Works of Johann Bach. Bach's most famous work (organ sounds)

They are divided into instrumental and vocal. The first include: for organ - sonatas, preludes, fugues, fantasies and toccatas, chorale preludes; for piano – 15 inventions, 15 symphonies, French and English suites, “Klavierübung” in four movements (partitas, etc.), a number of toccatas and other works, as well as “The Well-Tempered Clavier” (48 preludes and fugues in all keys); “Musical Offering” (a collection of fugues on themes of Frederick the Great) and the cycle “The Art of Fugue”. In addition, Bach has sonatas and partitas for violin (among them the famous Chaconne), for flute, cello (gamba) with piano accompaniment, concertos for piano and orchestra, as well as for two or more pianos, etc., concerts and suites for strings and wind instruments, as well as a suite for the five-string viola pomposa invented by Bach ( medium instrument between viola and cello).

Portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach. Artist E. G. Haussmann, 1748

All these works are characterized by a highly skillful polyphony, not found in a similar form either before or after Bach. With amazing skill and perfection, Bach solves the most complex problems of contrapuntal technique, both in large and small forms. But it would be a mistake to deny his melodic ingenuity and expressiveness at the same time. Counterpoint was for Bach not something memorized and difficult to apply, but was his natural language and form of expression, the comprehension and understanding of which must first be acquired in order for the manifestations of deep and versatile spiritual life expressed in this form to be fully understood and so that the gigantic his mood organ works, as well as the melodic charm and richness of changing moods in the fugues and piano suites were fully appreciated. Therefore, in most of the works related here, especially in individual numbers from the “Well-Tempered Clavier,” we have, along with completeness of form, characteristic plays of extremely varied content. It is this connection that determines their special and unique position in musical literature.

Despite all this, Bach's works for a long time after his death they were known and appreciated only by some experts, but the public almost forgot them. Per share Mendelssohn it fell, thanks to the performance in 1829 under his baton of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, to reawaken general interest to the late composer and to win his great vocal works their rightful place of honor in musical life - and not only in Germany.

Johann Sebastian Bach. Best works

This includes, first of all, those intended for worship. spiritual cantatas written by Bach (for all Sundays and holidays) in the amount of five complete annual cycles. Only about 226 cantatas have survived to us, quite reliable. The Gospel texts served as their text. The cantatas consist of recitatives, arias, polyphonic choruses and a chorale that concludes the entire work.

Next comes “music of passions” ( Passions), of which Bach wrote five. Of these, unfortunately, only two have reached us: Passion by John and Passion by Matthew; of these, the first was first performed in 1724, the second in 1729. The reliability of the third - the Passion according to Luke - is subject to great doubt. Musically dramatic portrayal of a story of suffering Christ achieves in these works the highest completeness of forms, the greatest musical beauty and power of expression. In a form mixed with epic, dramatic and lyrical elements, the story of the suffering of Christ passes before our eyes plastically and convincingly. The epic element appears in the person of the reciting evangelist, the dramatic element appears in the words of biblical figures, especially Jesus himself, interrupting the speech, as well as in the lively choirs of the people, the lyrical element appears in arias and choruses of a contemplative nature, and the chorale, contrasted with the whole presentation, indicates the direct relationship of the work to the divine service and hints at the community's participation in it.

Bach. St. Matthew Passion

A similar work, but of a lighter mood, is “ Christmas Oratorio"(Weihnachtsoratorium), written in 1734. It has also reached us" Easter Oratorio" Along with these large works, associated with Protestant worship, the adaptations of ancient Latin church texts are at the same height and just as perfect: Masses and five-voice Magnificat. Among them, the first place is taken by large Mass in B minor(1703). Just as Bach delved with faith into the words of the Bible, here he took up with faith the ancient words of the text of the Mass and depicted them in sounds with such richness and variety of feeling, with such power of expression that even now, clothed in a strict polyphonic fabric, they deeply captivating and deeply moving. The choirs in this work are among the greatest that has ever been created in the field of church music. The demands placed on the choir here are extremely high.

(Biographies of other great musicians - see the “More on the topic...” block below the article text.)

Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565) – business card Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the most powerful organ works ever composed.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) - outstanding German composer, a virtuoso organist who created over 1000 works during his life.

Bach's work represents all the significant genres of that time, except opera. Bach is a famous master of polyphony, a successor of ancient traditions, in whose work polyphony reaches its peak.

Today, each of the famous works is assigned a BWV number (abbreviated from Bach Werke Verzeichnis - a catalog of works by Johann Sebastian Bach). Bach wrote music for various instruments, both sacred and secular. Some of Bach's works are adaptations of works by other composers, and some are revised versions of their own works.

Church organist

In January 1703, after completing his studies, he received the position of court musician to the Weimar Duke Johann Ernst. During his seven months of service in Weimar, Bach's fame as a magnificent performer spread. Bach was invited to the position of organ caretaker at the Church of St. Boniface in Arnstadt, located 180 km from Weimar.

In August 1703, Bach took over as organist of the church. He had to work three days a week, the salary was relatively high. In addition, the instrument was maintained in good condition and was tuned according to a new system that expanded the capabilities of the composer and performer. During this period, Bach created many organ works.

In 1706, Bach decides to change his job. He was offered a more profitable and high position organist at the Church of St. Blaise in Mühlhausen, big city In the north of the country. In 1707, Bach accepted this offer, taking the place of organist Johann Georg Ale. His salary was increased compared to the previous one, and the standard of the singers was better.

Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565)

Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565) is a work for organ by Johann Sebastian Bach, one of his most popular works.

The work is believed to have been written by Bach during his stay in Arnstadt between 1703 and 1707.

The peculiarity of this small polyphonic cycle is the continuity of development musical material(no break between toccata and fugue). The form consists of three parts: toccata, fugue and coda. The latter, echoing the toccata, forms a thematic arch.

Toccata

The toccata begins with a prominent mordent, which is repeated an octave lower. The toccata consists of episodes contrasting in tempo and texture, ending with cadences.

Beginning with allegro, the toccata ends in adagio tempo on the third degree of D minor (F), which adds incompleteness and makes it clear that this is not the finale.

Fugue

The fugue theme is written using the technique of hidden polyphony. Further imitative development of the work is based on melodic figurations. Interlude and middle section deviate into parallel key F major. The reprise, returning the fugue to D minor, begins with a stretta.

The coda consists of several “improvisational” contrasting episodes (the development technique is borrowed from the toccata). The entire work ends with a plagal cadence.

Arrangements

There are many arrangements of toccata and fugue. In particular, for piano, guitar, electric guitar, button accordion, strings, jazz orchestra and other performing ensembles. A cappella arrangements are also known.

Date of birth: March 21, 1685
Place of birth: Eisenach
Country: Germany
Date of death: July 28, 1750

Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Johann Sebastian Bach) was a German composer and organist, a representative of the Baroque era. One of the greatest composers in the history of music.

During his life, Bach wrote more than 1000 works. His work represents all the significant genres of that time, except opera; he summarized the achievements of musical art of the Baroque period. Bach is a master of polyphony. After Bach's death, his music was little popular, but in the 19th century it was rediscovered. His work has had strong influence to the music of subsequent composers, including those in the 20th century. Bach's pedagogical works are still used for their intended purpose.

Johann Sebastian Bach was the sixth child in the family of musician Johann Ambrosius Bach and Elisabeth Lemmerhirt. The Bach family is known for its musicality with early XVI century: many of Johann Sebastian's ancestors were professional musicians. Bach's father lived and worked in Eisenach. Johannes Ambrosius's work included organizing secular concerts and performing church music.

When Johann Sebastian was 9 years old, his mother died, and a year later his father died. The boy was taken in by his older brother Johann Christoph, who served as an organist in nearby Ohrdruf. Johann Sebastian entered the gymnasium, his brother taught him to play the organ and clavier. Johann Sebastian loved music very much and never missed an opportunity to practice it or study new works.

While studying in Ohrdruf under the guidance of his brother, Bach became acquainted with the work of contemporary South German composers - Pachelbel, Froberger and others. It is also possible that he became acquainted with the works of composers from Northern Germany and France. Johann Sebastian observed how the organ was cared for, and may have taken part in it himself.

At the age of 15, Bach moved to Lüneburg, where in 1700-1703. studied at the singing school of St. Mikhail. During his studies, he visited Hamburg, the largest city in Germany, as well as Celle (where French music was held in high esteem) and Lubeck, where he had the opportunity to get acquainted with the work of famous musicians of his time. Bach's first works for organ and clavier date back to the same years.

In January 1703, after completing his studies, he received the position of court musician for the Weimar Duke Johann Ernst. During his seven months of service in Weimar, his fame as a performer spread. Bach was invited to the position of organ caretaker at the Church of St. Boniface in Arnstadt, located 180 km from Weimar. The Bach family had long-standing ties to this oldest German city. In August, Bach took over as organist of the church. He had to work only 3 days a week, and the salary was relatively high. In addition, the instrument was maintained in good condition and was tuned according to a new system that expanded the capabilities of the composer and performer. During this period, Bach created many organ works, including the famous Toccata in D minor.

In 1706, Bach decided to change his place of work. He was offered a more profitable and high position as an organist in the Church of St. Vlasia in Mühlhausen, a large city in the north of the country. On October 17, 1707, Johann Sebastian married his cousin Maria Barbara from Arnstadt. This marriage produced seven children, three of whom died in childhood. Two of the survivors, Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emmanuel, became famous composers.

The city and church authorities of Mühlhausen were pleased with the new employee. They without hesitation approved his plan for the restoration of the church organ, which required large expenses, and for the publication of the festive cantata “The Lord is my King” (this was the only cantata printed during Bach’s lifetime), written for the inauguration of the new consul, he was given a large reward.

After working in Mühlhausen for about a year, Bach changed jobs again, this time receiving the position of court organist and concert organizer in Weimar. Probably, the factors that forced him to change jobs were the high salary and a well-selected line-up of professional musicians.

In Weimar, a long period of composing keyboard and orchestral works began, in which Bach's talent reached its peak. During this period, Bach absorbed musical trends from other countries. The works of the Italians Vivaldi and Corelli taught Bach how to write dramatic introductions, from which Bach learned the art of using dynamic rhythms and decisive harmonic patterns. Bach studied the works of Italian composers well, creating transcriptions of Vivaldi concertos for organ or harpsichord.

In Weimar, Bach had the opportunity to play and compose organ works, as well as use the services of the ducal orchestra. In Weimar, Bach wrote most of his fugues (the largest and most famous collection of Bach's fugues is the Well-Tempered Clavier). While serving in Weimar, Bach began work on the Organ Notebook, a collection of pieces for the teaching of Wilhelm Friedemann. This collection consists of arrangements of Lutheran chorales.

By the end of his service in Weimar, Bach was already a well-known organist and harpsichord master. After some time, Bach again went in search of more suitable job. The Duke of Anhalt-Köthen hired Bach as conductor. The Duke, himself a musician, appreciated Bach's talent, paid him well and gave him great freedom of action. However, the Duke was a Calvinist and did not encourage the use of refined music in worship, so most of Bach's Köthen works were secular. Among other things, in Köthen, Bach composed suites for orchestra, six suites for solo cello, English and French suites for clavier, as well as three sonatas and three partitas for solo violin. The famous Brandenburg Concertos were also written during this period.

On July 7, 1720, while Bach was abroad with the Duke, a tragedy occurred - his wife Maria Barbara suddenly died, leaving four young children. IN next year Bach met Anna Magdalena Wilke, a young gifted soprano singer who sang at the ducal court. They married on December 3, 1721. Despite the age difference (she was 17 years younger than Johann Sebastian), their marriage was apparently a happy one. They had 13 children.

In 1723, his “Passion according to John” was performed in the Church of St. Thomas in Leipzig, and on June 1, Bach received the position of cantor of this church while simultaneously fulfilling the duties of a school teacher at the church, replacing Johann Kuhnau in this post. Bach's duties included teaching singing and conducting weekly concerts in Leipzig's two main churches, St. Thomas and St. Nicholas.

The first six years of his life in Leipzig turned out to be very productive: Bach composed up to 5 annual cycles of cantatas. Most of these works were written on gospel texts, which were read in the Lutheran church every Sunday and on holidays throughout the year; many (such as "Wachet auf! Ruft uns die Stimme" and "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland") are based on traditional church chants.

Writing cantatas most 1720s, Bach collected an extensive repertoire for performance in the main churches of Leipzig. Over time, he wanted to write and perform more secular music. In March 1729, Johann Sebastian became the head of the Collegium Musicum, a secular ensemble that had existed since 1701, when he founded it old friend Bach Georg Philipp Telemann. At that time, in many large German cities, gifted and active university students created similar ensembles. Such associations played an increasingly important role in public musical life, and were often led by famous professional musicians. For most of the year, the College of Music held two-hour concerts twice a week at Zimmerman's Coffee House, located near the market square. The owner of the coffee shop provided the musicians with a large hall and purchased several instruments. Many of secular works Bach, dating from the 1730s, 40s and 50s, were composed specifically for performance at Zimmermann's coffee house. Such works include, for example, the “Coffee Cantata” and the keyboard collection, as well as many concertos for cello and harpsichord.

During the same period, Bach wrote the Kyrie and Gloria parts of the famous Mass in B minor, later completing the remaining parts, the melodies of which were almost entirely borrowed from the composer’s best cantatas. Although the entire mass was never performed during the composer's lifetime, it is today considered by many to be one of the best choral works of all time.

In 1747, Bach visited the court of the Prussian king Frederick II, where the king offered him musical theme and asked me to immediately compose something for it. Bach was a master of improvisation and immediately performed a three-part fugue. Later, Johann Sebastian composed a whole cycle of variations on this theme and sent it as a gift to the king. The cycle consisted of ricercars, canons and trios, based on a theme dictated by Frederick. This cycle was called the "Musical Offering".

Another major cycle, “The Art of Fugue,” was not completed by Bach. During his lifetime he was never published. The cycle consists of 18 complex fugues and canons based on one simple theme. In this cycle, Bach used all the instruments and techniques of writing polyphonic works.

Bach's last work was a chorale prelude for organ, which he dictated to his son-in-law while practically on his deathbed. The title of the prelude is “Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit” (“Here I appear before Your throne”), and this work often ends the performance of the unfinished “The Art of Fugue.”

Over time, Bach's vision became worse and worse. Nevertheless, he continued to compose music, dictating it to his son-in-law Altnikkol. In 1750, Bach underwent two operations, but both of them were unsuccessful. Bach remained blind. On July 18, he unexpectedly regained his sight for a short time, but in the evening he suffered a stroke. Bach died on July 28, possibly due to complications from surgery.

The composer was buried near the Church of St. Thomas, where he served for 27 years. However, the grave was soon lost, and only in 1894 were Bach’s remains accidentally found during construction work, then the reburial took place.

Bach wrote more than 1000 musical works. Today, each of the famous works is assigned a BWV number (short for Bach Werke Verzeichnis - catalog of Bach's works). Bach wrote music for various instruments, both sacred and secular.
During his life, Bach was best known as a first-class organist, teacher and composer of organ music. He worked both in the “free” genres traditional for that time, such as prelude, fantasy, toccata, and in more strict forms - chorale prelude and fugue. In his works for organ, Bach skillfully combined features of different musical styles, with whom he became acquainted throughout his life. The composer was influenced by both the music of Northern German composers (Georg Böhm, Dietrich Buxtehude) and the music of Southern composers. Bach copied the works of many French and Italian composers for himself in order to understand their musical language; later he even arranged several Vivaldi violin concertos for organ. During the most fruitful period for organ music (1708-1714), Johann Sebastian not only wrote many pairs of preludes and fugues and toccatas and fugues, but also composed the unfinished "Organ Book" - a collection of 46 short choral preludes, which demonstrated various techniques and approaches to composing works on choral themes. After leaving Weimar, Bach began to write less for organ, however, after Weimar many famous works were written (6 trio sonatas, 18 Leipzig chorales). Throughout his life, Bach not only composed music for the organ, but also consulted on the construction of instruments, testing and tuning new organs.

Bach also wrote a number of works for the harpsichord. Many of these creations are encyclopedic collections demonstrating various techniques and methods for composing polyphonic works. Most of Bach's keyboard works published during his lifetime were contained in collections called "Clavier Exercises."
"The Well-Tempered Clavier" in two volumes, written in 1722 and 1744, is a collection, each volume of which contains 24 preludes and fugues, one for each common key. This cycle was very important in connection with the transition to instrument tuning systems that make it equally easy to perform music in any key - first of all, to the modern equal temperament system.
15 two-voice and 15 three-voice inventions are small works, arranged in order of increasing number of signs in the key. They were intended (and are still used to this day) for teaching how to play keyboard instruments.
Three collections of suites: "English Suites", "French Suites" and "Partitas for Clavier."
"Goldberg Variations" - a melody with 30 variations. The cycle has a rather complex and unusual structure. The variations are built more on the tonal plan of the theme than on the melody itself.
Various pieces such as “Overture in the French Style”, “Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue”, “Italian Concerto”.

Bach wrote music for both individual instruments and ensembles. His works for solo instruments - 6 sonatas and partitas for solo violin, 6 suites for cello, partita for solo flute - are considered by many to be among the most profound works of the composer. In addition, Bach composed several works for solo lute. He also wrote trio sonatas, sonatas for solo flute and viola da gamba, accompanied only by a general bass, as well as a large number of canons and ricercars, mostly without specifying the instruments for performance. Most significant examples such works are the cycles “The Art of Fugue” and “Musical Offering”.

Bach's most famous works for orchestra are the Brandenburg Concertos. Six concertos are written in the genre of concerto grosso. Other extant works by Bach for orchestra include two violin concertos, a concerto for 2 violins in D minor, concertos for one, two, three and even four harpsichords.

For a long period of his life, every Sunday Bach in the church of St. Thomas led the performance of the cantata, the theme of which was chosen according to Lutheran church calendar. Although Bach also performed cantatas by other composers, in Leipzig he composed at least three complete annual cycles of cantatas, one for each Sunday of the year and each religious holiday. In addition, he composed a number of cantatas in Weimar and Mühlhausen. In total, Bach wrote more than 300 cantatas on spiritual themes, of which only about 195 have survived to this day. Bach's cantatas vary greatly in form and instrumentation. Some of them are written for one voice, some for choir; some require a large orchestra to perform, while others require only a few instruments. The most famous of Bach's spiritual cantatas are "Christ lag in Todesbanden", "Ein" feste Burg", "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" and "Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben. In addition, Bach also composed a number of secular cantatas, usually dedicated to some event, for example, a wedding. Among Bach's most famous secular cantatas are two “Wedding Cantatas” and the humorous “Coffee Cantata.”

"John Passion" (1724) and "Matthew Passion" (c. 1727) - works for choir and orchestra on gospel theme sufferings of Christ, intended to be performed at vespers in good friday in the churches of St. Thomas and St. Nicholas. The Passions are one of Bach's most ambitious vocal works. It is known that Bach wrote 4 or 5 passions, but only these two have survived completely to this day.

The most famous is the "Christmas Oratorio" (1734) - a cycle of 6 cantatas for performance during the Christmas period of the liturgical year. The Easter Oratorio (1734-1736) and the Magnificat are rather extensive and elaborate cantatas and have a smaller scope than the Christmas Oratorio or Passions. The Magnificat exists in two versions: the original (E-flat major, 1723) and the later and more famous (D major, 1730).

Bach's most famous and significant mass is the Mass in B minor (completed in 1749), which represents full cycle Ordinary. This mass, like many of the composer’s other works, included revised early works. The Mass was never performed in its entirety during Bach's lifetime - the first time this happened only in the 19th century. In addition, this music was not performed as intended due to the duration of the sound (about 2 hours). In addition to the Mass in B minor, 4 short two-movement Masses by Bach have reached us, as well as individual movements such as “Sanctus” and “Kyrie”.

Rest vocal works Bach's works include several motets, about 180 chorales, songs and arias.

Bach's music, among the best creations of mankind, was recorded on the Voyager gold disc.

German composer Johann Sebastian Bach created more than 1000 musical works during his life. He lived in the Baroque era and in his work summarized everything that was characteristic of the music of his time. Bach wrote in all genres available in the 18th century, with the exception of opera. Today, the works of this master of polyphony and virtuoso organist are listened to in a variety of situations - they are so diverse. In his music one can find simple-minded humor and deep sorrow, philosophical reflections and acute drama.

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in 1685, he was the eighth and most youngest child in family. The father of the great composer Johann Ambrosius Bach was also a musician: the Bach family has been known for its musicality since the beginning of the 16th century. At that time, music creators enjoyed special honor in Saxony and Thuringia, they were supported by the authorities, aristocrats and representatives of the church.

By the age of 10, Bach lost both his parents, and his older brother, who worked as an organist, took over his upbringing. Johann Sebastian studied at the gymnasium, and at the same time received from his brother the skills of playing the organ and clavier. At the age of 15, Bach entered a vocal school and began writing his first works. After leaving school, he briefly served as a court musician for the Duke of Weimar, and then became an organist in a church in the city of Arnstadt. It was then that the composer wrote a large number of organ works.

Soon, Bach began to have problems with the authorities: he expressed dissatisfaction with the level of training of the singers in the choir, and then went to another city for several months in order to get acquainted with the playing of the authoritative Danish-German organist Dietrich Buxtehude. Bach went to Mühlhausen, where he was invited to the same position - organist in the church. In 1707, the composer married his cousin, who bore him seven children, three of them died in infancy, and two later became famous composers.

Bach worked in Mühlhausen for only a year and moved to Weimar, where he became court organist and concert organizer. By this time he already enjoyed great recognition and received a high salary. It was in Weimar that the composer's talent reached its peak - he spent about 10 years continuously composing works for clavier, organ and orchestra.

By 1717, Bach had achieved all possible heights in Weimar and began to look for another place of work. At first his old employer did not want to let him go, and even put him under arrest for a month. However, Bach soon left him and headed to the city of Köthen. If earlier his music was largely composed for religious services, here, due to the special requirements of the employer, the composer began to write mainly secular works.

In 1720, Bach's wife suddenly died, but a year and a half later he married the young singer again.

In 1723, Johann Sebastian Bach became cantor of the choir at the Church of St. Thomas in Leipzig, and then was appointed “musical director” of all churches working in the city. Bach continued to write music until his death - even after losing his sight, he dictated it to his son-in-law. The great composer died in 1750, now his remains rest in the very Church of St. Thomas in Leipzig, where he worked for 27 years.

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

200 years after the death of the musician and composer, interest in his work and biography has not cooled, and contemporaries use Bach’s works in the twentieth century, finding relevance and depth in them. The composer's chorale prelude sounds in Solaris. The music of Johann Bach, as the best creation of mankind, was recorded on the Voyager Golden Record, attached to the spacecraft launched from Earth in 1977. According to the New York Times, Johann Sebastian Bach is the first of the ten world composers who 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 Hainig National Park and the Thuringian Forest. The boy became the youngest and eighth child in the family professional musician Johann Ambrosius Bach.

There are five generations of musicians in the Bach family. Researchers counted fifty relatives of Johann Sebastian who connected their lives with music. Among them is the composer's great-great-grandfather, Faith Bach, a baker who carried a plucked zither everywhere. musical instrument in the form of a box.

The head of the family, Ambrosius Bach, played the violin in churches and organized social concerts, so the first music lessons youngest son he taught. Johann Bach sang in the choir from an early age and delighted 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 into the care of the elder, Johann Christoph, a church organist and music teacher in the neighboring town of Ohrdruf. Christophe sent Sebastian to the gymnasium, where he studied theology, Latin, and history.

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

At the age of 15, Johann Bach became independent: he got a job in Lüneburg and brilliantly graduated from the vocal gymnasium, opening his way to 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 became acquainted with the work of famous musicians Reincken and Georg Böhm.

Music

In 1703, after graduating from high school 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 gentlemen by playing the violin - he dreamed of developing and opening 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 body, 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 clergy, who already disliked the musician for his innovative approach to the performance of cult sacred works, gave Bach a humiliating trial for his trip to Lubeck.

The famous organist Dietrich Buxtehude lived and worked in the city, whose improvisations on the organ Bach dreamed of listening to since childhood. Without money for a carriage, Johann went to Lübeck on foot in the fall of 1705. The master's performance 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 “hometown” 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 church authorities favored talented musician, his earnings turned out to be 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 wanderings “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 Johann Bach’s biography turned out to be fruitful: the composer composed dozens of keyboard and orchestral works, became acquainted with the work of Corelli, and learned to use dynamic rhythms and harmonic patterns. Communication with his employer, Crown Duke Johann Ernst, a composer and musician, influenced Bach’s work. In 1713, the Duke brought from Italy sheet music of musical works by local composers, which opened new horizons in art for Johann Bach.

In Weimar, Johann Bach began work on the “Organ Book,” a collection of choral preludes for the organ, and 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. Concertmaster Volumier, having heard about Bach's talent, invited the musician to compete with Marchand. But on the day of the competition, Louis fled the city, afraid of failure.

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

During the Köthen period, Johann Bach composed six suites for cello, the French and English keyboard suites, and 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 Köthen. At the same time, Bach wrote two- and three-voice inventions, which he called “symphonies.”

In 1723, Johann Bach took a job as cantor of the St. Thomas choir in the Leipzig church. In the same year, the public heard the composer’s work “St. John’s Passion.” Soon Bach took up the position of " music director» all city churches. During the 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. Wanting to expand his 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 performed two-hour concerts twice a week for a year at Zimmerman's Coffee House near the market square.

Most of the secular works composed by the composer from 1730 to 1750 were written by Johann Bach to be performed in coffee houses.

These include the humorous “Coffee Cantata”, the comic “Peasant Cantata”, keyboard 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 the title of Royal Polish and Saxon court composer as a reward for his creativity.

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

Another large cycle, called “The Art of Fugue,” was not completed by Johann Bach. The sons published the series after their father's death.

In the last decade, the composer's fame faded: classicism flourished, and 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 also loved.

A surge of interest in the music of Johann Bach and a 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 response followed, and the performance attracted thousands of spectators. Mendelssohn went with concerts to Dresden, Koenigsberg and Frankfurt.

Johann Bach’s work “A Musical Joke” is still one of the favorites of thousands of performers around the world. Playful, melodic, gentle music sounds in different variations, adapted for playing modern instruments.

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

Processed the music of Johann Bach and jazz musicians Jacques Lussier and Joel Spiegelman. A Russian performer tried to pay tribute to the genius.

Personal life

In October 1707, Johann Sebastian Bach married his 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 their father's footsteps and became famous musicians and composers.

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

The composer’s personal life improved a year later: at the Duke’s court, Bach met a 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 old age, family turned out to be the only consolation for the composer. Johann Bach composed for his wife and children vocal ensembles, organized chamber concerts, enjoying the songs of his wife (Anna Bach had a beautiful soprano) and the playing of her grown-up sons.

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

Death

In the last 5 years, Johann Bach's vision rapidly deteriorated, but the composer composed music, dictating works to his son-in-law.

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

The composer was buried in Leipzig in a 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 transferred 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 visiting provincial churches dressed as a poor teacher.
• Thanks to the composer church choirs both men and women sing. Johann Bach's wife became the first church choir member.
• 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 resignation.
• George Frideric Handel is a contemporary of Bach, but the composers did not meet. The fates of the two musicians are similar: both went blind as a result of an unsuccessful operation performed by the quack doctor Taylor.
• A complete catalog of Johann Bach's works was published 200 years after his death.
• A German nobleman ordered the composer to write a piece, after listening to which he would be able to fall into a deep sleep. Johann Bach fulfilled the request: the famous Goldberg Variations are still a good “sleeping pill”.

Aphorisms of Bach

• “To get a good night's sleep, you should go to bed on a different day than you need to wake up.”
• “Playing the keyboard 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"