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Johann Sebastian Bach

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH

1685 - 1750

Bach, the great composer, was the first man who succeeded in linking all the national styles in music: which existed in Western Europe in a better way than there were the musical traditions inherited in Italy, France, and Germany, and thus succeeded in enriching each one separately. Bach was half forgotten for the first fifty years. that followed his death, but his reputation and fame had grown continuously during the past 15 years, and it became recognized that he was one of two or three composers who lived in this world, and in the opinion of some of them the greatest musician who lived on earth.

Bach was born in 1685 in Eisenach, Germany.
It was fortunate for him to be born in an environment in which musical talents were well appreciated and musical achievements encouraged. In fact, the Bach family was one of the prominent families in music for a period of time before his birth. His father was a high-ranking violinist. Two of his cousins ​​were talented composers and several of his cousins ​​were respected musicians.

Bach's mother died when he was nine, and after a year his father followed her. He was granted a scholarship to St. Michael's School in Lowenburg because of his melodious voice on the one hand, and because of his need and poverty on the other. After graduating from St. Michael's School, he got a job as a violinist in the room. In the next twenty years, he had several positions and jobs, and during his life he was famous as a brilliant player on the (alghar), although he was also an author, professor and conductor of the orchestra. In 1723, when Bach was thirty-eight, he got a job as a choirmaster at St. Thomas's Church in Lenneburg. He kept this job during the last twenty-seven years of his life. And he died in 1750.

Although Bach was always hidden during his life, he was able to feed himself and his family throughout his life, but he did not achieve the fame that Mozart reached during his life, nor Beethoven (not even Franz List or Chopin), because no one recognized his genius. In Leipzig, he decided The council appointed a first-class musician, so they offered the job to Bach only after hesitation, or after two of the first ones who were chosen refused to join the job. But it is ironic that we find that it happened a few years ago, when Bach wanted to leave his work as a player on the organ in the court of one of the dukes to join a new job, the duke refused to abandon him and put him in prison for fear of his escape! Bach spent about three weeks in prison before the Duke's heart softened and he was released.

Bach married his second cousin when he was twenty-two, and they had seven children, but his wife died when he was thirty-five, so he married again the following year, but his second wife not only raised the seven children, but also gave birth to thirteen new children, but only nine of his children remained alive. Four of them became famous musicians so this family was a truly talented family.

Introductions Bach is known to have been a prolific composer who composed about (300) cantana (the cantana is a story that the group sings to the melodies of music without acting). And a group of 48 Fugio, a musical composition in which several voices participate, according to the rules of counterpoint, as well. The musical, which is estimated at more than 140 introductions and more than 100 other composers, plays the harpsichord, which is an ancient type of piano, 23 concertos, 4 pieces as introductions to the opera Overture, 33 sonatas, five compositions for the Mass, and other pieces, and the total is about 800 pieces of music composed by him. during his lifetime. .

Bach was a deeply religious Lutheran, and he wanted his music to serve the church. He notes that most of his musical works are religious. He did not try to invent new forms of music, but he continued on the existing approach and was at the top.

After his death, his music remained unrecognized for nearly fifty years. But after the year 1800, his star rose, and it is strange that in his days he was called old-fashioned, while now, after more than 200 years have passed since this music, that music has become widespread, and interest, and even appreciation and love.