Johann Sebastian Bach (31 March [O.S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a … Read Full Bio ↴Johann Sebastian Bach (31 March [O.S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He is known for instrumental compositions such as the Brandenburg Concertos and the Goldberg Variations, and vocal music such as the St Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor. Since the 19th-century Bach Revival he has been generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.
The Bach family already counted several composers when Johann Sebastian was born as the last child of a city musician in Eisenach. Having become an orphan at age 10, he lived for five years with his eldest brother, after which he continued his musical formation in Lüneburg. From 1703 he was back in Thuringia, working as a musician for Protestant churches in Arnstadt and Mühlhausen and, for longer stretches of time, at courts in Weimar—where he expanded his repertoire for the organ—and Köthen—where he was mostly engaged with chamber music. From 1723 he was employed as Thomaskantor (cantor at St. Thomas) in Leipzig. He composed music for the principal Lutheran churches of the city, and for its university's student ensemble Collegium Musicum. From 1726 he published some of his keyboard and organ music. In Leipzig, as had happened in some of his earlier positions, he had a difficult relation with his employer, a situation that was little remedied when he was granted the title of court composer by the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland in 1736. In the last decades of his life he reworked and extended many of his earlier compositions. He died of complications after eye surgery in 1750.
Bach enriched established German styles through his mastery of counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and his adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's compositions include hundreds of cantatas, both sacred and secular. He composed Latin church music, Passions, oratorios and motets. He often adopted Lutheran hymns, not only in his larger vocal works, but for instance also in his four-part chorales and his sacred songs. He wrote extensively for organ and for other keyboard instruments. He composed concertos, for instance for violin and for harpsichord, and suites, as chamber music as well as for orchestra. Many of his works employ the genres of canon and fugue.
Throughout the 18th century Bach was primarily valued as an organist, while his keyboard music, such as The Well-Tempered Clavier, was appreciated for its didactic qualities. The 19th century saw the publication of some major Bach biographies, and by the end of that century all of his known music had been printed. Dissemination of scholarship on the composer continued through periodicals and websites exclusively devoted to him, and other publications such as the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV, a numbered catalogue of his works) and new critical editions of his compositions. His music was further popularised through a multitude of arrangements, including for instance the Air on the G String, and of recordings, for instance three different box sets with complete performances of the composer's oeuvre marking the 250th anniversary of his death.
The Bach family already counted several composers when Johann Sebastian was born as the last child of a city musician in Eisenach. Having become an orphan at age 10, he lived for five years with his eldest brother, after which he continued his musical formation in Lüneburg. From 1703 he was back in Thuringia, working as a musician for Protestant churches in Arnstadt and Mühlhausen and, for longer stretches of time, at courts in Weimar—where he expanded his repertoire for the organ—and Köthen—where he was mostly engaged with chamber music. From 1723 he was employed as Thomaskantor (cantor at St. Thomas) in Leipzig. He composed music for the principal Lutheran churches of the city, and for its university's student ensemble Collegium Musicum. From 1726 he published some of his keyboard and organ music. In Leipzig, as had happened in some of his earlier positions, he had a difficult relation with his employer, a situation that was little remedied when he was granted the title of court composer by the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland in 1736. In the last decades of his life he reworked and extended many of his earlier compositions. He died of complications after eye surgery in 1750.
Bach enriched established German styles through his mastery of counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and his adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's compositions include hundreds of cantatas, both sacred and secular. He composed Latin church music, Passions, oratorios and motets. He often adopted Lutheran hymns, not only in his larger vocal works, but for instance also in his four-part chorales and his sacred songs. He wrote extensively for organ and for other keyboard instruments. He composed concertos, for instance for violin and for harpsichord, and suites, as chamber music as well as for orchestra. Many of his works employ the genres of canon and fugue.
Throughout the 18th century Bach was primarily valued as an organist, while his keyboard music, such as The Well-Tempered Clavier, was appreciated for its didactic qualities. The 19th century saw the publication of some major Bach biographies, and by the end of that century all of his known music had been printed. Dissemination of scholarship on the composer continued through periodicals and websites exclusively devoted to him, and other publications such as the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV, a numbered catalogue of his works) and new critical editions of his compositions. His music was further popularised through a multitude of arrangements, including for instance the Air on the G String, and of recordings, for instance three different box sets with complete performances of the composer's oeuvre marking the 250th anniversary of his death.
Duet No.1 in E minor BWV 802
Johann Sebastian Bach Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Johann Sebastian Bach:
Air Erbarme dich, mein Gott, um meiner Zähren willen! Schaue h…
Air on a G String C21 Miscellaneous Hanging on a String I can't sleep I'm inco…
Ave Maria Ave Maria (De Bach e Gounod) Ave Maria Gratia plena Domin…
Cantata "Christ lag in Todesbanden" BWV 4: 6. Versus 5: "Hier ist das rechte Osterlamm" Стой! Пока ещё не выключен свет Я хочу услышать ответ Скажи,…
Cantata "Du Hirte Israel höre" BWV 104: 1. Chor: Du Hirte Israel höre Стой! Пока ещё не выключен свет Я хочу услышать ответ Скажи,…
Cantata "Du Hirte Israel höre" BWV 104: 5. Arie: Beglückte Herde Jesu Schafe Стой! Пока ещё не выключен свет Я хочу услышать ответ Скажи,…
Cantata 147: Jesus bleibet meine Freude Jesus bleibet meine Freude Meines Herzens Trost und Saft Ju…
Choral: Herzliebster Jesu was hast du verbrochen I and II Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen, Daß man …
Choral: Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen I and II Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen, Daß man …
Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben Muss von Christo Zeugnis…
Jesu bleibet meine Freude Jesus bleibet meine Freude Meines Herzens Trost und Saft Ju…
Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring Jesus, joy of man's desiring Holy wisdom, love most bright D…
Jesu meine Freude Jesus bleibet meine Freude Meines Herzens Trost und Saft Ju…
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring Jesus, joy of man's desiring Holy wisdom, love most bright D…
Jesus bleibet meine freud Jesus bleibet meine Freude Meines Herzens Trost und Saft Ju…
Jesus bleibet meine Freude Jesus bleibet meine Freude Meines Herzens Trost und Saft J…
Largo BWV 1056 Hope, can be misleading Just like the boy who falls in…
Mass in B minor BWV 232: I. Kyrie: Kyrie eleison Kyrie Eleison Kyrie Eleison Kyrie Eleison Kyrie Eleison Kyri…
主よ、人の望みの喜びよ (教会カンタータより) イエスこそ私たちが望む喜びの根源 聖なる知恵、もっとも輝かしい愛 あなたに引き寄せられた私たちの魂は 始原の光へ導かれる…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Carl Bowlby
It’s important to know where these pieces come out from. This is the first “Duetto” in Bach’s Third part of the Clavier-Ubung, and specifically this is his version of the German Mass (originally spoken in Latin) and the Duettos have also a function in that they are for “domestic music-makers” who may only have had a Clavier/keyboard and not an organ to play on; the organ being the instrument these pieces were composed for. At any rate I like this interpretation but sometimes the e-minor/relative minor runs can sound too much like scales if they are played too fast. My personal feeling is that there should be some element of ‘rubato’ when playing the runs to give them life and breath. Harmonically a fascinating piece.
VexaS1n
This piece is so complex that it becomes less approachable to most listeners, even by today's standards. Almost superhuman skill of counterpoint and harmony. Clearly, the work of an absolute music genius of all times and ages.
Jazz Katua
Yes, I LOVE the complexity of J.S. Bach Music. With such an I.Q. of 165 He was indeed a GENIUS!
The Chip Ensemble: 8-Bit Classical music ♪
@Jazz Katua how do we know Bach's IQ?
Ezequiel Stepanenko
This piece has been going around my head lately, it's so beautiful, I listened in an organ concert a couple of years back and never paid too much attention but suddenly appeared in my head for no reason and can't stop listening now
Marc Smith
A completely astonishing work. Just light years ahead of what anyone else was doing at the time.
The Chip Ensemble: 8-Bit Classical music ♪
Only Zelenka comes to mind on this level of baroque harmonic exploration - though on a lesser degree, of the few examples we have interesting material.
ZelenkaGuru
@The Chip Ensemble: 8-Bit Classical music ♪ I see you did my job for me, well done, well done
클비
This is a very profound work. Even among Bach's works. I feel something very similar to Die Kunst Der Fuge.
GaryAura96
I've never been one for piano concertos', but I love Bach and I really like these!