Johann Sebastian Bach(bahkh)

1685-1750

Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March21, 1685, into a large family of musicians in thetown ofEisenach, Germany. For many years theBach family-uncles, aunts, cousins, brothers,and sisters-had sung and played musical in-struments. Since Johann Sebastian's father wasthe town organist and a court musician, it wasnatural for him to teach his young son to play theviolin. Johann Sebastian played often and ea-gerly looked forward to the Bach family's annual reunion and musical festivalwhere all the Bachs gathered to produce beautiful music.

The town of Eisenach was very proud ofits fine choir boys who sang duringchurch masses and wedding celebrations. Young Johann Sebastian eventuallybecame one of these choir boys and was renowned for his beautiful sopranovoice.When he was only ten years old, Johann Sebastian's mother and fatherdied. The young boy was sent to live with his older brother, Johann Christoph,who was an organist in the town of Ohrdruf. While attending school, JohannSebastian took lessons from his brother on the clavier, a small keyboardinstrument similar to a piano. Young Johann Sebastian was eager to learn allthat he could, but his older brother, Johann Christoph, thought that JohannSebastian was moving too quickly throught his lessons and that some of themusic was too difficult for him to master.

One day, Johann Sebastian saw his brother bring home a large book ofchurchmusic. Desperate to learn material, Johann Sebastian begged his brother toteach him the music. But Johann Christoph thought the pieces were much toodifficult for his younger brother. Fortunately, Johann Sebastian saw whereJohann Christoph carefully placed the precious music. When everyone wasasleep and all was quiet, Johann Sebastian tiptoed downstairs and removed thebook from its cupboard. When he reached his bedroom, Johann Sebastian beganto copy, by the light of the moon, each note ofmusic into his own notebook. Whenhe could write no longer and his fingers were numb, Johann Sebastian carefullyreturned the book of music.

Night after night, whenever the moon shone brightly, Johann Sebastianworked hard copying the music. Often times, his brother wondered why Johann

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Sebastian was so sleepy in the mornings! But Johann Sebastian kept his secretand finally, six months later when all the music was written down, JohannSebastian eagerly ran to the clavier and played endlessly. Whenever JohannChristoph left the house, Johann Sebastian played the music his brother hadthought too difficult for him. Even when Johann Christoph finally discovered hislittle brother playing the stolen music, he still thought the music was too difficultfor Johann Sebastian!

When he was fifteen years old, Johann Sebastian had to leave his brother'scrowded household. Johann Sebastian walked two hundred miles to Lunebergto attend St. Michael's School where he sang in the choir in exchange for his roomand board. He also continued to study the violin and clavier while also learningto play the harpsichord. But it was the organ, the queen of instruments, whichcaptured Johann Sebastian's musical soul. Johann Sebastian traveled manymiles, often on foot, to listen to and study with master organists, includingReinken and Buxtehude.

When he was eighteen years old, Johann Sebastian obtained a position asorganist and choir-master at anew church in Arnstadt; it was then that hepledged to write music in honor of God alone. Johann Sebastian did not wantworldly fame-he only wanted to compose and play music "in the name of theLord" and in fact, at the top ofall his music bore the heading "in the name of theLord" or "to the glory of God alone."

Johann Sebastian left his position in Arnstadt to become a music master inMulhausen where the people ofthat parish promised him more time to compose.Here, Johann Sebastian was married and he and his young wife, Maria Bach,eventually had seven children, three of whom became famous composers.

From Mulhausen, Bach moved to Weimar where he worked happily for nineyears under the Duke of Weimar, a deeply religious man. In 1717, his fame asa composer and organist renowned throughout Germany, Bach was asked byPrince Leopold of Kothen to be his court organist and orchestra master.

A large portion of Bach's compositions was religious music, including manycantatas for the church. He also wrote many suites for the clavichord andharpsichord and many fugues for the organ and piano. From his studies ofItalianinstrumental music, particularly the work of the Italian composer AntonioVivaldi, Bach was prompted to write many concertos and sonatas, including thesix Brandenburg Concertos. Additionally, he wrote The Well-Tempered Clavier,a collection of compositions for the instruction and appreciation of music.

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In 1720, Bach's wife died and a year later he married Anna Magdalena, thedaughter of a court trumpeter who much inspired his work. Three years later,Bach and his family moved to Leipzig where he was the music director at the St.Thomas School. Despite all his teaching and family responsibilities (he eventu-ally had twenty children, many of whom became musicians) Bach continued towrite one masterpiece after another-the Christmas Oratorio, the GoldbergVariations, and his last monumental work, The Art of the Fugue.

The many years of overstraining his eyes in poor light while writing andcopying music took its toll in 1749 when Bach became totally blind. Ayear later,Bach died ofa stroke. Because Bach spent most ofhis life in one area ofGermany ,little of his music was known throughout the world. It wasn't until nearly onehundred years later when two composers, Felix Mendelssohn and RobertSchumann, rediscovered the wonders of his music and shared them with theworld. The famous eighteenth century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozartonce declared Johann Sebastian Bach "the father of all music."

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Activity Sheet Name _

Johann Sebastian Bach

MATERIALS: Portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach (above), white constructionpaper, crayons or markers, scissors, glue, writing paper, andpencil.

ACTIVITY:

1. Find and read as much information aboutJ ohann Sebastian Bach as possible.

2. Cut out the picture aboveor draw your own portrait of Bach.

3. Glue Bach's portrait in the center ofa piece ofdrawing paper. Then draw andcolor objects and scenes around the protrait that you associate with the life ofBach.

4. On a separate sheet of paper, write about Bach's life. Include some informa-tion about each of the objects or scenes that you have illustrated on your paper.

5. Glue the information you have written to the back of your drawing.

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Evaluation Name _

THINKING ABOUT BACH AND ME

Respond to four or more of the following questions/statements:

1. What did Bach enjoy doing most when he was a boy?

2. Compare an organ to a piano. How is an organ similar to a piano? How is itdifferent?

3. List three of Bach's compositions you have heard. Underline the one you likemost. Explain why it is your favorite composition.

4. If you could meet Bach today, what three (or more) questions would you askhi ?m.

5. List at least five things that you think Bach missed seeing after he becameblind.

6. Write one or more paragraphs about what you have learned about thiscomposer and/or what you have learned through your activity relating to hiscomposer.

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