Johann Sebastian Bach Flashcards, test questions and answers
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What is Johann Sebastian Bach?
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and organist of the Baroque period. He is one of the most renowned composers in history, known for his highly complex contrapuntal compositions and masterful use of counterpoint. His works are still played and performed today, and Bach is considered one of the greatest musical minds to ever live. Born in 1685 in Eisenach, Germany, Bach was born into a long line of musicians; his father Johann Ambrosius Bach was a court musician too. From an early age, Johann Sebastian showed promise as a talented musician. At age 9 he became a choirboy at St Michael’s Church in Ohrdruf while receiving music lessons from his older brother. From there he continued to progress rapidly as a musician, eventually becoming an organist at the age of 18. Throughout his life, Bach wrote over 1 000 works including Brandenburg concertos, suites for orchestra and solo instruments, keyboard works including The Well-Tempered Clavier (a series of 24 preludes and fugues) as well as choral and vocal works such as cantatas, motets and passions. He also remained active as an organist throughout his life performing regularly at churches all over Germany until 1750 when he suffered from sudden blindness due to cataracts that developed on both eyes soon after completing The Art Of Fugue – an unfinished masterpiece which left many questioning why he had stopped composing it so abruptly. Bach’s influence has been felt since before he died – during his lifetime fellow composers such as CPE Bach (his son) were heavily influenced by him; even Mozart himself remarked he is the father we all revere.