Johann Sebastian Bach Biography

Johann Sebastian Bach is known as a legendary figure in the field of music for composing complex musical notes as well as for musical innovations that were unique in their styling. His work dealt with lots of musical complexities. Johann Sebastian Bach has a nonparallel musical lineage that draws back to the 18th century where he experimented with various positions of organists and three of his most popular and well-known compositions include “Mass in B Minor”, “The Well-Tempered Clavier” and “The Brandenburg Concertos”. His other well-known brilliant compositions are still critically acclaimed even today such as “Toccata and Fused in D minor”.  On 17th July 1750, the great musician died in Leipzig that is situated in Germany. But even after his demise he is still looked upon and equally appreciated as the best composer of Western music to date.

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Image: Illustration of Johann Sebastian Bach

Early Years of Johann Sebastian Bach

He was born in the family of the musicians where many of his family’s generations have been associated with the musical world. He was born on either 31st March or 21st march of the year 1685 in Thuringia, Germany. He was born to John Ambrosius who was working as a musician in the town of Eisenach when Bach was born and according to Johann Sebastian Bach’s biography he was taught to play the violin at a very young age by his father. 

When he was seven years old, he was introduced to primary school where apart from the religious instructions he learned Latin besides various other subjects that he was taught. Therefore his faith in Luther was later reflected in many of his musical compositions. Both of his parents died in a series of unfortunate events and he became an orphan when he was merely 10 years of age. His elder brother who at that point of time was serving as an organist in a church at Ohrdruf took responsibility for his younger brother and taught him a few more music lessons and also enrolled him in a local school nearby. He then started living with the family of his brother until he turned 15. 

He had a mesmerizing vocal and tonal quality for soprano singing, which supported him to acquire a place at a prestigious school in Luneburg. But after his joining, he started playing Violin and Harpsichord instead of Vocal as his voice for singing changed. A local organist named George Bohm had a great influence on Batch during his student life in Luneberg. He soon was offered a place in the court of Duke Johann Ernst of Weimer as a musician which he gladly accepted. He was considered as a Jake of all trades as he used to play multiple organs other than a violin to fill in space for other official organists.

Early Career of JS Bach

Because of his extraordinary talent as a musician to be able to play multiple instruments besides his mastery in playing the violin, he soon was offered a position as a musician in the new church of Arnstadt. There he served as a musical instructor apart from playing various instruments to create soulful pieces of music for religious services or special events that were conducted by the new church. As a young, independent blessed musician himself made Bach an arrogant man and his temperament and behaviour did not go well with the students who often started complaining about him and he was often warned by the church officials for his negligence towards teaching students and not making his students rehearse enough for events. 

He did not deal with the situation well and vanished for several months in the year 1705. He took official leave from the church for a few weeks to travel to Lubeck to listen to an established musician of his time named Dietrich Buxtehude but then decided to stay back for several months there without informing any of the officials of the church in Arnstadt. 

In 1701, Batch finally decided to leave the new church in Arnstadt and move to a new church named St. Blaise in Muhlhausen. But according to Sebastian Bach's biography, his decision to switch the place of work did not work well as his music complexities were not accepted by the Pastor of the Church. They both had a difference in opinion on the music of the church. While Batch was always inspired to weave different tunes and melodies in a single thread and composed music with their own complexities involved, the pastor of the church believed that the music for the church is also for the common people and thus should be easy to understand rather than being complex. While he was facing challenges with his style of music he created one of his greatest works during that period that is famous as the cantata “ Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit” that was alternatively titled “ Actus Tragicus'.

Serving Royalty

Following the year that he served the church of Muhlhausen, he gained a big chance to serve as an instrumentalist at the court of Duke Wilhelm Ernst in Weimar. While he was serving the church as an organist, he wrote some of the beautiful hymns and carols for the church and he is still remembered for his remarkable compositions for the court of Duke. he composed “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” while he was serving his music at the time in the royal court and later it was acknowledged as one of the masterpieces of Bach. The hymn he composed for the church was “Herz und Mund und Tat” which was later translated as Heart and Mind and Deeds. One of the several pieces of his hymn that says “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desire” became very popular as translated to English.

In 1717, Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cothen offered him a position and he accepted it gladly. On the other hand, Duke Wilhelm Ernst was not interested in letting him leave his court and thus imprisoned him for several weeks as he tried to leave his empire. But the court decided to let Bach serve Prince Leopold and was released in early December. He often used to play the violin for the prince and often carried his compositions and arrangements while he was travelling to foreign lands along with Prince Leopold.

While he was surviving as a musician while he was there in Cothen, he devoted his entire time to developing his complex music and was also responsible for solo or different instrumental compositions for the royal orchestras, dance programs as well as single instrumental music display that was often accompanied with piano. He developed many melodies for solo instruments that include some of his finest compositions with violin. His works are the reflection of his honest and deep commitment towards his faith and belief and that is why most of his music composition sheets carried the initials I.N.J. in Latin that says “In Nomine Jesu” which is in English translated as “In the name of Jesus”. 

He composed a series of musical compositions with various instruments in the concert of the royal orchestra to pay tribute to the Duke of Brandenberg which later in the year 1721 became popular with the name of “Brandenberg Concertos”. These compilations contain some of the very popular accomplishments of Bach's musical journey. But as Leopold got married his new bride disapproved of his great inclination towards music and therefore in 1723 he dissolved the orchestra. At that time he completed his book named “The Well-Tempered Clavier” keeping his students in mind and thus has incorporated all the keys and notes in his first book for a better understanding of certain techniques and methods of playing instruments for students. 

Later Work of JS Bach

In his later years, he signed a contract with St. Thomas Church in Leipzig to become a musical guide for the students there. He was also teaching music to the students of Thomas school as part of his contract. As the need for new music increased to serve the church services every week, he started composing new hymns and carols to be served each week. Later a compilation of music sheets Bach named “Christmas Oratorio” consisted of six Christmas carols that were served each week during holidays.

He also successfully originated the interpretations of the bible in musical forms in form of choruses, recitatives and arias. One of the most famous pieces of his work of the Bible which was composed in the year 1927 or 1929 is known as “Passion according to St. Matthew '' comprising 26 to 27 chapters of the Gospel. They were all sung as a part of Good Friday services. 

The Final Year of Bach

Even with his deteriorating eyesight during the final years of his life, he continued playing and composing various musical works. He even travelled to perform for Federick The Great and King of Prussia in the year 1747. It is said that he played a composition for the king that he created on the spot. After his return to Leipzig, he refined his musical pieces and offered a contrapuntal composition of short melodies to  Federick The Great. 

Later in the year 1749, he started to compose a new musical work that he named “The Art of Fugues” but he could not finish it due to his loss of eyesight. So he underwent the surgery to fix his eyesight but the operation failed and made him permanently blind. Later in the same year, he experienced a severe stroke that became the cause of his demise on 28th July 1750 in Leipzig. Even after his demise few of his compositions were published and were appreciated by music lovers throughout the world and his footprints were later followed by great musicians like Ludwig Van Beethoven and Amadeus Mozart. Much later of his demise when a German music composer named Felix Mendelssohn reintroduced his musical compilation “Passion According to St. Methew” his work came in limelight for the first time.