Music Fundamentals 9 th Grade Mr. Lias The Life and Music of Johann Sebastian Bach Music: Toccata and Fugue in d minor

Bach: His Life Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisensach, Germany in Bach’s father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was the town organist and musician

Bach was orphaned at the age of ten and then sent to live with his brother Johann Jacob. Interesting Fact of Bach’s Family: All five of Bach’s brothers were named Johann.

His Career In 1703, at age eighteen, Bach received his first post as a musician in the Weimar Court and organist for the Neuekirche in Arnstadt. Bach spent the next twenty years of his life moving from post to post.

The Wandering Years Bach’s twenty years of posts included: Organist, Harpsichordist, and Clavier player in Muhlhausen Kapellmeister for Prince Leopold of Cothen

Settling Down In 1723, Bach received his last post in Leipzig, Germany as a “musician of all trades” at St. Thomas Church. Bach father over twenty children in two marriages. His first wife, Maria Barbara Bach (his cousin) gave birth to seven children, and his second wife, Anna Magdelena Wilcken, gave birth to the other thirteen. Bach father over twenty children in two marriages. His first wife, Maria Barbara Bach (his cousin) gave birth to seven children, and his second wife, Anna Magdelena Wilcken, gave birth to the other thirteen.

Tragedies of Bach Bach’s first wife, Maria Barbara Bach, died in Of his twenty children, ten lived past childhood, and only four became composers. Bach was the runner-up for the post at Leipzig and it was given to him only because the other person backed out.

His Music Bach is accredited to over 1,000 works over his forty-seven year career. His music, though highly regarded now, was to the people of the time as “old fashioned” Music: “Little” Fugue in g minor

Bach wrote many types, or forms of music, they include: Fugues Inventions Concertos Partitas Preludes Bach was most famous for his Fugues as heard throughout class today

Instruments Bach played mainly keyboard instruments his whole life, but wrote for all instruments of the time that include: Harpsichord Organ

Voice Orchestras His works are numerous and infamous and stand as a pillar for young composers everywhere

Bach Contributions Beyond his music, or actually, in his music Bach was an artist. The technique he used became known as counterpoint. Though Bach did not invent the technique of counterpoint, he was known as its master.

Voice-Leading/Part-Writing In all of Bach’s choral pieces, the voices all apply to certain rules discovered music theorists. These rules, or the technique itself is known as Voice-Leading/Part-Writing. V-L/P-W uses rules to determine how harmony fits with a predetermined melody.

The Fugue The technique of writing fugue was one of Bach’s largest contributions. Fugue uses a subject, or melody, this subject is manipulated using tools like voice inversion, inversion, retrograde….etc. Composers today still use the techniques mastered by him

Home Work AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!! Read pp and do review for Monday Have a Good Weekend!!!!

References Foil, David. Bach: The Keyboard Works. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, New York, New York, Turek, Ralph. The Elements of Music Vol. 2, 2 nd edition. McGraw-Hill Publishers, New York, New York, 1996.