Orchestral works by Bach. Bach's organ work

It remains to report on Anna Magdalena. She knew the bitterness of early old age. At first, the magistrate undoubtedly provided some assistance to Bach’s widow; receipts for her receipt of sums of money have been preserved. There is no reliable information about the relationship with the stepmother and mother of Bach’s sons after his death. Anna Magdalena, fifty-nine years old, died on Wednesday February 27, 1760 in Leipzig, on Heinenstrasse, apparently in a shelter for the poor.

For many years, the cantor's loving and caring wife so often hurriedly prepared the notes for her Sebastian's next Sunday cantata! In handwriting similar to her husband's, having added the last line, she in capital letters put words on the page that meant “the end” in Italian.

Let this sign complete our story of life and a brief outline of the works of the great Bach:

A BRIEF LIST OF WORKS BY J. S. BACH

Vocal and instrumental works: about 300 sacred cantatas (199 preserved); 24 secular cantatas (including “Hunting”, “Coffee”, “Peasant”); motets, chorales; Christmas Oratorio; “John Passion”, “Matthew Passion”, “Magnificat”, Mass in B minor (“High Mass”), 4 short masses.

Arias and songs - from the second Music book Anna Magdalena Bach.

For orchestra and orchestra with solo instruments:

6 Brandenburg Concertos; 4 suites (“overtures”); 7 concertos for harpsichord (clavier) and orchestra; 3 concertos for two harpsichords and orchestra; 2 concertos for three harpsichords and orchestra; 1 concert for four harpsichords and orchestra; 3 concertos for violin and orchestra; concert for flute, violin and harpsichord.

Works for violin, cello, flute with clavier (harpsichord) and solo: 6 sonatas for violin and harpsichord; 6 sonatas for flute and harpsichord; 3 sonatas for viola da gamba (cello) and harpsichord; trio sonatas; 6 sonatas and partitas for solo violin; 6 suites (sonatas) for solo cello.

For clavier (harpsichord): 6 “English” suites; 6 “French” suites; 6 parts; Chromatic fantasy and fugue; Italian concert; Well-Tempered Clavier (2 volumes, 48 preludes and fugues); Goldberg Variations; Inventions for two and three voices; fantasies, fugues, toccatas, overtures, capriccios, etc.

For organ: 18 preludes and fugues; 5 toccatas and fugues; 3 fantasies and fugues; fugues; 6 concerts; Passacaglia; pastoral; fantasies, sonatas, canzones, trios; 46 chorale preludes (from Wilhelm Friedemann Bach's Organ Book); "Schubler chorales"; 18 chorales (“Leipzig”); several cycles of chorale variations.

Musical offering. The art of fugue.

MAIN LIFE DATES

1685, March 21 (Gregorian calendar March 31) Johann Sebastian Bach, the son of the city musician Johann Ambrose Bach, was born in the Thuringian city of Eisenach.

1693-1695 - Studying at school.

1694 - Death of mother, Elisabeth, née Lemmerhirt. Father's remarriage.

1695 - Death of father; moving to his elder brother Johann Christoph in Ohrdruf.

1696 - early 1700- Studying at the Ordruf Lyceum; singing and music lessons.

1700, March 15- Moving to Lüneburg, enrollment as a scholarship student (chanter) at the school of St. Michael.

1703, April- Moving to Weimar, service in the chapel of the Red Castle. August- Moving to Arnstadt; Bach is an organist and singing teacher.

1705-1706, October - February- Trip to Lubeck, studying the organ art of Dietrich Buxtehude. Conflict with the consistory of Arnstadt.

1707, June 15- Confirmation as organist in Mühlhausen. October 17- Marriage to Maria Barbara Bach.

1708, spring- Publication of the first work, “Elective Cantata”. July- Moving to Weimar to serve as court organist of the Ducal Chapel.

1710, November 22- Birth of the first son, Wilhelm Friedemann (the future “Gallic Bach”).

1714, March 8- Birth of the second son, Carl Philipp Emmanuel (the future “Hamburg Bach”). Trip to Kassel.

1717, July- Bach accepts the offer of Prince Leopold of Köthen to become conductor of the court chapel.

September- A trip to Dresden, his success as a virtuoso.

October- Return to Weimar; resignation letter, by order of the Duke, arrest from November 6 to December 2. Transfer to Keteya. Trip to Leipzig.

1720, May- A trip with Prince Leopold to Carlsbad. Early July- Death of wife Maria Barbara.

1723, February 7- Performance of cantata No. 22 in Leipzig as a test for the position of cantor of the Thomaskirche. March 26- First performance of the St. John Passion. May- Taking office as cantor of St. Thomas and the school teacher.

1729, February- Performing the “Hunting Cantata” in Weissenfels, receiving the title of court Kapellmeister of Saxe-Weissenfels. April 15- First performance of the St. Matthew Passion in the Thomaskirche. Disagreements with the Thomasshule council and then with the magistrate over school practices. Bach leads the Telemann student circle, Collegium musicum.

1730, October 28- A letter to a former school friend G. Erdmann describing the unbearable circumstances of life in Leipzig.

1732 - Performance of “Coffee Cantata”. June 21- Birth of the son Johann Christoph Friedrich (the future “Bückeburg Bach”).

1734, end of December- Performance of the “Christmas Oratorio”.

1735, June- Bach with his son Gottfried Bernhard in Mühlhausen. The son passes the test for the position of organist. September 5 was born last son Johann Christian (future "London Bach").

1736 - Beginning of a two-year “struggle for the prefect” with the rector Tomashule I. Ernesti. November 19 A decree was signed in Dresden conferring the title of royal court composer on Bach. Friendship with the Russian ambassador G. Keyserling. December 1- A two-hour concert in Dresden on the Silbermann organ.

1738, April 28- “Night music” in Leipzig. Bach completes the composition of the High Mass.

1740 - Bach ceases to direct the “Music Collegium”.

1741 - In the summer, Bach visited his son Emmanuel in Berlin. Trip to Dresden.

1742 - Publication of the last, fourth volume of “Exercises for the Clavier”. August 30- Performance of “Peasant Cantata”.

1745 - Testing of a new organ in Dresden.

1746 - Son Wilhelm Friedemann becomes director of urban music in Halle. Bach's trip to Zshortau and Naumberg.

1749, January 20- Engagement of daughter Elisabeth to Bach's student Altnikol. The beginning of the essay "The Art of Fugue". In summer- Illness, blindness. Johann Friedirch enters the Bückeburg Chapel.

1750, January- Unsuccessful eye surgeries, complete blindness. Composing counterpoints of “The Art of Fugue” and fugue on theme B-A-S-N. Completion of processing of chorales.

They are divided into instrumental and vocal. The first include: for organ - sonatas, preludes, fugues, fantasies and toccatas, chorale preludes; for piano – 15 inventions, 15 symphonies, French and English suites, “Klavierübung” in four movements (partitas, etc.), a number of toccatas and other works, as well as “The Well-Tempered Clavier” (48 preludes and fugues in all keys); “Musical Offering” (a collection of fugues on themes of Frederick the Great) and the cycle “The Art of Fugue”. In addition, Bach has sonatas and partitas for violin (among them the famous Chaconne), for flute, cello (gamba) with piano accompaniment, concertos for piano and orchestra, as well as for two or more pianos, etc., concerts and suites for strings and wind instruments, as well as a suite for the five-string viola pomposa invented by Bach ( medium instrument between viola and cello).

Portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach. Artist E. G. Haussmann, 1748

All these works are characterized by high degree skillful polyphony, not found in a similar form either before or after Bach. With amazing skill and perfection, Bach solves the most complex problems of contrapuntal technique, both in large and small forms. But it would be a mistake to deny his melodic ingenuity and expressiveness at the same time. Counterpoint was not something learned and difficult to apply for Bach, but was his natural language and a form of expression, the comprehension and understanding of which must first be acquired so that the manifestations of deep and versatile spiritual life expressed in this form are fully understood and so that the gigantic mood of his organ works, as well as the melodic charm and richness of changing moods in the fugues and suites for the pianos were quite appreciated. Therefore, in most of the works related here, especially in individual numbers from the “Well-Tempered Clavier,” we have, along with completeness of form, characteristic plays of extremely varied content. It is this connection that determines their special and unique position in musical literature.

Despite all this, Bach's works for a long time after his death they were known and appreciated only by some experts, but the public almost forgot them. Per share Mendelssohn it fell, thanks to the performance in 1829 under his baton of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, to once again arouse general interest in the late composer and win him over vocal works a fitting place of honor in musical life– and not just Germany.

Johann Sebastian Bach. Best works

This includes, first of all, those intended for worship. spiritual cantatas written by Bach (for all Sundays and holidays) in the amount of five complete annual cycles. Only about 226 cantatas have survived to us, quite reliable. The Gospel texts served as their text. The cantatas consist of recitatives, arias, polyphonic choruses and a chorale that concludes the entire work.

Next comes “music of passions” ( Passions), of which Bach wrote five. Of these, unfortunately, only two have reached us: Passion by John and Passion by Matthew; of these, the first was first performed in 1724, the second in 1729. The reliability of the third - the Passion according to Luke - is subject to great doubt. Musically dramatic portrayal of a story of suffering Christ in these works he achieves the highest completeness of form, the greatest musical beauty and power of expression. In a form mixed from epic, dramatic and lyrical elements, the story of the suffering of Christ passes before our eyes plastically and convincingly. The epic element appears in the person of the reciting evangelist, the dramatic element appears in the words of biblical figures, especially Jesus himself, interrupting the speech, as well as in the lively choirs of the people, the lyrical element appears in arias and choruses of a contemplative nature, and the chorale, contrasted with the whole presentation, indicates the direct relationship of the work to the divine service and hints at the community's participation in it.

Bach. St. Matthew Passion

A similar work, but of a lighter mood, is “ Christmas Oratorio"(Weihnachtsoratorium), written in 1734. It has also reached us" Easter Oratorio" Along with these large works associated with Protestant worship, adaptations of ancient Latin church texts are at the same height and just as perfect: Masses and five-voice Magnificat. Among them, the first place is taken by large Mass in B minor(1703). Just as Bach delved with faith into the words of the Bible, here he took up with faith the ancient words of the text of the Mass and depicted them in sounds with such richness and variety of feeling, with such power of expression that even now, clothed in a strict polyphonic fabric, they deeply captivating and deeply moving. The choruses in this work belong to the greatest that has ever been created in the field church music. The demands placed on the choir here are extremely high.

(Biographies of other great musicians - see the “More on the topic...” block below the article text.)

Johann Sebastian Bach
Years of life: 1685-1750

Bach was a genius of such magnitude that even today he seems an unsurpassed, exceptional phenomenon. His creativity is truly inexhaustible: after the “discovery” of Bach’s music in XIX century interest in it is steadily increasing, Bach's works are winning an audience even among listeners who usually do not show interest in “serious” art.

Bach's work, on the one hand, was a kind of summing up. In his music, the composer relied on everything that had been achieved and discovered in musical art before him. Bach had an excellent knowledge of German organ music, choral polyphony, and the peculiarities of German and Italian violin style. He not only became acquainted with, but also copied the works of contemporary French harpsichordists (primarily Couperin), Italian violinists (Corelli, Vivaldi), and major representatives of Italian opera. Possessing an amazing sensitivity to everything new, Bach developed and generalized his accumulated creative experience.

At the same time, he was a brilliant innovator, which opened up the development of the world musical culture new perspectives. His powerful influence was reflected in the work of the great composers of the 19th century century (Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner, Glinka, Taneyev), and in the works of outstanding masters of the 20th century (Shostakovich, Honegger).

Bach's creative heritage is almost immense, it includes more than 1000 works of various genres, and among them there are those whose scale is exceptional for their time (MP). Bach's works can be divided into three main genre groups:

vocal and instrumental music;
organ music,
music for other instruments (clavier, violin, flute, etc.) and instrumental ensembles(including orchestral).

The works of each group are mainly related to certain period creative biography Bach. The most significant organ works were created in Weimar, keyboard and orchestral works mainly belong to the Köthen period, vocal and instrumental works were mostly written in Leipzig.

The main genres in which Bach worked are traditional: masses and passions, cantatas and oratorios, choral arrangements, preludes and fugues, dance suites and concertos. Having inherited these genres from his predecessors, Bach gave them a scope that they had never known before. He updated them with new means of expression and enriched them with features borrowed from other genres of musical creativity. A striking example can serve . Created for the clavier, it incorporates the expressive properties of large organ improvisations as well as dramatic recitation of theatrical origins.

Bach's work, for all its universality and inclusiveness, “passed by” one of the leading genres of its time - opera. At the same time, there is little that distinguishes some of Bach's secular cantatas from the comedic interlude, which was already being reborn at that time in Italy in opera-buffa. The composer often called them, like the first Italian operas, “dramas with music.” It can be said that such works of Bach as “Coffee” and “Peasant” cantatas, solved as witty genre scenes from everyday life, anticipated the German Singspiel.

Circle of images and ideological content

The figurative content of Bach's music is limitless in its breadth. The majestic and the simple are equally accessible to him. Bach's art contains both deep sorrow and simple-minded humor, acute drama and philosophical reflection. Like Handel, Bach reflected the essential aspects of his era - the first half of the XVIII centuries, but others - not effective heroics, but religious and philosophical problems put forward by the Reformation. In his music he reflects on the most important eternal questions human life- about the purpose of a person, about his moral duty, about life and death. These reflections are most often associated with religious themes, because Bach served in the church almost all his life, wrote a huge part of the music for the church, and was himself a deeply religious person who knew the Holy Scriptures very well. He complied church holidays, fasted, confessed, and took communion a few days before his death. The Bible in two languages - German and Latin - was his reference book.

Bach's Jesus Christ is the main character and ideal. In this image the composer saw the personification of the best human qualities: strength of spirit, fidelity to the chosen path, purity of thoughts. The most sacred thing in the history of Christ for Bach is Calvary and the cross, the sacrificial feat of Jesus for the salvation of humanity. This theme, being the most important in Bach's work, receives ethical, moral interpretation.

Musical symbolism

The complex world of Bach's works is revealed through musical symbolism that developed in line with Baroque aesthetics. Bach's contemporaries perceived his music, including instrumental, “pure” music, as understandable speech due to the presence in it of stable melodic turns expressing certain concepts, emotions, and ideas. By analogy with the classic oratory These sound formulas are called musical and rhetorical figures. Some rhetorical figures wore figurative character(for example, anabasis - ascent, catabasis - descent, circulatio - rotation, fuga - running, tirata - arrow); others imitated the intonations of human speech (exclamatio - exclamation - ascending sixth); still others conveyed affect (suspiratio - sigh, passus duriusculus - chromatic move used to express grief, suffering).

Thanks to stable semantics, musical figures turned into “signs”, emblems of certain feelings and concepts. For example, descending melodies (catadasis) were used to symbolize sadness, dying, and entombment; ascending scales expressed the symbolism of resurrection, etc.

Symbolic motifs are present in all of Bach’s works, and these are not only musical and rhetorical figures. IN symbolic meaning melodies often appear Protestant chorales, their segments.

Bach was associated with the Protestant chorale throughout his life - both by religion and by occupation as a church musician. He constantly worked with the chorale in the most different genres- organ chorale preludes, cantatas, passions. It is quite natural that P.Kh. has become integral integral part musical language Bach.

Chorals were sung by the entire Protestant community; they entered the spiritual world of man as a natural, necessary element of the worldview. Chorale melodies and the religious content associated with them were known to everyone, so people of Bach’s time easily formed associations with the meaning of the chorale, with a specific event Holy Scripture. Permeating all of Bach’s work, the melodies of P.H. fill his music, including instrumental music, with a spiritual program that clarifies the content.

Symbols are also stable sound combinations that have constant meanings. One of Bach's most important symbols is cross symbol, consisting of four notes in different directions. If you graphically connect the first with the third, and the second with the fourth, a cross pattern is formed. (It is curious that the surname BACH, when transcribed into music, forms the same pattern. Probably, the composer perceived this as a kind of finger of fate).

Finally, there are numerous connections between Bach's cantata-oratorio (i.e. textual) works and his instrumental music. Based on all the listed connections and analysis of various rhetorical figures, a Bach's system of musical symbols. A. Schweitzer, F. Busoni, B. Yavorsky, M. Yudina made a huge contribution to its development.

"Second birth"

Bach's brilliant work was not truly appreciated by his contemporaries. While enjoying fame as an organist, during his lifetime he did not attract due attention as a composer. Not a single serious work has been written about his work, only an insignificant part of the works has been published. After Bach's death, his manuscripts gathered dust in the archives, many were irretrievably lost, and the composer's name was forgotten.

Genuine interest in Bach arose only in the 19th century. It was started by F. Mendelssohn, who accidentally found the notes of the “St. Matthew Passion” in the library. Under his direction this work was performed in Leipzig. Most listeners, literally shocked by the music, have never heard the name of the author. This was Bach's second birth.

On the centenary of his death (1850), a Bach Society, which set the goal of publishing all the surviving manuscripts of the composer in the form of a complete collection of works (46 volumes).

Several of Bach's sons became prominent musicians: Philipp Emmanuel, Wilhelm Friedemann (Dresden), Johann Christoph (Bückenburg), Johann Christian (the youngest, "London" Bach).

Biography of Bach

YEARS	LIFE	CREATION
	Born in Eisenach in the family of a hereditary musician. This profession was traditional for the entire Bach family: almost all of its representatives were musicians for several centuries. Johann Sebastian's first musical mentor was his father. In addition, having a wonderful voice, he sang in the choir.
At 9 years old	He remained an orphan and was taken into care by the family of his older brother, Johann Christoph, who served as an organist in Ohrdruf.
	At the age of 15 he graduated with honors from the Ohrdruf Lyceum and moved to Luneburg, where he entered the choir of “selected singers” (at Michaelschule). By the age of 17, he owned the harpsichord, violin, viola, and organ.
	Over the next few years, he changed his place of residence several times, serving as a musician (violinist, organist) in small German cities: Weimar (1703), Arnstadt (1704), Mühlhausen(1707). The reason for moving is the same every time - dissatisfaction with working conditions, dependent position.	The first works appear - for organ, clavier (“Capriccio on the Departure of the Beloved Brother”), the first spiritual cantatas.
	WEIMAR PERIOD He entered the service of the Duke of Weimar as a court organist and chamber musician in the chapel.	The years of Bach's first compositional maturity, very fruitful in creative attitude. The culmination of organ creativity has been reached - all the best that Bach created for this instrument has appeared: Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Prelude and Fugue in A minor, Prelude and Fugue in C minor, Toccata in C major, Passacaglia in C minor, as well as the famous "Organ book". In parallel with organ compositions, he works on the cantata genre, on transcriptions for the clavier of Italian violin concertos (especially Vivaldi). The Weimar years are also characterized by the first turn to the genre of solo violin sonata and suite.
	KETEN PERIOD Becomes a "director" chamber music”, that is, the leader of the entire court musical life at the court of the Köthen prince. In an effort to give his sons a university education, he tries to move to a large city.	Since there was no good organ and choir in Köthen, he focused his attention on the clavier (I volume of the KhTK, Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, French and English Suites) and ensemble music (6 Brandenburg concertos, sonatas for solo violin).
	LEIPZIG PERIOD Becomes a cantor (choir director) at Thomaschul - a school at the Church of St. Thomas. Besides the huge creative work and services in the church school, took an active part in the activities of the “Music College” of the city. It was a society of music lovers that organized concerts secular music for city residents.	The time of the greatest flowering of Bach's genius. Were created best works for choir and orchestra: Mass in B minor, Passion according to John and Passion according to Matthew, Christmas oratorio, most cantatas (about 300 in the first three years). IN last decade Bach focuses most heavily on music free of any applied purpose. These are the II volume of “HTK” (1744), as well as the partitas, “Italian Concerto. Organ Mass, Aria with Various Variations" (after Bach's death called the Goldberg Variations).
	Recent years have been marred by eye disease. After an unsuccessful operation he became blind, but continued to compose.	Two polyphonic cycles - “The Art of Fugue” and “Musical Offering”.

He became famous as a skilled composer and virtuoso performer of organ music. In addition, the musician was also a talented teacher and led concert groups.

Briefly about the composer

During his lifetime, Johann Sebastian did not receive recognition, and only almost a century later did people begin to show interest in his works. Perhaps none of the music of the Baroque era is now as popular as the works of Bach. A list of these works by year should be compiled taking into account the main stages of the author’s work. Subsequently, the master’s works were included in the golden fund of eternal classics and are still popular, having firmly entered the repertoire of concert performances.

The beginning of creativity

Bach, a list of whose works is the subject interesting review, born in musical family: His father, older brother and sister were musicians. Since childhood, the future composer showed an amazing talent for learning to play the violin. Even in his youth, he became seriously interested in works famous composers, never missed an opportunity to listen to famous masters, and constantly studied, expanding his knowledge.

Very soon he proved himself to be a talented organist. He mastered playing this instrument perfectly, so that musicians even began to turn to him for advice. Bach, whose list of works can be opened with the mention of works for organ, imitated his time, but at the same time supplemented the scores folk melodies, trying to give it a national sound.

The composer's first works were chorales, hymns and preludes for organ. These works are distinguished by their solemn, majestic character. However, Bach's works, the list of which was constantly replenished, were diverse in their treatment: his early toccatas and fugues have a colorful, dramatic sound.

Weimar period (1708–1717)

Heyday creative career The composer's career began at his new place of work, when he received the court position of organist and musician under one of the German dukes. Here the author had optimal conditions for creativity: he was free to choose a topic and worked with a very good orchestra.

It was during this period that he created his famous cycle of fugues, which formed the first volume of his famous work “The Well-Tempered Clavier.” None of the musicians of that time was such a virtuoso of organ art as Bach was. The list of the composer's works was constantly expanding: he worked a lot, composing and rearranging concertos of Italian composers. After nine years, Johann leaves the place old job and goes in search of a new one.

In Köthen

The composer's patron was the prince, who loved music and appreciated the composer's talent. He gave him the position of bandmaster and gave him greater freedom of action. Bach's works, the list of which was replenished with works of a secular nature, received approval and recognition. He composed keyboard music, suites in French and English themes, more than two dozen preludes, as well as fugues. The creation of the famous Brandenburg Concertos dates back to this time. These days they are usually performed by chamber orchestras.

He also composed several concertos. Bach, whose list of works at this time often included works of an entertaining nature, created sonatas and solo performances for violin and flute that resembled cheerful songs. Despite this, in his concerts each instrument received an independent sound.

Religious music

At this time, Johann Sebastian Bach had already become one of the most famous composers in Germany. Works, the list of which now included religious music, grew rapidly. The author wrote several masses based on Gospel stories, which are considered one of the best in the composer’s work. As music director of the city's churches, he created a cycle of cantatas for worship, which were based on Protestant chorales. Special mention should be made of the “Mass in B Minor”, in which the author partially used excerpts from his best cantatas.

Secular melodies

However, compositions of a secular, entertaining nature continued to occupy a prominent place in his work: Johann Sebastian Bach assigned special importance to them. The works, the list of which quickly increased due to melodies composed specifically for the author’s musical assembly, entered the treasury of the world repertoire. They are admired to this day. Bach, the list of whose works was constantly replenished with the most various jobs, at this time he created his famous “Coffee Cantata”, as well as a number of concerts for cello and harpsichord.

At the end of the 1740s, the composer wrote a new cycle consisting of trios, ricercars and canons, which he presented as a gift to the king under the title “Musical Offering”. At the same time, he composed a number of fugues, in which his art of creating polyphony was especially clearly demonstrated. This work did not see the light of day during the author's lifetime and was published after his death by the composer's sons.

Features of essays

The most famous works Bach, the list of which was presented above, reflect characteristic features his melodies. The composer is deservedly recognized as a master of polyphony: his fugues and sonatas amaze with their richness of sound, drama, color and variety of sounds. Even during his lifetime he was considered unsurpassed master playing the organ. At that time, none of the composers could compare with him in this form of art.

Another feature is that it worked in all known musical genres XVIII century, with the exception of opera. However, her motives are still present in a number of his choral works. The author skillfully combined the achievements of northern and southern composers in Western Europe. He was greatly influenced by the work of German, Italian and French musicians.

Bach skillfully combined their melodies, often reworking the works of other composers. He often edited his own works, which later became so-called covers, independent and original. He also successfully composed keyboard works. Many of them became a kind of guide for writing and performing polyphonic music: Bach’s experience introduced students to technique and more advanced techniques for working with musical instruments(keyboard exercises).

The significance of the composer's works

There is a fairly widespread point of view that Bach was forgotten after his death. However, this is not so: his organ music and chorales continued to be heard in churches and have not lost their significance to this day. But the fact is that classicism came to replace it, which focused not on polyphony, but on harmony. Therefore, indeed, many young composers began to consider the music of Johann Sebastian outdated.

But such famous authors, as Beethoven and Mozart often admired the work of their great predecessor. Both learned from his work, which had an impact great influence on their creativity. Nowadays, the composer’s works are an integral part of concert performances, and the same work can be performed in different options, since not all Johann scores contain full information about instrumentation. The works of Bach, the list in Russian of which was presented in the article, represents only a short list of the works of this outstanding composer and music teacher.

Arias and songs - from the second Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach.

For orchestra and orchestra with solo instruments:

Musical offering. The art of fugue.

MAIN LIFE DATES

1685, March 21 (Gregorian calendar March 31) Johann Sebastian Bach, the son of the city musician Johann Ambrose Bach, was born in the Thuringian city of Eisenach.

1693-1695 – Studying at school.

1694 – Death of mother, Elisabeth, née Lemmerhirt. Father's remarriage.

1695 – Death of father; moving to his elder brother Johann Christoph in Ohrdruf.

1696 – early 1700– Studying at the Ohrdruf Lyceum; singing and music lessons.

1700, March 15– Moving to Lüneburg, enrollment as a scholarship student (chanter) at the school of St. Michael.

1703, April– Moving to Weimar, service in the chapel of the Red Castle. August– Moving to Arnstadt; Bach is an organist and singing teacher.

1705-1706, October – February– Trip to Lubeck, studying the organ art of Dietrich Buxtehude. Conflict with the consistory of Arnstadt.

1707, June 15– Confirmation as organist in Mühlhausen. October 17– Marriage to Maria Barbara Bach.

1708, spring– Publication of the first work, “Elective Cantata”. July– Moving to Weimar to serve as court organist of the Ducal Chapel.

1710, November 22– Birth of the first son, Wilhelm Friedemann (the future “Gallic Bach”).

1714, March 8– Birth of the second son, Carl Philipp Emmanuel (the future “Hamburg Bach”). Trip to Kassel.

1717, July– Bach accepts the offer of Prince Leopold of Köthen to become conductor of the court chapel.

September– A trip to Dresden, his success as a virtuoso.

October– Return to Weimar; resignation letter, by order of the Duke, arrest from November 6 to December 2. Transfer to Keteya. Trip to Leipzig.

1720, May– A trip with Prince Leopold to Carlsbad. Early July– Death of wife Maria Barbara.

1723, February 7– Performance of cantata No. 22 in Leipzig as a test for the position of cantor of the Thomaskirche. March 26– First performance of the “St. John Passion.” May– Taking office as cantor of St. Thomas and the school teacher.

1729, February– Performing the “Hunting Cantata” in Weissenfels, receiving the title of court Kapellmeister of Saxe-Weissenfels. April 15– First performance of the St. Matthew Passion in the Thomaskirche. Disagreements with the Thomasshule council and then with the magistrate over school practices. Bach leads the Telemann student circle, Collegium musicum.

1730, October 28– A letter to a former school friend G. Erdmann describing the unbearable circumstances of life in Leipzig.

1732 – Performance of “Coffee Cantata”. June 21– Birth of son Johann Christoph Friedrich (future “Bückeburg Bach”).

1734, end of December– Performance of the “Christmas Oratorio”.

1735, June– Bach with his son Gottfried Bernhard in Mühlhausen. The son passes the test for the position of organist. September 5 the last son, Johann Christian (the future “London Bach”) was born.

1736 – The beginning of a two-year “struggle for the prefect” with the rector Tomashule I. Ernesti. November 19 A decree was signed in Dresden conferring the title of royal court composer on Bach. Friendship with the Russian ambassador G. Keyserling. December 1– A two-hour concert in Dresden on the Silbermann organ.

1738, April 28– “Night Music” in Leipzig. Bach completes the composition of the High Mass.

1740 – Bach ceases to direct the “Musical Collegium”.

1741 – In the summer, Bach is visiting his son Emmanuel in Berlin. Trip to Dresden.

1742 – Publication of the last, fourth volume of “Exercises for the Clavier.” August 30– Performance of “Peasant Cantata”.

1745 – Testing of a new organ in Dresden.

1746 – Son Wilhelm Friedemann becomes director of urban music in Halle. Bach's trip to Zshortau and Naumberg.

1749, January 20– Engagement of daughter Elisabeth to Bach’s student Altnikol. The beginning of the essay "The Art of Fugue". In summer- Illness, blindness. Johann Friedirch enters the Bückeburg Chapel.

1750, January– Unsuccessful eye surgeries, complete blindness. Composition of counterpoints of “The Art of Fugue” and fugue on the theme B-A-C-N. Completion of processing of chorales.

BRIEF BIBLIOGRAPHY

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The numbers in brackets everywhere indicate the number of this work based on the book “BWV”: W. Schmieder. Thematisch-sistematische Verzeichnis der Werke lohann Sebastian Bachs. Liepzig, 1971.

Translation by Ksenia Stebneva.

Translated by Ya. S. Druskin.

Some biographers date Bach's trip to Dresden to the autumn of 1714. We stick to the generally accepted date: September 1717. In 1714, Friedemann was only four years old; it is unlikely that he could have been taken by his father to Dresden.

See art. B. Kuznetsov “Einstein and Mozart”. " Soviet music", 1971, page 12, p. 38.

Quote from the book: Hammerschlag. If Bach kept a diary, p. 43.

Translation by Ksenia Stebneva.

Emphasized by us. CM.

A. V. Lunacharsky. In the world of music. Articles and speeches. Ed. 2. M., “Soviet Composer”, 1971, p. 312, 314.

V. D. Konen, Bach. "Musical Encyclopedia", vol. 1. M., "Soviet Encyclopedia", 1973, p. 357.

Riemann was mistaken: not six, but five sons outlived their father.

The author of the story does not always give the exact age at which Bach’s children died. Now, based on documentary evidence, the dates of birth and death of the children have been clarified: Christiana Sophia (29.VI.1723-1.VII.1726); Christian Gottlieb (14.IV.1720-21.IX1728); Ernst Andreas (30.X.-1.XI.1727); Regina Johanna (10.H.1728-25.IV.1733); Christian Benedict (1.I.-4.I.1730); Christiana Dorothea (18.III.1731-31.VIII.1732); Johann August (5.XI.-6.XI.1733).

The report in Mitzler's journal mentions, in addition to Bach, another conductor of the collegium - Johann Gottlieb Gerner; he now served as organist at St. Thomas.

G. Chicherin" Mozart. M., "Music", 1970, p. 181.