What works did Bach write in ketene? Cantatas of the Weimar period: new poetry, new forms and images

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 the 19th century, interest in it has been steadily increasing, Bach’s works are winning audiences 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 the art of music 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 who opened up the development of world musical culture new perspectives. His powerful influence was reflected in the work of the great composers of the 19th 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 associated with a certain period of Bach’s creative biography. 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 is. 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 on music.” It can be said that Bach’s works such as the “Coffee Room” and “Peasant” cantatas, designed 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 deep sorrow, simple-minded humor, acute drama and philosophical reflection. Like Handel, Bach reflected the essential aspects of his era - the first half of the 18th century, but others - not effective heroism, but religious and philosophical problems put forward by the Reformation. In his music, he reflects on the most important, eternal questions of human life - the purpose of man, his moral duty, 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 observed 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: fortitude, loyalty 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 classical oratory, these sound formulas are called musical and rhetorical figures. Some rhetorical figures were of a figurative nature (for example, anabasis - ascent, catabasis - descent, circulatio - rotation, fuga - run, 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. Melodies often have a symbolic meaning 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 a variety of genres - organ choral preludes, cantatas, passions. It is quite natural that P.Kh. became an integral part of Bach's musical language.

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 in the Holy Scriptures. 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 huge contribution to its development was made by A. Schweitzer, F. Busoni, B. Yavorsky, M. Yudina.

"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

Biography

Childhood

Cities in which I.-S. lived Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was the sixth child in the family of musician Johann Ambrosius Bach and Elisabeth Lemmerhirt. The Bach family has been known for its musicality since the beginning of the 16th century: many of Johann Sebastian's ancestors were professional musicians. During this period, the Church, local authorities and the aristocracy supported musicians, especially in Thuringia and Saxony. Bach's father lived and worked in Eisenach. At this time the city had about 6,000 inhabitants. Johannes Ambrosius's work included organizing secular concerts and performing church music.

When Johann Sebastian was 9 years old, his mother died, and a year later his father died, having managed to get married again shortly before. The boy was taken in by his older brother, Johann Christoph, who served as an organist in nearby Ohrdruf. Johann Sebastian entered the gymnasium, his brother taught him to play the organ and clavier. Johann Sebastian loved music very much and never missed an opportunity to practice it or study new works. The following story is known to illustrate Bach's passion for music. Johann Christoph kept a notebook in his closet with sheet music by composers famous at that time, but, despite Johann Sebastian’s requests, he did not let him read it. One day, young Bach managed to remove a notebook from his brother’s always locked closet, and for six months, on moonlit nights, he copied its contents for himself. When the work was already completed, the brother discovered a copy and took away the notes.

While studying in Ohrdruf under the guidance of his brother, Bach became acquainted with the work of contemporary South German composers - Pachelbel, Froberger and others. It is also possible that he became acquainted with the works of composers from Northern Germany and France. Johann Sebastian observed how the organ was cared for, and may have taken part in it himself.

In 1706, Bach decides to change his job. He was offered a more profitable and high position as an organist in the Church of St. Vlasia in Mühlhausen, a large city in the north of the country. The following year, Bach accepted the offer, taking the place of organist Johann Georg Ahle. His salary was increased compared to the previous one, and the standard of the singers was better. Four months later, on October 17, 1707, Johann Sebastian married his cousin Maria Barbara from Arnstadt. They subsequently had seven children, three of whom died in childhood. Two of the survivors - Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emmanuel - later became famous composers.

The city and church authorities of Mühlhausen were pleased with the new employee. They without hesitation approved his plan for the restoration of the church organ, requiring great expense, and for the publication of the festive cantata "The Lord is my King", texts that were read in the Lutheran church every Sunday and on holidays throughout the year; many (such as “Wachet auf! Ruft uns die Stimme" and "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland") are based on traditional church chants.

During the performance, Bach apparently sat at the harpsichord or stood in front of the choir in the lower gallery under the organ; on the side gallery to the right of the organ were wind instruments and timpani, and to the left were string instruments. The city council provided Bach with only about 8 performers, and this often became the cause of disputes between the composer and the administration: Bach had to hire up to 20 musicians himself to perform orchestral works. The composer himself usually played the organ or harpsichord; if he led the choir, then this place was occupied by a full-time organist or one of Bach's eldest sons.

During the same period, Bach wrote parts Kyrie And Gloria the famous Mass in B minor, later completing the remaining parts, the melodies of which were almost entirely borrowed from the composer’s best cantatas. Soon Bach achieved appointment to the post of court composer; Apparently, he sought this high post for a long time, which was a strong argument in his disputes with the city authorities. Although the entire mass was never performed during the composer's lifetime, it is today considered by many to be one of the best choral works of all time.

During his life, Bach wrote more than 1000 works. In Leipzig, Bach maintained friendly relations with university professors. Particularly fruitful was the collaboration with the poet, who wrote under the pseudonym Pikander. Johann Sebastian and Anna Magdalena often hosted friends, family members and musicians from all over Germany in their home. Court musicians from Dresden, Berlin and other cities were frequent guests, including Telemann, godfather of Carl Philipp Emmanuel. It is interesting that George Frideric Handel, Bach’s same year from Halle, which is only 50 kilometers from Leipzig, never met Bach, although Bach tried to meet him twice in his life - in and out of age. The fates of these two composers, however, were linked by John Taylor, who operated on both shortly before their deaths.

The composer was buried near the Church of St. Thomas, where he served for 27 years. However, the grave was soon lost, and only in 1894 Bach’s remains were accidentally found during construction work; then the reburial took place.

Bach studies

The first description of Bach's life and work was a work published in 1802 by Johann Forkel. Forkel's biography of Bach is based on an obituary and stories from Bach's sons and friends. In the mid-19th century, the general public's interest in Bach's music increased, and composers and researchers began work on collecting, studying and publishing all of his works. The next major work on Bach was the book by Philip Spitta, published in 1880. At the beginning of the 20th century, the German organist and researcher Albert Schweitzer published a book. In this work, in addition to the biography of Bach, description and analysis of his works, much attention is paid to the description of the era in which he worked, as well as theological issues related to his music. These books were the most authoritative until the middle of the 20th century, when, with the help of new technical means and careful research, new facts about the life and work of Bach were established, which in some places contradicted traditional ideas. For example, it was established that Bach wrote some cantatas in - years (previously it was thought that this happened in the 1740s), unknown works were found, and some previously attributed to Bach turned out to be not written by him; Some facts of his biography were established. In the second half of the 20th century, many works were written on this topic - for example, books by Christoph Wolf. There is also a work called a 20th century hoax, “The Chronicle of the Life of Johann Sebastian Bach, Compiled by His Widow Anna Magdalena Bach,” written by the English writer Esther Meinel on behalf of the composer’s widow.

Creation

Bach wrote more than 1000 pieces of music. Today, each of the famous works is assigned a number

Organ creativity

By the time of Bach, organ music in Germany already had long-standing traditions that had developed thanks to Bach's predecessors - Pachelbel, Böhm, Buxtehude and other composers, each of whom influenced him in their own way. Bach knew many of them personally.

During his life, Bach was best known as a first-class organist, teacher and composer of organ music. He worked both in the “free” genres traditional for that time, such as prelude, fantasy, toccata, and in more strict forms - chorale prelude and fugue. In his works for organ, Bach skillfully combined features of different musical styles with which he became acquainted throughout his life. The composer was influenced by both the music of northern German composers (Georg Böhm, whom Bach met in Lüneburg, and Dietrich Buxtehude in Lübeck) and the music of southern composers: Bach copied the works of many French and Italian composers for himself in order to understand their musical language; later he even transcribed several Vivaldi violin concertos for organ. During the most fruitful period for organ music ( - years), Johann Sebastian not only wrote many pairs of preludes and fugues and toccatas and fugues, but also composed the unfinished Organ Book - a collection of 46 short choral preludes, which demonstrated various techniques and approaches to composition works on choral themes. After leaving Weimar, Bach began to write less for organ; however, after Weimar many famous works were written (6 trio sonatas, the collection " Clavier-Übung" and 18 Leipzig chorales). Throughout his life, Bach not only composed music for the organ, but also consulted on the construction of instruments, testing and tuning new organs.

Other keyboard works

Bach also wrote a number of works for the harpsichord, many of which could also be played on the clavichord. Many of these creations are encyclopedic collections demonstrating various techniques and methods for composing polyphonic works. Most of Bach's keyboard works published during his lifetime were contained in collections entitled " Clavier-Übung"("keyboard exercises").

• “The Well-Tempered Clavier” in two volumes, written in and years, is a collection, each volume of which contains 24 preludes and fugues, one for each common key. This cycle was very important in connection with the transition to instrument tuning systems that make it equally easy to play music in any key - first of all, to the modern equal temperament scale.
• 15 two-voice and 15 three-voice inventions are small works, arranged in order of increasing number of signs in the key. They were intended (and are still used to this day) for teaching how to play keyboard instruments.
• Three collections of suites: English Suites, French Suites and Partitas for Clavier. Each cycle contained 6 suites, built according to a standard scheme (allemande, courante, sarabande, gigue and an optional movement between the last two). In English suites, the allemande is preceded by a prelude, and between the sarabande and the gigue there is exactly one movement; in French suites the number of optional parts increases, and there are no preludes. In the partitas, the standard scheme is expanded: in addition to the exquisite introductory parts, there are additional ones, and not only between the sarabande and the gigue.
• Goldberg Variations (approx.) - melody with 30 variations. The cycle has a rather complex and unusual structure. The variations are built more on the tonal plan of the theme than on the melody itself.
• A variety of pieces such as Overture in the French Style, BWV 831, Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, BWV 903, or Italian Concerto, BWV 971.

Orchestral and chamber music

Bach wrote music for both individual instruments and ensembles. His works for solo instruments - 6 sonatas and partitas for solo violin, BWV 1001-1006, 6 suites for cello, BWV 1007-1012, and partita for solo flute, BWV 1013 - are considered by many to be among the composer's most profound works. In addition, Bach composed several works for solo lute. He also wrote trio sonatas, sonatas for solo flute and viola da gamba, accompanied only by a general bass, as well as a large number of canons and ricercars, mostly without specifying the instruments for performance. The most significant examples of such works are the cycles “The Art of Fugue” and “Musical Offering”.

Bach's most famous works for orchestra are the Brandenburg Concertos. They were so called because Bach, having sent them to Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg-Schwedt in 1721, thought of obtaining employment at his court; this attempt was unsuccessful. Six concertos are written in the genre of concerto grosso. Other extant works by Bach for orchestra include two violin concertos, a concerto for 2 violins in D minor, BWV 1043, and concertos for one, two, three and even four harpsichords. Researchers believe that these harpsichord concertos were merely transcriptions of older works by Johann Sebastian, now lost. In addition to concerts, Bach composed 4 orchestral suites.

Vocal works

• Cantatas. For a long period of his life, every Sunday Bach in the church of St. Thomas led the performance of a cantata, the theme of which was chosen according to the Lutheran church calendar. Although Bach also performed cantatas by other composers, in Leipzig he composed at least three complete annual cycles of cantatas, one for each Sunday of the year and each church holiday. In addition, he composed a number of cantatas in Weimar and Mühlhausen. In total, Bach wrote more than 300 cantatas on spiritual themes, of which only about 195 have survived to this day. Bach's cantatas vary greatly in form and instrumentation. Some of them are written for one voice, some for choir; some require a large orchestra to perform, and some require only a few instruments. However, the most commonly used model is this: the cantata opens with a solemn choral introduction, then alternates recitatives and arias for soloists or duets, and ends with a chorale. The same words from the Bible that are read this week according to the Lutheran canons are usually taken as recitative. The final chorale is often anticipated by a chorale prelude in one of the middle movements, and is also sometimes included in the opening movement in the form of a cantus firmus. The most famous of Bach's spiritual cantatas are "Christ lag in Todesbanden" (number 4), "Ein" feste Burg" (number 80), "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" (number 140) and "Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben" (number 147). In addition, Bach composed a number of secular cantatas, usually dedicated to some event, for example, a wedding. Among the most famous secular cantatas of Bach are two Wedding cantatas and the comic Coffee Cantata.

• Passions, or passions. Passion according to John () and Passion according to Matthew (c.) - works for choir and orchestra on the gospel theme of the suffering of Christ, intended for performance at vespers on Good Friday in the churches of St. Thomas and St. Nicholas. The Passions are one of Bach's most ambitious vocal works. It is known that Bach wrote 4 or 5 passions, but only these two have survived completely to this day.

• Oratorios and Magnificats. The most famous is the Christmas Oratorio () - a cycle of 6 cantatas for performance during the Christmas period of the liturgical year. The Easter Oratorio (-) and Magnificat are rather extensive and elaborate cantatas and have a smaller scope than the Christmas Oratorio or Passions. The Magnificat exists in two versions: the original (E-flat major, ) and the later and more famous (D major, ).

• Masses. Bach's most famous and significant mass is the Mass in B minor (completed 1749), which is a complete cycle of the Ordinary. This mass, like many of the composer’s other works, included revised early works. The Mass was never performed in its entirety during Bach's lifetime - the first time this happened only in the 19th century. In addition, this music was not performed as intended due to the duration of the sound (about 2 hours). In addition to the Mass in B minor, 4 short two-movement masses by Bach have reached us, as well as individual movements, such as Sanctus and Kyrie.

Bach's remaining vocal works include several motets, about 180 chorales, songs and arias.

Execution

Today, performers of Bach's music are divided into two camps: those who prefer authentic performances, that is, using instruments and methods from Bach's era, and those who perform Bach on modern instruments. In Bach's time there were no such large choirs and orchestras as, for example, in Brahms's time, and even his most ambitious works, such as the Mass in B minor and the passions, are not intended to be performed by large groups. In addition, some of Bach's chamber works do not indicate the instrumentation at all, so today very different versions of performances of the same works are known. In organ works, Bach almost never indicated registration and changes of manuals. Of the stringed keyboard instruments, Bach preferred the clavichord. He met with Silberman and discussed with him the design of his new instrument, contributing to the creation of the modern piano. Bach's music for some instruments was often arranged for others, for example, Busoni arranged the organ toccata and fugue in D minor and some other works for piano.

Numerous “lite” and modernized versions of his works contributed to the popularization of Bach’s music in the 20th century. Among them are today's well-known tunes performed by the Swingle Singers and Wendy Carlos' 1968 recording of "Switched-On Bach", which used the newly invented synthesizer. Jazz musicians such as Jacques Loussier also worked on Bach's music. Among Russian contemporary performers, Fyodor Chistyakov tried to pay tribute to the great composer in his 1997 solo album “When Bach Wake Up.”

The fate of Bach's music

Bach's personal seal

In the last years of his life and after Bach's death, his fame as a composer began to decline: his style was considered old-fashioned in comparison with the burgeoning classicism. He was better known and remembered as a performer, teacher and father of the younger Bachs, most notably Carl Philipp Emmanuel, whose music was better known. However, many major composers, such as Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin, knew and loved the work of Johann Sebastian. For example, when visiting the school of St. Thomas Mozart heard one of the motets (BWV 225) and exclaimed: “There is something to learn here!” - after which, asking for the notes, he studied them for a long time and enthusiastically. Beethoven greatly appreciated Bach's music. As a child, he played preludes and fugues from The Well-Tempered Clavier, and later called Bach “the true father of harmony” and said that “his name is not the Brook, but the Sea” (word Bach in German it means "stream"). Before concerts, Chopin locked himself in a room and played Bach's music. The works of Johann Sebastian influenced many composers. Some themes from Bach's works, for example, the theme of the Toccata and Fugue in D minor, have been reused in music

Researchers of Bach's life and work call the period from 1703 to 1717 "Weimar", but in fact he was in Weimar itself for a relatively small part of this time. He actually spent the first six months there, working as a musician in one of the choir chapels. But soon, in search of new perspectives and impressions, Bach moved to Arnstadt. There he becomes an organist at the “New Church” and gets a lot of free time to hone his musical skills. Here for the first time the composer's genius of Johann Sebastian Bach awakens to unprecedented strength. The spiritual cantata “You will not leave my soul in hell” for organ, choir and orchestra becomes his debut. In another early work - the piece for clavier "Capriccio on the Departure of a Beloved Brother" - the most characteristic features of his compositional style are noticeably manifested for the first time. Then Bach goes on foot to Lubeck, where the outstanding organist Buxtehude gives concerts. This event becomes a turning point in the composer's work.
Buxtehude's organ music amazed the young Bach with his skill and innovative compositional techniques, and the composer stayed in Lübeck for more than two years. Upon his return, he is met with reproaches from the church council, because they only released him from the church for four months. Seeking independence, Bach leaves Weimar.
The genius's new refuge becomes the town of Mühlhausen, where he also works as a musician in the church. Throughout the entire year of work, Bach unsuccessfully tries to raise the level of musical culture in the town, attracting the attention of the church and city authorities. During this short period, he wrote and performed his “Elective Cantata,” which became the only work published during his lifetime.

Soon, in 1708, Bach again came to Weimar, which he had abandoned, and this time accepted the position of court musician. During this period, his performing talent developed, honed by playing the violin, harpsichord and organ. Bach is famous for his improvisations on these instruments.
The organ became a “creative laboratory” for Bach during the Weimar period. Like a true scientist, he studies its structure and all the features of sound production, thereby raising organ music to a hitherto unknown level, which is what Bach’s notes tell us today. His creative strength was the legendary polyphony (polyphony). He writes the famous “Toccata and Fugue in de minor” and many other works for organ.
After the death of the Weimar bandmaster in 1716, Bach did not receive his position, as he had hoped. The post is given to a mediocre musician, but one who pleases the authorities. Outraged by the injustice, Bach resigns and is arrested for “disrespect,” from which he again leaves Weimar and moves with his family to Köthen.

From the 19th century to the present day, interest in the works of Johann Sebastian Bach has not subsided. The creativity of an unsurpassed genius amazes with its scale. known all over the world. His name is known not only to professionals and music lovers, but also to listeners who do not show much interest in “serious” art. On the one hand, Bach's work is a certain result. The composer relied on the experience of his predecessors. He knew perfectly well the choral polyphony of the Renaissance, German organ music, and the peculiarities of the Italian violin style. He carefully studied new material, developed and generalized his accumulated experience. On the other hand, Bach was an unsurpassed innovator who managed to open up new perspectives for the development of world musical culture. The work of Johann Bach had a strong influence on his followers: Brahms, Beethoven, Wagner, Glinka, Taneyev, Honegger, Shostakovich and many other great composers.

Bach's creative heritage

He created over 1000 works. The genres he addressed were very diverse. Moreover, there are works whose scale was exceptional for that time. Bach's work can be divided into four main genre groups:

• Organ music.
• Vocal-instrumental.
• Music for various instruments (violin, flute, clavier and others).
• Music for instrumental ensembles.

The works of each of the above groups belong to a specific period. The most outstanding organ compositions were composed in Weimar. The Keten period marks the appearance of a huge number of keyboard and orchestral works. Most of the vocal and instrumental songs were written in Leipzig.

Johann Sebastian Bach. Biography and creativity

The future composer was born in 1685 in the small town of Eisenach, into a musical family. For the whole family it was a traditional profession. Johann's first music teacher was his father. The boy had an excellent voice and sang in the choir. At the age of 9 he became an orphan. After the death of his parents, he was raised by Johann Christoph (elder brother). At the age of 15, the boy graduated from the Ohrdruf Lyceum with honors and moved to Lüneburg, where he began singing in the choir of the “chosen ones”. By the age of 17, he learned to play various harpsichords, organs, and violins. Since 1703 he has lived in different cities: Arnstadt, Weimar, Mühlhausen. Bach's life and work during this period were full of certain difficulties. He constantly changes his place of residence, which is due to his reluctance to feel dependent on certain employers. He served as a musician (as an organist or violinist). Working conditions also constantly dissatisfied him. At this time, his first compositions for clavier and organ, as well as spiritual cantatas, appeared.

Weimar period

In 1708, Bach began serving as court organist for the Duke of Weimar. At the same time, he works in the chapel as a chamber musician. Bach's life and work during this period were very fruitful. These are the years of first composer maturity. The best organ works appeared. This:

• Prelude and Fugue in C minor, A minor.
• Toccata C major.
• Passacaglia c-moll.
• Toccata and fugue in d minor.
• "Organ book".

At the same time, Johann Sebastian is working on works in the cantata genre, on transcriptions of Italian violin concertos for the clavier. For the first time he turns to the genre of solo violin suite and sonata.

Keten period

Since 1717, the musician settled in Köthen. Here he holds a high-ranking position as director of chamber music. He, in fact, is the manager of all musical life at court. But he is not happy with the town being too small. Bach is eager to move to a larger, more promising city to give his children the opportunity to go to university and get a good education. There was no high-quality organ in Köthen, and there was also no choir. Therefore, Bach’s keyboard creativity develops here. The composer also pays a lot of attention to ensemble music. Works written in Köthen:

• Volume 1 "HTK".
• English Suites.
• Sonatas for solo violin.
• "Brandenburg Concertos" (six pieces).

Leipzig period and last years of life

Since 1723, the maestro has lived in Leipzig, where he leads the choir (holds the position of cantor) at the school at the Church of St. Thomas in Thomaschul. Takes an active part in a public circle of music lovers. The city's "collegium" constantly organized secular music concerts. What masterpieces were added to Bach’s work at that time? It is worth briefly indicating the main works of the Leipzig period, which can rightfully be considered the best. This:

• "St. John's Passion".
• Mass h-minor.
• "Matthew Passion"
• About 300 cantatas.
• "Christmas Oratorio".

In the last years of his life, the composer focused on musical compositions. Writes:

• Volume 2 "HTK".
• Italian concert.
• Partitas.
• "The Art of Fugue".
• Aria with various variations.
• Organ Mass.
• "Musical Offering"

After an unsuccessful operation, Bach went blind, but did not stop composing music until his death.

Style characteristics

Bach's creative style was formed on the basis of various musical schools and genres. Johann Sebastian organically wove the best harmonies into his works. In order to understand the musical language of the Italians, he rewrote their works. His creations were rich in the texts, rhythms and forms of French and Italian music, North German contrapuntal style, as well as Lutheran liturgy. The synthesis of various styles and genres was harmoniously combined with the deep poignancy of human experiences. His musical thought stood out for its special uniqueness, universality and a certain cosmic quality. Bach's work belongs to a style that is firmly established in the art of music. This is the classicism of the high baroque era. Bach's musical style is characterized by mastery of an extraordinary melodic structure, where the main idea dominates the music. Thanks to the mastery of counterpoint techniques, several melodies can interact simultaneously. was a true master of polyphony. He had a penchant for improvisation and brilliant virtuosity.

Main genres

Bach's work includes various traditional genres. This:

• Cantatas and oratorios.
• Passions and Masses.
• Preludes and Fugues.
• Chorale arrangements.
• Dance suites and concerts.

Of course, he borrowed the listed genres from his predecessors. However, he gave them the broadest scope. The maestro skillfully updated them with new musical and expressive means and enriched them with features of other genres. The clearest example is the "Chromatic Fantasia in D Minor". The work was created for the clavier, but contains dramatic recitation of theatrical origins and the expressive properties of large organ improvisations. It is easy to notice that Bach’s work “bypassed” opera, which, by the way, was one of the leading genres of its time. However, it is worth noting that many of the composer’s secular cantatas are difficult to distinguish from comedic interludes (at this time in Italy they were degenerating into opera buffa). Some of Bach's cantatas, created in the spirit of witty genre scenes, anticipated the German Singspiel.

The ideological content and range of images of Johann Sebastian Bach

The composer's work is rich in its figurative content. From the pen of a true master come both extremely simple and extremely majestic creations. Bach's art contains simple-minded humor, deep sorrow, philosophical reflection, and acute drama. The brilliant Johann Sebastian in his music reflected such significant aspects of his era as religious and philosophical problems. With the help of the amazing world of sounds, he reflects on the eternal and very important questions of human life:

• About the moral duty of man.
• About his role in this world and purpose.
• About life and death.

These reflections are directly related to religious topics. And this is not surprising. The composer served the church almost all his life, so he wrote most of the music for it. At the same time, he was a believer and knew the Holy Scriptures. His reference book was the Bible, written in two languages ​​(Latin and German). He kept fasts, went to confession, and observed church holidays. A few days before his death he took communion. The composer's main character is Jesus Christ. In this ideal image, Bach saw the embodiment of the best qualities inherent in man: purity of thoughts, strength of spirit, loyalty to the chosen path. The sacrificial feat of Jesus Christ for the salvation of humanity was the most sacred for Bach. This theme was the most important in the composer's work.

Symbolism of Bach's works

In the Baroque era, musical symbolism appeared. It is through her that the complex and amazing world of the composer is revealed. Bach's music was perceived by his contemporaries as transparent and understandable speech. This happened due to the presence in it of stable melodic turns expressing certain emotions and ideas. Such sound formulas are called musical-rhetorical figures. Some conveyed affect, others imitated the intonations of human speech, and others were of a figurative nature. Here are some of them:

• anabasis - ascent;
• circulatio - rotation;
• catabasis - descent;
• exclamatio - exclamation, ascending sixth;
• fuga - running;
• passus duriusculus - a chromatic move used to express suffering or sorrow;
• suspiratio - sigh;
• tirata - arrow.

Gradually, musical and rhetorical figures become a kind of “signs” of certain concepts and feelings. For example, the descending figure catabasis was often used to convey sadness, melancholy, mourning, death, and the position in the coffin. A gradual upward movement (anabasis) was used to express ascension, high spirits and other moments. Symbolic motifs are observed in all the composer’s works. Bach's work was dominated by Protestant chorale, to which the maestro turned throughout his life. It also has a symbolic meaning. Work with the chorale was carried out in a wide variety of genres - cantatas, passions, preludes. Therefore, it is quite logical that the Protestant chorale is an integral part of Bach’s musical language. Among the important symbols found in the music of this artist, we should note stable combinations of sounds that have constant meanings. The symbol of the cross predominated in Bach's work. It consists of four multi-directional notes. It is noteworthy that if you decipher the composer’s surname (BACH) with notes, the same graphic pattern is formed. B - B flat, A - A, C - C, H - B. Researchers such as F. Busoni, A. Schweitzer, M. Yudina, B. Yavorsky and others made a great contribution to the development of Bach’s musical symbols.

"Second birth"

During his lifetime, the work of Sebastian Bach was not appreciated. Contemporaries knew him more as an organist than a composer. Not a single serious book has been written about him. Of the huge number of his works, only a few were published. After his death, the composer's name was soon forgotten, and the surviving manuscripts gathered dust in the archives. Perhaps we would never have known anything about this brilliant man. But, fortunately, this did not happen. True interest in Bach arose in the 19th century. One day F. Mendelssohn discovered the notes of the St. Matthew Passion in the library, which interested him very much. Under his direction, this work was successfully performed in Leipzig. Many listeners were delighted with the music of the still little-known author. We can say that this was the second birth of Johann Sebastian Bach. In 1850 (on the 100th anniversary of the composer's death), the Bach Society was created in Leipzig. The purpose of this organization was to publish all the found manuscripts of Bach in the form of a complete collection of works. As a result, 46 volumes were collected.

Bach's organ works. Summary

The composer created excellent works for the organ. This instrument is a real force of nature for Bach. Here he was able to liberate his thoughts, feelings and emotions and convey all this to the listener. Hence the enlargement of lines, concertity, virtuosity, and dramatic images. The compositions created for the organ resemble frescoes in painting. Everything in them is presented mainly in close-up. In preludes, toccatas and fantasies, the pathos of musical images in free, improvisational forms is observed. Fugues are characterized by special virtuosity and unusually powerful development. Bach's organ work conveys the high poetry of his lyrics and the grandiose scope of his magnificent improvisations.

Unlike clavier works, organ fugues are much larger in volume and content. The movement of the musical image and its development proceed with increasing activity. The unfolding of the material is presented in the form of layering of large layers of music, but there is no particular discreteness or breaks. On the contrary, continuity (continuity of movement) prevails. Each phrase follows from the previous one with increasing tension. The climactic moments are constructed in the same way. The emotional upsurge eventually intensifies to its highest point. Bach is the first composer to demonstrate the patterns of symphonic development in large forms of instrumental polyphonic music. Bach's organ work seems to split into two poles. The first is preludes, toccatas, fugues, fantasies (large musical cycles). The second is one-part. They are written mainly in chamber style. They reveal predominantly lyrical images: intimate, mournful and sublimely contemplative. The best works for organ by Johann Sebastian Bach - fugue in D minor, prelude and fugue in A minor and many other works.

Works for clavier

When writing compositions, Bach relied on the experience of his predecessors. However, here too he proved himself to be an innovator. Bach's keyboard creativity is characterized by scale, exceptional versatility, and a search for expressive means. He was the first composer to appreciate the versatility of this instrument. When composing his works, he was not afraid to experiment and implement the most daring ideas and projects. When writing, I was guided by the entire world musical culture. Thanks to him, the clavier expanded significantly. He enriches the instrument with new virtuoso techniques and changes the essence of musical images.

Among his works for organ, the following stand out:

• Two-voice and three-voice inventions.
• "English" and "French" suites.
• "Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue".
• "The Well-Tempered Clavier."

Thus, Bach's work is striking in its scope. The composer is widely known throughout the world. His works make you think and reflect. Listening to his compositions, you involuntarily become immersed in them, thinking about the deep meaning underlying them. The genres that the maestro addressed throughout his life were very diverse. This is organ music, vocal-instrumental music, music for various instruments (violin, flute, clavier and others) and for instrumental ensembles.

In 1708, Bach again found himself in Weimar to serve as a gopher organist. His stay here lasted for 10 years. During this time, the composer managed to hold several positions - each had its own nuances of work. (I had to write music for several instruments at once). The composer gained invaluable experience as a composer while he was in Weimar. No wonder it was here that he wrote the best works for the organ.

It is worth adding that Johann Sebastian, even in his youth, established himself as an excellent virtuoso organist. Periodically, he undertook trips for, and these performances helped spread the fame of Bach as an outstanding improviser. In the city of Kassel, for example, such variations were performed using a pedal that the listeners were delighted. According to the information that has reached us, Bach was phenomenal and this fact left all his rivals far behind. He could vary the same theme for 2 hours, all the while doing it in a variety of different ways.

One of the episodes from the composer’s life often mentioned by biographers happened in 1717. Bach received an invitation to perform with Louis Marchand (the famous French virtuoso keyboardist) in the city of Dresden. At the concert, Marchand performed a French song, and for its brilliant performance he received long applause from the audience. Then Johann Sebastian was invited to play the instrument. After a short but masterful prelude, the composer repeated the song that Marchand had played, also applying to it many variations, constructed in a way that had never been heard before. Bach's superiority was obvious and when Johann Sebastian offered his opponent a friendly duel, Marchand, fearing failure, chose to leave Dresden as quickly as possible.

However, no matter how great the superiority of the German composer over others was, this did not improve his overall situation. In Dresden, one might say, they were amused and let go.

It is noteworthy that Bach never boasted of his successes; moreover, he did not like to remember them. When asked how such a high level of performance was achieved, he answered that everyone could do it with the same effort. He was modest and impartial, so he retained a sense of goodwill towards other people - his idol, for example, was Handel. Bach always wanted to meet him and strived for this, but the meeting never took place.

After 10 years in Weimar, Johann Sebastian occupied only the position of assistant bandmaster, despite the fact that he did all the main work. Therefore, when the vacancy of court conductor opened up, Bach had every reason to take it, but the position went not to him, but to the mediocre son of the deceased conductor. This naturally seemed an insult to Johann Sebastian, so he demanded his resignation. The Duke reacted to this very harshly, but in the spirit of princely morals, taking the dissatisfied employee under arrest - supposedly a simple servant dared to question the highest command. So Bach was repaid with arrest for his 10 years of service in Weimar.

Bach's life in Köthen

After Weimar, Bach, together with his wife and children, came to Köthen (this was in 1717). His work here consisted of leading the court orchestra, as well as teaching the Prince of Köthen. The composer could spend the rest of his time writing. Due to the lack of an organ, I had to concentrate in my work on keyboard music.

Over time, Johann Sebastian became increasingly bored in the small provincial town and he was thinking about leaving. But besides boredom, two more circumstances spurred this step - 1720 (wife Maria Barbara died), the desire to give their children a good university education. At first, Bach tried to get a job as an organist in the city of Hamburg at the Church of St. James. He performed in this city during one of his recent artistic trips and greatly delighted everyone with his playing on the organ, including the already elderly Reincken, who was present there. Bach again did not get the desired position; it was given to a man who knew nothing about music, but who contributed a round sum to the church fund. We had to wait some more time before new prospects appeared.

In 1721, the great composer married again. The chosen one's name was Anna Magdalena, she came from a musical family and had a strong voice herself. Thanks to some character traits (gentleness, responsiveness), Anna became a support and support for her husband.

Bach's life in Leipzig

Soon the composer tried to get a job as a cantor in the city of Leipzig. He filed a petition with the magistrate, but they were looking for a more famous musician. The existing candidates refused, so it was decided to accept Bach, and even then on humiliating conditions.

The school of singers, which, thanks to these very conditions, was in the department of Johann Sebastian, was in complete ruin. The choir members were unable to cope with their task; many of them simply did not have the appropriate training, while others were generally unsuitable for singing in the choir. It was the same story with the musicians who played in the orchestra. Johann Sebastian wrote reports to the magistrate, but received no support. It was much easier for the petty-bourgeois aristocrats who headed it to shift all the blame onto the new cantor, which is what they did in their numerous documents. Thus, relations with the authorities did not work out in Leipzig, but Johann Sebastian did not want to move somewhere, since he already had considerable experience in such things.

The only thing that somehow smoothed out the feelings of constant attacks and humiliation from superiors was the composer’s artistic journeys. His incredible skill allowed him to win the sympathy of people, as well as make many new acquaintances, as Bach's music was highly valued by some of the outstanding personalities of the time.

But still, the composer's contribution (the main thing on which the composer spent his time) remained underestimated. Bach's works were not published, as if no one cared about them. It was as if a wall of misunderstanding then grew between the musician and society, leaving Johann Sebastian a lonely artist (it must be said that his wife provided him with great support). And so it was, unfortunately, until the death of the composer.

Bach's latest creations are distinguished by a philosophical abstraction alien to the real world. In them, he seems to fence himself off from the cruel reality of the world. But this does not detract from the significance of these works, which are deservedly considered the pinnacle of polyphonic art.

On July 28, 1750, Bach passed away. This event did not attract much attention. However, in our time, countless people gather at the place where the remains of the composer are located - all of them are ardent admirers of his work.