LIFE
-1685-1750
-Born in Eisenach, Germany
-Family of church musicians for 5 previous generations
-Orphaned at age 10- raised by an older brother Johann Christoph, an organist who had studied with Pachelbel, academic studies included Latin, Greek and theology
-Studied music by copying and arranging the scores of other composers (became familiar with musical styles from France, Germany, Austria, Italy), trained in instrument building/repair
-Wrote primarily to fulfill the needs at each of his positions
-1703-1707 Arnstadt- organist, violinist, chamber musician
-1707-1708 Mülhausen- organist (married his cousin Maria Barbara, mother of CPE and WF)
-1708-1717 Weimar -appointed court organist and chamber musician to the duke of Weimar
-focused on organ compositions
-established reputation as an organ virtuoso
-was not promoted to a director role-couldn't leave unless fired, accepted salary advance for position on Cöthen, so when he quit he was jailed for one month
- 1717-1723 Cöthen-accepted position from prince Leopald of Anhalt-Cöthen
-focused on chamber musi (the prince's preference)
-wrote suites, concertos, sonatas, keyboard music- including the 6 concerto grossi for the Margrave of Brandenburg, first volume of the Well Tempered Clavier
-1721 married second wife (Anna Magdalena Wilcke-a singer at the court)
-prince married someone who didn't appreciate music and Baxh's position began to decrease in importance
-1723-1750 Leipzig-cantor of St. Thomas Church (Lutheran)
-Leipzig was a center of printing and publishing, seat of one of Europe's oldest universities, had a good theatre and opera house
-received the post because Telemann and other candidates turned it down
-music director for 4 churches, choir director, Latin teacher, wrote music for weekly services, special occasions (weddings, funerals...)
-1729 director of the collegium musicum
-wrote many large scale works including cantatas, Passions, keyboard music (second volume of Well Tempered Clavier, Goldberg Variations, Art of Fugue)
-travelled frequently to test and inaugurate new organs-known as the greatest organist in Germany
-visited his son CPE at court of Frederick the Great in Potsdam-improvised to create The Musical Offering
-suffered from cataracts and unsuccessful surgery (blindness)
-died likely of a stroke
-Born in Eisenach, Germany
-Family of church musicians for 5 previous generations
-Orphaned at age 10- raised by an older brother Johann Christoph, an organist who had studied with Pachelbel, academic studies included Latin, Greek and theology
-Studied music by copying and arranging the scores of other composers (became familiar with musical styles from France, Germany, Austria, Italy), trained in instrument building/repair
-Wrote primarily to fulfill the needs at each of his positions
-1703-1707 Arnstadt- organist, violinist, chamber musician
-1707-1708 Mülhausen- organist (married his cousin Maria Barbara, mother of CPE and WF)
-1708-1717 Weimar -appointed court organist and chamber musician to the duke of Weimar
-focused on organ compositions
-established reputation as an organ virtuoso
-was not promoted to a director role-couldn't leave unless fired, accepted salary advance for position on Cöthen, so when he quit he was jailed for one month
- 1717-1723 Cöthen-accepted position from prince Leopald of Anhalt-Cöthen
-focused on chamber musi (the prince's preference)
-wrote suites, concertos, sonatas, keyboard music- including the 6 concerto grossi for the Margrave of Brandenburg, first volume of the Well Tempered Clavier
-1721 married second wife (Anna Magdalena Wilcke-a singer at the court)
-prince married someone who didn't appreciate music and Baxh's position began to decrease in importance
-1723-1750 Leipzig-cantor of St. Thomas Church (Lutheran)
-Leipzig was a center of printing and publishing, seat of one of Europe's oldest universities, had a good theatre and opera house
-received the post because Telemann and other candidates turned it down
-music director for 4 churches, choir director, Latin teacher, wrote music for weekly services, special occasions (weddings, funerals...)
-1729 director of the collegium musicum
-wrote many large scale works including cantatas, Passions, keyboard music (second volume of Well Tempered Clavier, Goldberg Variations, Art of Fugue)
-travelled frequently to test and inaugurate new organs-known as the greatest organist in Germany
-visited his son CPE at court of Frederick the Great in Potsdam-improvised to create The Musical Offering
-suffered from cataracts and unsuccessful surgery (blindness)
-died likely of a stroke
STYLE
-virtuoso organist
-believed that musc must serve the 'glory of God'-one of the greatest religious composers, composed many sacred works including Mass in b- even though he was not Catholic
-composed in almost every genre except opera
-perfected existing forms rather than developing new forms
-refined the chorale prelude-based on a Lutheran hymn tune (chorale)
-refined the fugue-48 preludes and fugues-master of counterpoint/polyphony, amazing control of polyphonic texture, fugues demonstrated variety of techniques
-influenced by Vivaldi-made keyboard arrangements of at least nine Vivaldi concertos (Albinoni, Corelli)
-'international composer' without travelling: Italian influences-lyricism of arias, dynamic instrumental style; French influences-dance rhythms, French overtures, ornamentation; English influences-choral style, English dances
-influenced many generations of composers-Beethoven, Mozart...
-Teacher-planned many collections with teaching principles in mind, composed at all levels of difficulty
-organized large scale works systematically- WTC ordered chromatically C, C#, D...
-composed many collections/sets of works- WTC, suites...
-works catalogued BWV by Wolfgang Schmeider 1950 ordered by genre, not date (#1-1080)
-little interest in his works until after 1800-1850 Bach Society established and published a collected edition of Bach's works by 1900
-believed that musc must serve the 'glory of God'-one of the greatest religious composers, composed many sacred works including Mass in b- even though he was not Catholic
-composed in almost every genre except opera
-perfected existing forms rather than developing new forms
-refined the chorale prelude-based on a Lutheran hymn tune (chorale)
-refined the fugue-48 preludes and fugues-master of counterpoint/polyphony, amazing control of polyphonic texture, fugues demonstrated variety of techniques
-influenced by Vivaldi-made keyboard arrangements of at least nine Vivaldi concertos (Albinoni, Corelli)
-'international composer' without travelling: Italian influences-lyricism of arias, dynamic instrumental style; French influences-dance rhythms, French overtures, ornamentation; English influences-choral style, English dances
-influenced many generations of composers-Beethoven, Mozart...
-Teacher-planned many collections with teaching principles in mind, composed at all levels of difficulty
-organized large scale works systematically- WTC ordered chromatically C, C#, D...
-composed many collections/sets of works- WTC, suites...
-works catalogued BWV by Wolfgang Schmeider 1950 ordered by genre, not date (#1-1080)
-little interest in his works until after 1800-1850 Bach Society established and published a collected edition of Bach's works by 1900
WORKS
-nothing published until after death, therefore his works were not widely known (Mozart and Beethoven had transcriptions of the P&F)
-sacred vocal works: over 200 cantatas, passions, Mass in b- (also secular cantatas)
-orchestral music: suites, 6 Brandenburg concertos, other concertos
-chamber music: sonatas, partitas, suites
-keyboard music: Well Tempered Clavier I & II, Suites (6 English and 6 French), Goldberg Variations, Art of Fugue, Concertos, Inventions, Sinfonias
-Organ music: over 150 chorale preludes, toccatas, fantasias, preludes, fugues and passacaglias
-2 books on compositional technique
-did NOT write any opera
-sacred vocal works: over 200 cantatas, passions, Mass in b- (also secular cantatas)
-orchestral music: suites, 6 Brandenburg concertos, other concertos
-chamber music: sonatas, partitas, suites
-keyboard music: Well Tempered Clavier I & II, Suites (6 English and 6 French), Goldberg Variations, Art of Fugue, Concertos, Inventions, Sinfonias
-Organ music: over 150 chorale preludes, toccatas, fantasias, preludes, fugues and passacaglias
-2 books on compositional technique
-did NOT write any opera
TERMS
Prelude: a piece of music to be played before something
Fugue: 3, 4, or 5 part piece based on a main subject and a contrasting countersubject Counterpoint: polyphonic composition. Baroque. 2 or more equal and independent parts
Subject: main theme. In tonic key to start. First thing we hear (in a fugue)
Answer: subject transposed to a different key
Real answer: an exact transposition
Tonal answer: slightly altered transposition
Countersubject: contrasting theme. 2nd entry. Against subject
Episode: section between subject entries where no voice states complete subject/answer (lots of sequences based on motives)
Stretto: overlapping entries
Tierce di Picardie: When you end on a major triad even though your piece is in a minor key
Pedal point: sustained note through multiple chord changes
Fugue: 3, 4, or 5 part piece based on a main subject and a contrasting countersubject Counterpoint: polyphonic composition. Baroque. 2 or more equal and independent parts
Subject: main theme. In tonic key to start. First thing we hear (in a fugue)
Answer: subject transposed to a different key
Real answer: an exact transposition
Tonal answer: slightly altered transposition
Countersubject: contrasting theme. 2nd entry. Against subject
Episode: section between subject entries where no voice states complete subject/answer (lots of sequences based on motives)
Stretto: overlapping entries
Tierce di Picardie: When you end on a major triad even though your piece is in a minor key
Pedal point: sustained note through multiple chord changes
CONTRAPUNTAL TECHNIQUES
Inversion: Upside down
Retrograde: backwards
Augmentation: lengthen
Diminuition: shortening
Retrograde: backwards
Augmentation: lengthen
Diminuition: shortening