in the possession of the Staatsbibliothek, Berlin, the largest single repository, with more than 75 percent of the surviving Bach sources. May Deforest McAll (compiler), Melodic Index to the Works of Johann Sebastian Bach, rev. and enlarged ed. (1962), contains some 3,872 themes. Gerhard Herz, Bach Sources in America (1984), in German and English, is of special interest. Hans-Joachim Schulze and Christoph Wolff, Bach Compendium (1985 ), is the most comprehensive catalog of Bach's works. Collections of correspondence, sketchbooks, and reminiscences Werner Neumann and Hans-Joachim Schulze (eds.), Schriftstcke von der Hand Johann Sebastian Bachs (1963), a critical edition of all surviving nonmusical documents (such as letters and receipts) in Bach's handwriting, and Fremdschriftliche und gedruckte Dokumente zur Lebensgeschichte Johann Sebastian Bachs 16851750 (1969), a critical edition of all known printed and handwritten discussions of and references to Bach dating from his lifetime, are vol. 1 and 2 in the series Bach-Dokumente; Hans-Joachim Schulze (ed.), Dokumente zum nachwirken Johann Sebastian Bachs: 17501800 (1972, reissued 1984), is vol. 3 of the series; and vol. 4 is Werner Neumann (ed.), Bilddokumente zur Lebensgeschichte Johann Sebastian Bachs (1979), with text and captions in both English and German. Also of interest are Hans T. David and Arthur Mendel (eds.), The Bach Reader: A Life of Johann Sebastian Bach in Letters and Documents, rev. ed. (1966); and Robert Lewis Marshall, The Compositional Process of J.S. Bach, 2 vol. (1972), a study of the autograph scores of the vocal works, with transcriptions of all surviving musical sketches and drafts included in vol. 2. Biography and criticism Philipp Spitta, Johann Sebastian Bach: His Work and Influence on the Music of Germany, 16851750, 3 vol. (1885, reprinted 1992; originally published in German, 2 vol., 187380), a monumental study, is still the standard biography, although no longer valid in many particulars. Further important full-length studies are Albert Schweitzer, J.S. Bach, 2 vol. (1911, reprinted 1966; originally published in French, 1905), an influential, if highly subjective and personal, interpretation; Charles Sanford Terry, Bach: A Biography; 2nd rev. ed. (1933, reprinted 1972), a useful supplement to the biographical portions of Spitta's work; Karl Geiringer and Irene Geiringer, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Culmination of an Era (1966), an account of the life and works that uses results of research in the 1950s by Alfred Drr and Georg von Dadelsen bearing on the chronology of Bach's works, and The Bach Family: Seven Generations of Creative Genius (1954, reprinted 1980); and Percy M. Young, The Bachs: 15001850 (1970). Barbara Schwendowius and Wolfgang Dmling (eds.), Johann Sebastian Bach: Life, Times, Influence (1977, reissued 1984; originally published in German, 1976), is an illustrated collection of wide-ranging essays on the composer. Other useful sources include Alec Robertson, Bach (1977), a biography with a survey of books, published editions of the works, and recordings; Norman Carrell, Bach the Borrower (1967, reprinted 1980), on Bach's use of preexisting material; Eva Grew and Sydney Grew, Bach (1947, reissued 1977); C. Hubert H. Parry, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Story of the Development of a Great Personality, rev. ed. (1934, reprinted 1977); and Robert L. Weaver (ed.), Essays on the Music of J.S. Bach and Other Divers Subjects (1981). Malcolm Boyd, Bach (1983), examines the composer and his music. Gerhard Herz, Essays on J.S. Bach (1985), is a compilation of noteworthy articles focusing on Bach's works. Analysis of the spiritual foundations of Bach's music is found in Jaroslav Pelikan, Bach Among the Theologians (1986). Contemporary interpretations of Bach are explored in Don O. Franklin (ed.), Bach Studies (1989); and Robert L. Marshall, The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach: The Sources, the Style, the Significance (1989). John Butt, Bach Interpretation (1990), discusses the usage and function of articulation marks in Bach's compositions. Christoph Wolff, Bach: Essays on His Life and Music (1991), assesses various aspects of the composer's career.Bach's place in history is discussed in Wilfrid Mellers, Bach and the Dance of God (1980), focusing on the creative process and the relationship of music, word, and drama in his music; Jan Chiapusso, Bach's World (1968, reprinted 1980), a historical study, with musical analyses; and Douglas R. Hofstadter, Gdel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid (1979, reissued 1989), a metaphorical, philosophical work for the reader interested in the structure of Bach's music. On the vocal music Alfred Drr, Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 5th rev. ed., 2 vol. (1985), a general survey, also includes individual essays on each cantata by one of the principal editors of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe. Werner Neumann, Handbuch der Kantaten Johann Sebastian Bachs, 4th rev. ed. (1971), is a handbook of useful factual data and schematic analyses of all the cantatas; it is complemented by Werner Neumann (ed.), Smtliche von Johann Sebastian Bach vertonte Texte (1974), complete texts of the works set to music by Bach; and W.G. Whittaker, The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, Sacred and Secular, 2 vol. (1959, reprinted 1978), a stimulating appreciation, but one that should be used with caution. Detailed research is given in Charles Sanford Terry, Bach's Chorals, 3 vol. (191521, reprinted 3 vol. in 2, 1979), Bach: The Cantatas and Oratorios, 2 vol. (1925), Bach: The Passions, 2 vol. (1926), and Bach: The Magnificat, Lutheran Masses, and Motets (1929), these last three reprinted in 1 vol. (1972); Basil Smallman, The Background of Passion Music: J.S. Bach and His Predecessors, 2nd rev. and enlarged ed. (1970); Paul Steinitz, Bach's Passions (1978), with an overview of the history of performances of the Passions; James Day, The Literary Background to Bach's Cantatas (1961); Alec Robertson, The Church Cantatas of J.S. Bach (1972), with information on the religious significance of Bach's treatment of the texts; and Augusta Rubin, J.S. Bach: The Modern Composer (1976), an analysis of his harmonic methods, with more than 1,200 quotations from the chorales. Stephen Daw, The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach: The Choral Works (1981), appraises Bach's cantatas, Passions, Magnificat, and masses. Laurence Dreyfus, Bach's Continuo Group: Players and Practices in His Vocal Works (1987), is concerned with the instrumental accompaniments for Bach's vocal music. W. Murray Young, The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide (1989), is a readable treatment and translation of Bach's religious and secular cantatas, useful for the general reader. An original examination of the influence of theology on the tonal structure of Bach's vocal works is presented in Eric Chafe, Tonal Allegory in the Vocal Music of J.S. Bach (1991). On the instrumental music Studies include Hermann Keller, The Organ Works of Bach (1967; originally published in German, 1948), Die Klavierwerke Bachs (1950), and The Well-Tempered Clavier by Johann Sebastian Bach (1976; originally published in German, 1965), exploring the historical context of Bach's organ and keyboard works, with individual analyses of the compositions; Donald Francis Tovey, A Companion to The Art of Fugue (1931, reprinted 1982), an analysis; Hans T. David, J.S. Bach's Musical Offering: History, Interpretation, and Analysis (1945, reissued 1972); Charles Sanford Terry, The Music of Bach (1933, reissued 1963), and Bach's Orchestra (1932, reprinted 1972); and Norman Carrell, Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, 2nd ed. (1985). Gregory Butler, Bach's Clavier-bung III: The Making of a Print, with a Companion Study of the Canonic Variations on Von Himmel Hoch' BWV 769 (1990), analyzes the compositional background of some of Bach's organ music. David Schulenberg, The Keyboard Music of J.S. Bach (1992), is a highly informative study of Bach's keyboard works (excepting organ), of interest to serious as well as to more casual readers. Meredith Little And Natalie Jenne, Dance and the Music of J.S. Bach (1991), is the first comprehensive treatment in English of the nature and significance of Bach's indebtedness to the dance traditions of his time. On performance Differing ideas are represented by Erwin Bodky, The Interpretation of Bach's Keyboard Works (1960, reprinted 1976), a controversial but stimulating approach; Walter Emery, Bach's Ornaments (1953, reprinted 1963), a discussion of the problems and suggested solutions; Robert Donington, Tempo and Rhythm in Bach's Organ Music (1960); Thomas Harmon, The Registration of J.S. Bach's Organ Works, 2nd ed. (1981); Frederick Neumann, Ornamentation in Baroque and Post-Baroque Music: With Special Emphasis on J.S. Bach (1978), with a glossary of terms and symbols and a bibliography of primary sources; and the preface to Arthur Mendel, The Passion According to St. John (1951). Keyboard performance and interpretation are examined in Ralph Kirkpatrick, Interpreting Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier: A Performer's Discourse of Method (1984). Fernando Valenti, A Performer's Guide to the Keyboard Partitas of J.S. Bach (1989), addresses issues raised by the author's pupils. Paul Badura-Skoda, Interpreting Bach at the Keyboard (1993; originally published in German, 1990), is an up-to-date and thoughtful discussion of tempo, articulation, choice of instrument, and ornamentation, among other issues. Walter Emery Robert L. Marshall The Editors of the Encyclopdia Britannica Major Works: Vocal music (sacred) Masses Mass in B Minor, BWV 232 (172446); 4 Lutheran masses (i.e., containing only settings of the Kyrie and the Gloria). Oratorios Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 (1734); Easter Oratorio (Kommt, eilet und laufet, BWV 249; 1725); Ascension Oratorio (1735). Passions Passion According to St. John, BWV 245 (1724); Passion According to St. Matthew, BWV 244 (1729). Cantatas About 200 for different Sundays in the church year (1707 to after 1735; mainly 171416, 172327), mostly for soloist(s), chorus, and orchestra. Other works Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243; 7 motets; 2 Sanctus settings (3 others based on works by other composers); 186 independent chorale harmonizations. Vocal music (secular) Cantatas 24, mostly for soloists, chorus, and orchestraall on German texts, except 2 Italian; they include the Coffee Cantata (Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211; c. 1732) and the Peasant Cantata (Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212; 1742). Other works 5 songs for voice and continuo and 1 quodlibet for 4 voices and continuo. Orchestral music Concerti 6 Brandenburg Concertos (pre-1721); 2 concerti for violin and orchestra and 1 for 2 violins (171723); 7 for 1 harpsichord, 3 for 2 harpsichords, 2 for 3, and 1 for 4 harpsichords; 1 concerto for harpsichord, flute, and violin. Other orchestral works 4 overtures (suites); Sinfonia in D Major (incomplete). Chamber music Sonatas 2 for violin and continuo; 2 for flute and continuo; 1 for 2 flutes and harpsichord; 2 for flute, violin, and continuo; 3 for harpsichord and flute; 3 for harpsichord and viola da gamba; 6 for harpsichord and violin. Other chamber music Das musikalisches Opfer (1747) for strings, flute, and continuo; 6 unaccompanied sonatas (partitas) for violin (c. 1720); 6 unaccompanied suites (sonatas) for cello (c. 1720). Organ music Chorale preludes 140 chorale preludes including the Orgelbchlein (mainly 171416); Clavierbung, vol. 3 (1739), and Schbler Chorale Preludes (1746 or later). Fugues 18 preludes and fugues (170817, 172939), including the St. Anne in E-flat major and the Wedge in E minor; 5 toccatas and fugues (170017), including the Dorian in D minor; 3 fantasies and fugues; 4 other fugues. Other organ compositions Variations on the chorale Vom Himmel hoch (1747); Passacaglia in C Minor, BWV 582 (170817); 4 concerti; 7 fantasies; 4 preludes; 6 sonatas (trios); 3 trios. Harpsichord music Collections Clavierbung, vol. 1 (172631), 6 partitas; vol. 2 (1735), French Overture in B Minor and Concerto in the Italian Style; vol. 3 (1739), organ music with 4 duets for harpsichord; and vol. 4 (1742), Goldberg Variations. The Well-Tempered Clavier, 2 vol. (1722 and 1742), containing 48 preludes and fugues, 1 in each key in each book; Clavierbchlein (1720), for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, containing 15 2-part and 15 3-part inventions, 20 preludes, 2 chorale preludes, 2 allemandes, 4 minuets, a fugue, and an applicatio; Clavierbchlein (1722) and Notenbuch (1725), both for Anna Magdalena Bach, containing marches, minuets, a musette, polonaises, etc.; 6 French Suites and 6 English Suites. Other harpsichord works Aria variata in A minor; 2 capriccios; Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue; 5 fantasies, 2 with fugues; 12 Little Preludes; 4 preludes and 6 for beginners; 4 preludes and fughettas, 3 preludes and fugues; 2 sonatas; 4 miscellaneous suites; 7 toccatas and arrangements. For unspecified instrument(s) Die Kunst der Fuge (1749); 16 fugues and 4 canons.