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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Composer

By Jim Antonilli
Filed under: Music         Words in this Post: 462



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Born: 1685, Eisenach, Germany  Died: 1750, Leipzig, Germany

Young Johann Sebastian Bach was raised along with his ten brothers and sisters to love music. His father and mother were both musicians, and they imparted their affection for this art to each of their children. But from an early age; Johann was dearly the meat gifted member of the family, surpassing even his father’s skill at a variety of instruments. When he was just ten years old, his parents, both of whom were elderly, passed away, leaving him in the care of his siblings.

Sibling rivalry was strong within the Bach family, and his brothers and sisters resented his obvious talent. They shunted him off to a boarding school, where they assumed his gifts would stagnate. They did their research poorly, however, and they accidentally picked a school which featured an excellent music department! Johann spent days and nights by himself, perfecting his craft and teaching himself how to play new instruments. He was especially taken by the organ, and he hoped to become an organist when he grew up. He was so interested in this remarkable instrument that he neglected most of his other studies, and after several years he was expelled from the school. He soon found employment playing an organ in a church. This engagement evoked within Johann deep religious passions, and he soon believed that music was the voice of God. He was determined to compose the most beautiful music ever created, to honor God for the gifts and talents with which he had been blessed.

He managed to secure a position for himself as the court composer for Prince Leopold. While there, he composed such masterpieces of classical music as Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor and Little Book for the Keyboard. His music, however,  was very nontraditional, and many of the Prince’s guests looked down upon it as gauche. He defended his work vehemently, claiming it to be divine, which made him a laughing stock in the court. He eventually decided to pack his bag and compose for a lesser member of the royalty, the Elector of Saxony, Here his music was much appreciated, and he finally found that he could compose whatever he liked. This new found freedom resulted in such artistic tour de forces as the Saint Matthew Passion, which is now revered around the world.

Toward the end of his life, Johann continued to receive accolades, not the least of which was a brief engagement as a royal command performer to Frederick the Great, the czar of Russia. But he was suddenly struck with blindness at the age of 64. Medicine was far enough advanced at the time for him to undergo surgery, but the operation proved fruitless. He died the following year, succumbing to a massive stroke.

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Author: Jim Antonilli

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