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.
Largo BWV 1056
Johann Sebastian Bach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just like the boy who falls in love
And doesn’t know he is in love
With his own convictions
Love can be deceiving
Just like the girl
Who gives her heart
To a selfish lover
Terrible
Is the man who thinks
He can do anything
because he never doubts
He is a good and noble man
In a world that always let him play his hand
Banging at your door
For each and every crumb
I am a fool for your love
And I’ll never have enough
My Friends, they try to tell me
To give you up
For goodness sake, such love will turn to hate
Despite best intentions
Beautiful
Is the girl who knows
She can do anything
Despite the doubt she sows
Inside a heart that’s full and scared
That she’ll never get to show how much she cares
You’re a cool cat
I’m a sore loser
Educate me
Be my love bruiser
My darling I’m in love with you
Your love is all I need from you
The lyrics to Johann Sebastian Bach's song "Largo BWV 1056" explore themes of hope, love, self-deception, and self-realization. The first verse portrays the idea that hope can be misleading, likening it to a boy who unknowingly falls in love with his own convictions. This suggests that sometimes hope can blind us to the reality of our own desires and beliefs.
The second verse delves into the deceptive nature of love, using the analogy of a girl who gives her heart fully to a selfish lover. This highlights the vulnerability and potential for deception that exists within the realm of love.
The third verse shifts focus to the mindset of an arrogant man who believes he can do anything without doubt, considering himself to be a good and noble individual. However, the lyrics imply that this sense of superiority is misguided, as the world simply allows him to act as he pleases.
The chorus emphasizes the singer's desperation and foolishness, with the metaphor of banging at someone's door for mere crumbs, symbolizing their vulnerability and reliance on love.
The fourth verse introduces the perspective of the singer's friends, who try to warn them about the destructive nature of their love. They advise giving up on the relationship to prevent it from turning into hatred, despite having the best intentions.
The final verse shifts to a more positive tone, highlighting the beauty and strength of a girl who defies doubt and accomplishes anything she sets her mind to. It emphasizes the importance of self-belief and determination in overcoming obstacles and demonstrating affection.
Overall, the lyrics explore the complexities of hope, love, self-delusion, and self-realization, conveying a range of emotions and experiences within relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Hope, can be misleading
Hope can often lead us astray and deceive us
Just like the boy who falls in love
Similar to a boy who falls in love without realizing it
And doesn’t know he is in love
And remains oblivious to his own emotions
With his own convictions
With his deeply held beliefs and principles
Love can be deceiving
Love has the ability to mislead and disappoint
Just like the girl
Similar to a girl
Who gives her heart
Who wholeheartedly gives her love
And gives with all her heart
And pours all her love into it
To a selfish lover
To someone who only thinks of themselves
Terrible
Horrible
Is the man who thinks
Is the man who believes
He can do anything
He is capable of accomplishing anything
Because he never doubts
Because he never questions
He is a good and noble man
He is virtuous and honorable
In a world that always let him play his hand
In a world that always allows him to have his way
Banging at your door
Persistently knocking on your door
For each and every crumb
Seeking every small bit of your affection
I am a fool for your love
I am deeply infatuated with your love
And I’ll never have enough
And I'll always crave for more
My Friends, they try to tell me
My friends attempt to advise me
To give you up
To let go of you
For goodness sake, such love will turn to hate
For the sake of goodness, such love will eventually transform into hatred
Despite best intentions
Despite having the best intentions
Beautiful
Exquisite
Is the girl who knows
Is the girl who understands
She can do anything
She is capable of achieving anything
Despite the doubt she sows
Despite the hesitation she instills
Inside a heart that’s full and scared
Within a heart that is both passionate and fearful
That she’ll never get to show how much she cares
That she may never get the opportunity to express her deep affection
You’re a cool cat
You're a person with a calm and composed demeanor
I’m a sore loser
I'm someone who doesn't handle losing well
Educate me
Enlighten me
Be my love bruiser
Be the one who fights for our love
My darling I’m in love with you
My dear, I am deeply in love with you
Your love is all I need from you
Your love is the sole thing I require from you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph Lawrenson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
a b
Denis' tone and musicality is what I strive for.
Sayaka Iwase
Just so breathtakingly beautiful. No more words to describe but to stay silent when something is so beautiful.
Bom Saber
I love this piece played on flute. And the musicians sound wonderfully. Congrats, from Brasil ❤ 👏👏
Kiara Eijo
This is a beautiful performance and a touching tribute to Wibb😢❤️👏👏👏👏👏
Mary Oppermann
Absolutely gorgeous lines and phrasing. Wow. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Leo Russo
The best section is the one from 2.23❤️
And a very good touch on piano by Naoko👏👏👏
Cseperke Csoma
It’s a wonderful Lecture Maestro Burjakov, Thank You!🙏❤️
Charlie Yang
What a warm and peaceful piece
Olga Opalenik
Браво!
Howard Cohen
Wonderful. Thanks for posting this, Denis.