Student Study Outline Chapter 24: Johann Sebastian Bach I. Johann

Student Study Outline Chapter 24: Johann Sebastian Bach

I. Johann Sebastian Bach’s Life and Career a. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) i. Dominant figure viewed as embodying Baroque music ii. Music historians– see his work as summing up developments in Western music extending back to the Renaissance iii. Notable Works 1. The Well-Tempered Clavier 2. Church cantatas– in the hundreds 3. St. Matthew Passion 4. St. John Passion 5. Mass in B minor 6. Concertos, suites, organ compositions 7. The Musical Offering 8. The Art of the Fugue iv. Bach’s Early Life and Career Beginnings 1. Came from a long line of musicians reaching back to the 16th century 2. 1708– became court organist in Weimar v. The Move to Cöthen 1. 1717– offered position at the court of Cöthen 2. Duke of Weimar did not release him from service and had him imprisoned before he could leave for the new position 3. Served as music director from 1717–1723 a. Wrote instrumental works and gathered them into collections i. Six cello suites ii. First volume of The Well-Tempered Clavier iii. Six Brandenburg Concertos iv. Keyboard pieces vi. Bach’s Children and Wives 1. Fathered 20 children a. Several became musicians with important careers: i. Wilhelm Friedemann Bach ii. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach iii. Johann Christian Bach vii. Final Years in Leipzig 1. 1723– moved to Leipzig to serve as music director a. Responsibilities included: i. Composing music for the city’s civic functions ii. Composing music for the principal churches, including St. Thomas (where Bach is buried) iii. Instruct Latin at the Thomas School 2. Weekly church service music a. Bach produced: i. Organ preludes ii. Motets iii. Chorale arrangements iv. Cantatas 3. Collegium musicum 4. 1740–- monumental instrumental cycle; The Art of the Fugue 5. Last years a. Suffered from gradual vision loss b. Left over 1100 compositions in manuscript that fell into obscurity after his death and were rediscovered a century later