Johann Sebastian Bach Research Paper

“I worked hard. Anyone who works as hard as I did can achieve the same results” (Bach). Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most influential composers of all time ("Top 10 Most Famous Classical Composers of All Time.") He lived during the Baroque period of music in the 17th century. Baroque music is a category of European Classical music and is recognized for ornamentation added to long melodic lines, the addition and use of harpsichord and basso continuos. Another was the development of counterpoint, which is when two or more melodies are combined that contrast with each other (Tollervey, Nicholas H.). Bach is well known for his use of counterpoint and fugue. ("Baroque Orchestral Music."). During this time period, musical components such

He was the last of eight children and came from a family of well known and highly talented musicians ("J. S. Bach: Baroque Composer."). His father, Johann Ambrosius Bach was a church organist and gave Bach violin lessons at a young age and taught him to sing in the church choir (Kamien, Roger.). When he was ten, in 1695, his parents died and Bach moved to Ohrdruf, Germany to live with one of his older brothers who was also a church organist. Bach’s brother was the first to teach Bach how to play keyboard instruments. When he was fifteen, he gained a spot in the choir at St. Michael's School in Lüneburg. At the age of eighteen, in 1703 he started his professional musical career by playing the organ and violin in the Weimar and Arnstadt ruling courts ("J. S. Bach: Baroque Composer."). In 1707, he married his first wife and cousin, Maria Barbara (Sherrane, Robert.). Maria had seven children with Bach, four of whom survived. She died thirteen years after they were married of unknown causes ("J. S. Bach: Baroque Composer."). One year later, Bach married Anna Magdalena Wilcke, the daughter of the town trumpeter and a soprano. Anna Magdalena Wilcke was very supportive of Bach’s composing. Together they had thirteen children, seven of which lived. All of Bach’s children were musically skilled and Johann Christian Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, Johann Gottfried Bernhard Bach, and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach all went on to become consummate musicians ("J.S.Bach."). Following his second marriage, Bach moved to Leipzig, where he remained of his life ("Johann Sebastian Bach."). In 1749, he had two failed eye surgeries which resulted in complete blindness. He continued to compose and teach music until the 28th of July 1750 when he had a stroke and died ("Johann Sebastian Bach."). He was buried in St. Thomas' Church in