Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer of the Baroque era, considered one of the greatest and most influential composers of all time. His musical legacy includes over a thousand works in various genres, from intimate chamber music to large-scale choral works. In this blog, we'll discover the life, music, and legacy of this extraordinary artist and explore why his work continues to be appreciated and admired by music lovers around the world. Read on to learn more about the man behind some of the most beautiful and sophisticated music ever composed.

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, in 1685. His family had been involved in music for generations, and Bach grew up in a musical family. His father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was an urban musician and his elder brother, Johann Christoph Bach, was a well-known organist. Bach started taking music lessons at a young age and quickly showed that he had an exceptional talent. At the age of nine, he went to Latin school and was taught singing and playing on various instruments, including the violin and organ. In 1700, at the age of fifteen, Bach went to Lüneburg to study at St. Michaelis school. Here he was taught by Georg Böhm, a renowned organist and composer, and learned more about the music of other great composers of the time, such as Dieterich Buxtehude and Johann Pachelbel.

After studying in Lüneburg, Bach returned to his hometown of Eisenach, where he worked as an organist. In 1703, he moved to Arnstadt to accept a job as an organist. Here he composed his first organ works and began to develop as a composer.
So Bach's early years were already steeped in music, and he had the opportunity to develop as a musician and composer at an early age. These early experiences and his formal training laid the foundation for his later work and made him one of the greatest composers of all time

Image of 2182694 via Pixabay

After working as an organist in Arnstadt, Johann Sebastian Bach started working as a court musician in Weimar in 1707. Here he had the opportunity to further develop his compositional skills and wrote many important works, including his first harpsichord concertos and cantatas. Bach left Weimar in 1717 to work as Kapellmeister in Köthen. Here, he focused primarily on writing instrumental music, including the famous Brandenburg Concerts and the Unaccompanied Cello Suites.

In 1723, Bach accepted the position of office at the Thomasschule in Leipzig, where he was responsible for directing music in the church. In this position, he composed many cantatas for weekly church services and famous passions, including the St Matthew Passion and John Passion. Another major achievement by Bach was his mastery of counterpoint, a musical technique where multiple voices move independently and yet work harmoniously together. His mastery of counterpoint was unique to his time and has had a lasting impact on music history to this day.

Johann Sebastian Bach's career as a composer covers a period of approximately 50 years and covers an enormous variety of musical genres, from chamber music to major choral works. Here are some of the highlights of his career and major compositions: