Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH

Biography

1685 - Born in Eisenach, Germany, March 21
1700 - Boy soprano at Lüneberg
1703 - Violinist in the court orchestra at Weimar
1703 - Organist in the Bonifacius-Kirche at Arnstadt
October, 1705 - took a months leave so he could walk to Lübeck to hear Buxtehude (actually was gone for four months and returned to find he had been replaced)
1707 - Organist at Muhlhausen
1707 - Married Maria Barbara, his cousin (they had four children who survived)
1708 - Returned to Weimar as court organist (the dissension in the Lutheran Church had interfered with his composing)
Became conductor of the court orchestra
17176 - applied for the vacant position of Kapellmeister, but was refused
Arrested by his employer to prevent him from accepting an offer to join Prince Leopold's court at Cöthen (he was held for several weeks and when released he joined Prince Leopold's court)
1719 - traveled to Halle to meet Handel, but had Handel had already returned to England
1720 - His wife died
1721 - Married 20-year-old Anna Magdalena who was a daughter of a musician (they had seven children who survived)
1722 - He applied for and received position of cantor at the Thomasschule in Leipzig (he wanted to leave Cöthen because was unhappy about the Calvinist schools his children were attending and because the Prince's new wife was opposed to the arts)
1749 - He became blind
1750 - Died of a stroke in Leipzig, July 28

Post note: His grave was rediscovered in 1894 during excavations

Compositions

1700-1708
- Five Fantasies in Bm: C: Cm: G: G for organ
- Fantasy and Fugue in A minor for organ
- Three Fugues in Cm: D: G for organ
- Four Preludes in Am: C: C: G for organ
- Four Preludes and Fugues in Am: C: Cm: Em (Short) for organ
- Toccata and Fugue in E for organ
- Variations on Chorales (Partitas) for organ:
  - "Christ, der du bist der helle Tag"
  - "O Gott, du frommer Gott"
  - "Sei gregrüssett, Jesu gütig"
- Fantasy in C minor for clavier
- Fantasy (on a Rondo) in C minor for clavier
- Fughetta in C minor for clavier
- Five Fugues in C: Cm: Dm: Dm: Em for clavier
- Prelude and Fugue in A minor for clavier
- Five Toccatas in D: Dm: Em: G: Gm for clavier
ca 1704 - Sonata in D for clavier
ca 1705 - Quodlibet, for four voices and continuo
1708-1717
- "Alla breve pro organo pleno" in D for organ
- Four organ concertos (after Vivaldi and others) in Am: C: C: G
- Two fantasies and Fugues in Cm: Gm for organ
- Fantasy in C minor for organ
- Four Fugues in Bm: Cm: G "Jig": Gm for organ
- "Passacaglia" in C minor for organ
- "Pastorale" in F for organ
- Eight Preludes and Fugues in A: Am (Great): C: Cm (Great): D: Fm: G (Great): Gm for organ
- Eight Short Preludes and Fugues in C: Dm: Em: F: G: Gm: Am: Bb for organ
- Four Toccatas and Fugues in C: Dm (Dorian): Dm: F for organ
- Three Trios in Cm: Dm: F (Aria) for organ
- Fantasy in G minor for clavier
- Fantasy (Prelude) in A minor for clavier
- Five Fugues in A: A: A (on a theme by Albinoni): Am: Bm for clavier
- Suite in A minor for clavier
- Suite in Eb for clavcier
- Suite ("Ouverture") in F for clavier
ca 1714 - "Canzona" in D minor for organ
1717 Orgelbüchlein, for organ
1717-1723
- Violin Concerto in A minor with Strings and continuo
- Violin Concerto In D with strings and continuo
- Concerto in D minor for two violins with strings and continuo
- Fugue in G minor for violin and continuo
- Sonata in E minor for violin and continuo
- Sonata in G for violin and continuo
- Three sonatas for flute and continuo:
  - No 1 in C
  - No 2 in E minor
  - No 3 in E
- Sonata in C for two violins and continuo
- Sonata in C minor for flute, violin and continuo
- Sonata in G for flute, violin and continuo
- Sonata in G for two flutes and continuo
- Three Sonatas for clavier and flute:
  - No 1 in B minor
  - No 2 in Eb
  - No 3 in A minor
- Three Sonatas for clavier and viola da gamba:
  - No 1 in G
  - No 2 in D
  - No 3 in G minor
- Six Sonatas for clavier and violin:
  - No 1 in B minor
  - No 2 in A
  - No 3 in E
  - No 4 in C minor
  - No 5 in F minor
  - No 6 in G
- Suite in A for clavier and violin
- Fantasy and Fugue in A minor for clavier
- Twelve Little Preludes, for clavier
- Prelude and Fugue in A minor for clavier
- Six Preludes for Beginners, for clavier
- Suite in D for clavier (possibly not by Bach)
- Two Toccatas in Cm: F# m for clavier
ca 1720
- Six Sonatas (Partitas) for solo violin:
  - No 1 in G minor
  - No 2 in A minor
  - No 3 in C
  - No 4 in B minor
  - No 5 in D minor
  - No 6 in E
- Six Suites (Sonatas) for solo cello:
  - No 1 in G
  - No 2 in D minor
  - No 3 in C
  - No 4 in Eb
  - No 5 in C minor
  - No 6 in D
1720 - "Clavierbüchlein vor Wilhelm Friedemann Bach"
1720-1703 - Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor for clavier
1721 - The "Brandenburg" Concerti:
- No 1 in F for violino piccolo, three oboes, two horns, bassoon, strings and continuo
- No 2 in F for violin, flute, oboe, trumpet, strings and continuo
- No 3 in G for strings and continuo
- No 4 in G for violin, two flutes, strings and continuo
- No 5 in D for clavier, violin, flute, strings and continuo
- No 6 in Bb for strings (without violins and continuo)
1722
- "Clavierbüchlein vor Anna Magdalena Bach"\
- Six Suites ("French"), in Dm: Cm: Bm: Eb: G; E for clavier
- The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I
1723
- Magnificat in D, for solo voices, chorus, orchestra and continuo
- Motet: "Jesu, meine Freunde" for five-part chorus
- Passion according to St. John, for soprano, contralto, tenor and bass soli, chorus, organ and continuo
- "Sanctus" in D, for eight-part chorus, orchestra and organ
- Five Preludes and Fugues: Bm (Great): C (Great): Dm: Eb (St. Anne): Em (Great or "The Wedge")
- Variations on Chorale (Partita) "Vom Himmel hoch da Komm' ich her"
1725
- "Notenbuch vor Anna Magdalena Bach" for clavier
- Five songs from Anna Magdalena Bach's "Notenbuch"
- Six Suites ("English"): A: Am: Gm: F: Em: Dm for clavier
ca 1726 - Motet: "Fürchte dich nicht" for eight-part chorus
1727-1736
- Concerto in C for two claviers with strings
- Concerto in C minor for two claviers with strings (identical to the Concerto for two violins in D minor, 1717-1723)
- Concerto in C minor for two claviers with strings
1729
- Motet: "Der Geist hilft unsrer Schwachheit auf" for eight-part chorus with accompaniment
- Passion according to St. Matthew for soprano, contralto, tenor and bass soli, double chorus, double orchestra and continuo
1729-1733 - Six Sonatas (Trios) in Eb: Cm: Dm: Em: C: G for organ
1729-1736
- Clavier Concerto in A with strings and continuo
- Clavier Concerto in D with strings and continuo (identical to Violin Concerto in E)
- Clavier Concerto in D minor with strings and continuo (probably originally a violin concerto)
- Clavier Concerto in E with strings and continuo
- Clavier Concerto in F with two flutes, strings and continuo (identical to Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G)
- Clavier Concerto in F minor with strings and concerto
- Clavier Concerto in G minor with strings and continuo (identical to Violin Concerto in A minor)
1730 - Concerto in A minor for clavier, flute and violin with strings
1731 - Six Partitas for clavier in Bb: Cm: Am: D: G: Em
1733
- Concerto in C for three claviers with strings
- Concerto in D minor for three claviers with strings
- Concerto in A minor for four claviers with strings (transcription of Concerto for four violins by Vivaldi)
1733 - Mass in B minor for two sopranos, contralto, tenor, bass, chorus, orchestra and continuo
1734 - Christmas Oratorio (six cantatas) for solo voices, chorus, orchestra and organ
1735
- Concerto in the Italian Style for clavier in F
- Ascension Oratorio (Cantata No. 11 "Lobet Gott in Seinen Reichen")
- Partita (Ouverture) in B minor for clavier
1736 - Easter Oratorio for solo voices, chorus, orchestra and organ
1737-1740 - Lutheran Masses for solo voices, chorus, orchestra and organ: F: Gm: Am: G
ca 1738 - Fantasy (with unfinished fugue) in C minor for clavier
1739
- Catechism Preludes (Clavierübung, Vol. III)
  - Kyrie: Christie: Kyrie
  - ditto ("alio modo")
  - Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr'
  - ditto
  - ditto (fughetta)
  - Dies sind die heil'gen zehn Gebot'
  - ditto (fughetta)
  - Wir glauben all' an einem Gott
  - ditto (fughetta "Giant" fugue)
  - Vater unser in Himmelreich
  - ditto
  - Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam
  - ditto
  - Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir
  - ditto
  - Jesus Christ unser Heiland
  - ditto (fugue)
- Clavier Duets (two-part pieces for one player)
1742 - Aria with thirty variations, "Goldberg Variations" for double-keyboard harpsichord
1744 - The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II
1747 - A Musical Offering for flute and violin with continuo
- "Ricercare a tre voci"
- "Canon perpetuus super thema regium"
- "Canones diversi 1-5"
- "Fuga canonica in Epidiapente"
- "Ricercare a sei voci"
- Two canons
ca 1747-1750 - Schübler's Book for organ
1748-1750 - The Art of Fugue for unspecified instruments
- (1-14) Contrapunctus I-XIV
- (15-18) Four Canons
- (19-20) Two Fugues for two keyboards
- (21) Unfinished Fugue on three subjects
Dates unknown - Overtures (Suites)
- (1) in C for woodwind, strings and continuo
- (2) in B minor for flute, strings and continuo
- (3) in D for oboes, bassoons, trumpets, timpani, strings and continuo

J. S. Bach also composed:

Two psalms
- "Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden" for four-part chorus
- "Singet dem Herrm ein neues Leid" for eight-part chorus
Fantasy and Fugue in A minor for clavier (after 1717)
Prelude and Fugue in Eb for clavier (after 1723)
198 church cantatas
Twenty-three secular cantatas
Shorter keyboard works including:
- Fifteen two-part inventions
- Fifteen "symphonies" (known today as three-part inventions

Last Updated on: Saturday, February 14, 2009