Johann Sebastian Bach (1685– 1750) Baroque Era Composer

Johann Sebastian Bach came from a large family of musicians. More than seventy of his uncles, cousins, brothers and other relatives made their living with music. Once a year all the relatives would get together and have a big family party. They were all musicians, so there was lots of singing and musical fun. J.S. Bach (who usually went by Sebatian) was born March 31, 1685 to Johann Ambrosius Bach and Maria Elisabeth Lammerhirt. His father was a town musician and taught Sebastian about music. Unfortuanately, Sebatian’s mother died when he was nine years old and his father died the next year. Johann Ambrosius Bach father of J.S. Bach

Sebastian went to live with his older brother, Christoph, in the nearby town of Ohrdruf. Christoph was known as an excellent church organist. He not only taught Sebastian how to play the harpsichord and organ, but also how to tune and fix broken organs. Sebastian tested and repaired organs in different towns around Germany. Baroque Era Organ

Sebastian was fifteen years old when he left his brother’s home to look for a job. He would often go from town to town looking for work as a musician. Some jobs were better than others. When he was seventeen he got a great job as a violinist in the royal court at Celle, Germany. However as part of the job he has to clean the kitchen every morning. Baroque Era Violinist

It wasn’t long before J.S. Bach became well known for his remarkable talent as an organist and composer of church music. One of his most famous organ compositions is called Little Organ Fugue in G minor. This piece is filled with big, powerful sounds. It had an energy and force that was known to cause church rafters and windows to shake. Sebastian also wrote pieces for church services called a cantata. A cantata usually has a lead singer and a choir accompanied by an orchestra. Bach playing the organ

J.S. Bach played and composed his music during a time known as the Baroque period. In the 1600s and 1700s, everything in Europe seemed to have grand fancy, and decorative feeling to it. Art and architecture were created to show off the palaces and homes of kings, queens, dukes and wealthy businessmen. Baroque Architecture

Baroque music also had kind of a grand decorative feeling. It was often filled with the sounds of voices, violins, trumpets, and flutes, each playing different melodies at the same time. J.S.Bach was an expert at making complicated Baroque pieces sound natural and pleasing. Example of Baroque Art

Sebastian married Maria Barbara Bach a distant relative. Maria was happy to travel around with her husband and raise their four children. Sadly, she died after thirteen years of marriage. A year later he married Anna Magdalena. Together they had thirteen children. Johann Sebastian Bach and Family

Sebastian was a loving father and made sure his children got good grades, learned to play musical instruments and helped out around the house. Four of Bach’s sons became famous composers and musicians. Wilhelm Friedemann Bach Johann Christian Bach Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach

Later in his life Sebastian knew things were changing musically, but he decided to stick with his favorite Baroque style. When he died in 1750 he had composed some of the world’s most beautiful music ever. Johann Sebastian Bach J. S. Bach Memorial