Johann Sebastian Bach
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in 1685 in the town of Thuringia, Germany where
he was raised and spent most of his life. Due to a shortage of expenses, he was confined
to a very limited geographical space, as was his career. This greatly affected his, in that
his music was not as widley known as other composers of the time. On traveling he never
went farther north than Hamburg or farther south than Carlsbad. To look back on the life
of Bach many have referred to him as "one of the greatest and most productive geniuses in
the history of Western music", particularly of the baroque era.
Born to a family that produced at least 53 prominent musicians within seven
generations, Bach received his first musical instrument from his father. Johann studied
music with his father until his father's death in 1695, at which point he moved to Ohrdruf
to study with his brother, Johann Christoph. In the early 1700's Bach began working as a
chorister at a church in Luneburg. In 1703, he became a violinist in the chamber orchestra
of Prince Johann Ernst of Weimar, but later that year he moved to Arnstadt where he
became church organist.
In 1705, Bach took a one month leave to study with the renowned Danish-born
German organist and composer Dietrich Buxtehude who was staying in Lubeck. Later,
Buxtehude's organ music would greatly influence that of Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach's
stay was so rewarding that he overstayed his leave by two months to be greatly criticized
for his breach of contract by the church authorities. Fortunately, Bach was too highly
respected to be dismissed from his position.
In 1707, Bach married his second cousin, Maria Barbara Bach, he also moved to
Mulhausen as organist for a church there, but, 1708 brought him back toWeimer. He
came back as an organist and violinist at the court of Duke Wilhelm Ernst, where he
stayed for the following nine years to
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in 1685 in the town of Thuringia, Germany where
he was raised and spent most of his life. Due to a shortage of expenses, he was confined
to a very limited geographical space, as was his career. This greatly affected his, in that
his music was not as widley known as other composers of the time. On traveling he never
went farther north than Hamburg or farther south than Carlsbad. To look back on the life
of Bach many have referred to him as "one of the greatest and most productive geniuses in
the history of Western music", particularly of the baroque era.
Born to a family that produced at least 53 prominent musicians within seven
generations, Bach received his first musical instrument from his father. Johann studied
music with his father until his father's death in 1695, at which point he moved to Ohrdruf
to study with his brother, Johann Christoph. In the early 1700's Bach began working as a
chorister at a church in Luneburg. In 1703, he became a violinist in the chamber orchestra
of Prince Johann Ernst of Weimar, but later that year he moved to Arnstadt where he
became church organist.
In 1705, Bach took a one month leave to study with the renowned Danish-born
German organist and composer Dietrich Buxtehude who was staying in Lubeck. Later,
Buxtehude's organ music would greatly influence that of Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach's
stay was so rewarding that he overstayed his leave by two months to be greatly criticized
for his breach of contract by the church authorities. Fortunately, Bach was too highly
respected to be dismissed from his position.
In 1707, Bach married his second cousin, Maria Barbara Bach, he also moved to
Mulhausen as organist for a church there, but, 1708 brought him back toWeimer. He
came back as an organist and violinist at the court of Duke Wilhelm Ernst, where he
stayed for the following nine years to