The Life and Works of

Johann Sebastian Bach

Sarah Bertram

What will be covered

• Basic Information• Family• At the beginning and later in his life

• His life• Careers• Important Events• Compositions

Basic Information• Bach was born March 21st, 1685• The youngest of eight children• Baptized March 23rd, 1685• He was born in Eisenach• Town in Thuringia, Germany.

• Died July 28th, 1750 at the age of 65 of a stroke complicated by pneumonia.

• Nearing the end of his life, Bach was almost completely blind.

Family• Father: Johann Ambrosius Bach• Who lived to age 49• Was a town and court musician

• Mother: Maria Elisabeth Lämmerhirt• Who lived to age 50

• Of the 8 siblings Bach had, only 5 of them survived. • Large families were quite common, as were early deaths.

Family (Continued…)• Of the siblings that lived, Bach had three brothers:• Johann Christoph• Johann Jacob• Johann Jonas

• And two sisters:• Johanna Juditha• Maria Salome

Family (Later in life)• Bach had two wives:• Marie Barbara

• Married in 1702• Died in 1720

• Anna Magdalena • Married in 1721

• Between the two wives, Bach had twenty children.

Bach’s Life• Both of Bach’s parents died while he was still young (age 10).• Mother died at 50 on May 1st, 1694• Father died at 49 on February 20th, 1965

• Leaving Bach to go live with his brother miles from his home.

Bach’s Life (Continued…)

• Bach went to live in Ohrdruf (1695), a very small town, with his brother Johann Christoph.• Johann Christoph was the town

organist• Bach began to study music• Excelled in the organ,

harpsichord, and violin• Sang as a soprano in the choir

Bach’s Life (Continued…)• Moved to a monastery in Lüneberg (1700)• Was then invited to sing in the Matins Choir • Chamber choir for best singers

• Was introduced to influential noblemen:• Well known was Georg Böhm (Organist)

• The schooling and meeting with other influential musicians/songwriters set Bach up for his careers…

Careers• Bach was following in his family’s footsteps when he applied

to be an organist in Jakobirche, Sangerhausen. (1702)

• He was unsuccessful, but was far from giving up.

Careers • Appointed organist at Blasiuskirche (1701)• Court musician at Weimar (1703)• Organist at Neuekirche, Arnstadt (1703)• Organist and chamber musician to Duke Wilhelm Ernst at

Weimar (1708)• Won title of organist at Halle, which he declined (1713)• Promoted to Konzertmeister at Weinmar (1714)• Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold, which he was imprisoned for

by Duke Wilhelm Ernst. (1717)

Important Events• Choir master saw talent and sent Bach to the monastery

which is where his career started (1700)• First musician career (1702)• First child (1708)• Bach enters candidature for cantorate at Leipzig (1722)

Compositions• First published composition:• Six Partitas

• Partita No. 1 in B flat major (1726)• Partita No. 2 in C minor (1727)• Partita No. 3 in A minor (1727)• Partita No. 4 in D major (1728)• Partita No. 5 in G major (1730)• Partita No. 6 in E minor (1730)

• All were published by 1731

Compositions• Bach had compositions of all sorts:• Works for voice• Works for the organ• Works for the keyboard• Chamber works• Works for an orchestra• Cannons• Random works

Total Compositions: Over 1,100.

Modernly Popular Compositions• Toccata and Fugue in D Minor was probably his most famous

work.• Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C Major is also very popular.• Yo-Yo Ma playing Bach's Cello Suite No.1 (Prelude)

Questions?

Works Cited• http://history-world.org/BACH.htm• http://www.jsbach.org/timeline.html• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCicM6i59_I• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KQW2YnCUrE• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho9rZjlsyYY• http://www.biography.com/people/johann-sebastian-bach-

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