POPULARITY
Welcome to our Royal Romance season.On this episode, we'll be talking about Georgian Couples that didn't have a happy ending. Please welcome Catherine Curzon back as we learn more about the Georgian couples whose Happily Ever After seemed to have an expiration date.We'll talking about George III of Great Britain & Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz andPrincess Charlotte of Wales and Prince Leopold of Saxe Coburg Saalfeld.Our Favourite Books by Catherine: The Crown: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Royal-Family-vs-The-Crown-Hardback/p/51893/aid/1238Georgian Queens: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Queens-of-Georgian-Britain-Hardback/p/14066/aid/1238Georgian Kings: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Kings-of-Georgian-Britain-Hardback/p/12904/aid/1238Wives of Prince Regent: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Wives-of-George-IV-Hardback/p/20127/aid/1238Life in the Georgian Court: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Life-in-the-Georgian-Court-Hardback/p/12109/aid/1238The Real Bridgerton: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Real-Bridgerton-Hardback/p/23199/aid/1238Our fangirling over Catherine's first book:https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/post/life-in-the-georgian-court-the-long-18th-centuryFind Baroque:https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/https://www.reignoflondon.com/https://substack.com/@ifitaintbaroquepodcastSupport Baroque:https://www.patreon.com/c/Ifitaintbaroquepodcast/https://buymeacoffee.com/ifitaintbaroqueJoin Natalie on her Georgian London walking tour:https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/royal-london-georgian-and-windsor-monarchs-walking-tour-t481355 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
fWotD Episode 2646: Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.The featured article for Friday, 2 August 2024 is Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.Charles Edward (Leopold Charles Edward George Albert; 19 July 1884 – 6 March 1954) was at various points in his life a British prince, a German duke and a Nazi politician. He was the last ruling duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a state of the German Empire, from 30 July 1900 to 14 November 1918. He was later given multiple positions in the Nazi regime, including leader of the German Red Cross, and acted as an unofficial diplomat for the German government.Charles Edward's parents were Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, and Princess Helen of Waldeck and Pyrmont. His paternal grandparents were Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Prince Leopold died before his son's birth. Charles Edward was born in Surrey, England, and brought up as a British prince. The boy was a sickly child who developed a close relationship with his grandmother and his only sibling, Alice. He was privately educated, including at Eton College. In 1899, the Prince was selected to succeed to the throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha because he was deemed young enough to be re-educated as a German. He moved to Germany at the age of 15. Between 1899 and 1905, Charles Edward was put through various forms of education, guided by his cousin, German emperor Wilhelm II.The Prince ascended the ducal throne in 1900 but reigned through a regency until 1905. In 1905, he married Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein. The couple had five children, including Sibylla, the mother of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. The Duke was a conservative ruler with an interest in art and technology. He tried to emphasise his loyalty to his adopted country through various symbolic gestures. Still, his continued close association with the United Kingdom was off-putting both to his subjects and to the German elite. He chose to support the German Empire during the First World War. The Duke had a disability and assisted the Imperial German Army without participating in combat. He was deposed during the German Revolution like the other German princes. He also lost his British titles due to his decision to side against the British Empire.During the 1920s, the former Duke became a moral and financial supporter of violent far-right paramilitary groups in Germany. By the early 1930s, he was supporting the Nazi Party and joined it in 1933. Charles Edward helped to promote eugenicist ideas which provided a basis for the murder of many disabled people. He was involved in attempting to shift opinion among the British upper class in a more pro-German direction. His attitudes became more pro-Nazi during the Second World War, though it is unclear how much of a political role he played. After the war, he was interned for a period and was given a minor conviction by a denazification court. He died of cancer in 1954.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:31 UTC on Friday, 2 August 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Kendra.
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom was known as the grandmother of Europe. She and her husband Prince Albert had 9 children, 42 grandchildren, 85 great-grandchildren and 142 great-great-grandchildren. Many of her majesty's estimated 1,239 total descendants married into royal families across Europe, from Russia to Spain, Norway to Romania and all over Germany. In addition to their royal mama's short stature, beady eyes and haughty temperament, many of them carried another, more dangerous genetic legacy, hemophilia. This excruciatingly painful, often deadly disorder devastated royal families, caused the early deaths of at least 10 princes and contributed to the downfall of both the Russian and Spanish monarchies. Let's trace the hemophilia gene along the royal family tree to find out where it came from and how many of the Queen's descendant's fell victim to what became known as the royal disease. Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany Prince Friedrich of Hesse and by Rhine Leopold Battenberg Maurice Battenberg Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia Rupert Cambridge Alfonso, Prince of Asturias Infante Gonzalo Prince Waldemar of Prussia Prince Heinrich of Prussia and more? Join me every Tuesday when I'm Spilling the Tea on History! Check out my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/lindsayholiday Please consider supporting me at https://www.patreon.com/LindsayHoliday and help me make more fascinating videos! Intro Music: Baroque Coffee House by Doug Maxwell Music: "Bellissimo" by Doug Maxwell #TheCrownRealHistory #RomanovHistory #HistoryTeaTime #LindsayHoliday #RoyalDisease Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On July 28, 1750, the famous German composer Bach passedawayJohann Sebastian Bach was born on March 21, 1685 and died on July 28,1750. he was born in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany, and he was a German composerand keyboardist during the Baroque period.Bach studied in the choir in 1700, which seemed to have stimulated hismusical potential. In 1708, at the age of 23, Bach became an organist in acourt church. During his 9 years in office, he composed a large number of organpieces and cantatas, and studied French ancient piano music and Italian stringworks.In 1717, Bach was hired by Cotten as court musician and keyboardist atthe residence of Prince Leopold; During this period, Bach also composed a largenumber of secular instrumental works, such as violin concertos, various sonatas,suites, creative pieces, and of course the famous Brandenburg Concerto, as wellas the first volume of the Average Rhythm Piano Collection.Bach was married twice in his lifetime. On October 7, 1707, he and hiscousin Maria Barbara, who was a year his senior, had a relatively simplewedding in a small village less than a kilometer from Arnstadt. The family'slife is very happy. Of course, Bach also began in Germany in Kraton, which iswhere he worked, and had a small reputation. Unfortunately, in 1720, Maria diedat the age of 36.A year and a half after Maria's death, Bach married a second wife, courtsinger Anna Magdalina, who was 21 years younger than Bach. During their 28-yearlife, Anna Magdalina and Bach had a total of 13 children.During the 28 years of living with Anna, Bach became famous from a smallcelebrity, not only as a conductor of the orchestras of various cathedrals, butalso composed many famous pieces. Some of them have been passed down throughthe generations and have endured for a long time, and are still a must-haverepertoire for music discipline textbooks in various countries today!Because Bach was so famous, he often quarreled with some high-rankingofficials and nobles. On August 2, 1729, the Leipzig Municipal Council"reprimanded" Bach for disrespecting his superiors. Bach was helplessand expressed great disappointment with the municipal authorities. On April 7,1730, Luke's Passion was performed anonymously on Good Friday, supplemented byBach; On August 23, a simple and urgent statement on the improvement ofecclesiastical music, combined with some reflections on the decline ofecclesiastical music, was presented to the Leipzig Municipal Council, answeringthe "admonition" of the municipal authorities; On October 28, he wroteto a friend in Danzig with the intention of finding another position.From March 28 to 31 in 1750, he suffered from an eye disease, which wasfirst operated on by John Taylor, an ophthalmologist in London; From April 5 to8, he underwent the second surgery from Dr. Taylor, but unfortunately, theoperation failed. Subsequently, Bach went blind. During this time, his wifeAnna did not worry less about him. On July 22, the last communion ceremony washeld at home after a stroke. Finally, Bach died at 8:45 p.m. on July 28, 1750;On July 31, he was buried in the cemetery of John's Church.
Synopsis When your instrument is nicknamed “the burping bedpost,” it's hard to get respect in refined circles. So it's understandable that the bassoon section of, say, a major London orchestra might indulge in a bit of day-dreaming in which a gang of hot-rodding motorcycling bassoonists blow into town and take over a concert hall. And guess what? That is EXACTLY the scenario of a piece written for Britain's Philharmonia Orchestra by the American composer Michael Daughtery. “Hell's Angels” is a concerto for bassoon quartet that received its premiere in London on today's date in 1999, with Daughtery commenting: “I find the bassoon to be an instrument with great expressive and timbral possibilities, ranging from low and raucous rumbling to plaintive high intensity.” Daugherty often takes inspiration from icons of American pop culture, so it's not surprising that he should choose “Hell's Angels” for inspiration. After all, he writes: “the bassoon is similar in size and shape to the drag pipes found on Harley Davidson motorcycles … When the noise-curbing mufflers are illegally removed from the drag pipes, they create a deafening roar. I have removed the traditional mufflers on the bassoon repertoire in order to compose [my] concerto for bassoon quartet and orchestra. Music Played in Today's Program Michael Daugherty (b. 1954) — Hell's Angels (Oregon Symphony; James DePreist, cond.) Delos 3291 On This Day Births 1834 - German composer, pianist and organist Julius Ruebke, in Hausneindorf, near Quedlinburg; 1878 - Austrian composer Franz Schrecker, in Monaco; 1895 - French-born American composer, painter and mystical philosopher Dane Rudhyar, in Paris; Premieres 1731 - Bach: "St. Mark Passion" (S. 247, now lost) performed in Leipzig at Vespers on Good Friday; 1748 - Handel: oratorio "Alexander Balus" in London at the Covent Garden Theater; The event possibly included the premiere of Handel's "Concerto a due cori" No. 1 as well (Gregorian date: April 3); 1783 - Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 13 and final version of Symphony No. 35 ("Haffner"), at the Vienna Burgtheater, with composer as piano soloist and conductor; An earlier version of the symphony was performed in Salzburg at private concerts arranged by the wealthy Haffner family in the summer of 1782; 1792 - Haydn: Symphony No. 94 ("Surprise"), conducted by the composer, at the Hanover-Square Concert Rooms in London; 1828 - Beethoven: String Quartet in F, Op. 135 (posthumously, and almost one year to the day after the composer's death on March 26, 1827), in Vienna, by the Schuppanzigh Quartet; 1886 - Tchaikovsky: "Manfred" Symphony (after Byron), in Moscow (Julian date: Mar. 11); 1912 - Gliere: Symphony No. 3 ("Ilya Murometz") in Moscow (Julian date: Mar. 10); 1917 - Bloch: "Trois poèmes juifs" (Three Jewish Poems), in Boston, with the composer conducting; 1923 - de Falla: opera "El retrablo de maese Pedro" (Master Peter's Puppet Show) (concert version), in Seville at the Teatro San Fernando; 1935 - Barber: "Music for a Scene from Shelley," by the New York Philharmonic; 1939 - Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2, by the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra, Willem Mengelberg conducting and Zoltán Székely as the soloist; A live recording of this premiere performance has been issued on both LP and CD; 1944 - Cowell: "Hymn and Fuguing Tune" No. 2 for strings, in New York on a WEAF radio broadcast featuring Henri Nosco and his Concert Orchestra; The first concert hall performance took place at Town Hall in New York on October 8, 1944, with the Daniel Saidenburg Little Symphony; 1945 - Copland (and 9 other composers): "Variations on a Theme by Eugene Goosens," by the Cincinnati Symphony; 1946 - Marc Blitzstein: "Airbourne Symphony," in New York City; 1962 - Irving Fine: "Symphony 1962" by the Boston Symphony, Charles Munch conducting; 1969 - Gene Gutchë: "Genghis Khan," by American Symphony Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting; 1999 - James MacMillan: "Cumnock Fair" for piano and strings, at Cumnock Academy by members of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Others 1703 - Antonio Vivaldi becomes a Roman Catholic priest at age 25; 1721 - Handel completes the composition of Act 3 of "Muzio Scevola," as part of a "competition" arranged by the directors of the Royal Academy of Music to settle the rivalry between their three house composers (Filippo Amadei composed Act 1, Giovanni Bononcinni Act 2, and Handel Act 3); Handel was deemed the victor in this "contest" (Gregorian date: April 3); 1729 - J.S. Bach visits Coethen to perform funeral music for his former employer, Prince Leopold; 1743 - London premiere of what is billed as "A New Sacred Oratorio" by Handel(Gregorian date: April 3); This was his "Messiah" which had its first performance in Dublin the previous year; Links and Resources On Michael Daugherty
Well, I thought I'd take this opportunity to hit you up with some WACHY BACH FACHTS! FUN FACHT: Bach got put in prison by Duke Wilhelm, because he asked if he could please go and work as a composer for Prince Leopold. Wachy! FUN FACHT: When Bach wrote religious pieces, he'd put the initials INJ at the top, which some people think means In Nomine Jesu, but could also be a meyers-Briggs test result from a Russian website, meaning Bach's personality type was Impregnating-Naughty-Jiggly. We just don't know. We'll be 'BACH' next week! We're CRACHERS! God, please give us some money. There's a couple of full-length bonus podcasts in it for you and a secret whatsapp group: www.ko-fi.com/audiofreqs. Or, if you are VERY POOR, then go out on the streets and play the podcast off your phone at strangers until they promise to subscribe mny thx LOVE YOU.
he Orchestral Suite no. 3 in D major, BWV 1068, was composed by Johann Sebastian Bach at some point between the years 1717 and 1723, for his patron Prince Leopold of Anhalt. From this work comes the famous Air on the G string, titled after violinist August Wilhelmj's late 19th century arrangement of the air movement for violin and piano. By transposing the key of the piece from its original D major to C major and transposing the melody down an octave, Wilhelm was able to play the piece on only one string of his violin, the G string.
Photo: Kaiser Wilhelm II inspecting Turkish troops of the 15th Corps in East Galicia, Poland. Prince Leopold of Bavaria, the Supreme Commander of the German Army on the Eastern Front, is second from the left..The New John Batchelor ShowCBS Audio Network@BatchelorshowErdogan arrests loyal admirals accused of yet another coup against Erdogan. Gregory Copley, Defense & Foreign Affairshttps://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/middle-east/1617641672-erdogan-accuses-retired-admirals-of-political-coup-police-arrest-10
Why We Should Expose Our Kids To Classical Music https://ourtownlive.net.The Orchestral Suite no. 3 in D major, BWV 1068, was composed by Johann Sebastian Bach at some point between the years 1717 and 1723, for his patron Prince Leopold of Anhalt. From this work comes the famous Air on the G string, titled after violinist August Wilhelmj's late 19th century arrangement of the air movement for violin and piano. By transposing the key of the piece from its original D major to C major and transposing the melody down an octave, Wilhelm was able to play the piece on only one string of his violin, the G string.
Donald Macleod travels alongside J S Bach as he moves from place to place throughout his life. Donald begins with Bach’s early years in the towns of Eisenach and Ohrdruf, where his excellence as a singer and organist was first recognised. He first moved to Weimar at the age of 18, to work as a court musician, and later as an organist and concertmaster – it was here that he would write most of his organ repertoire, but also spent his time trying to please two antagonistic Dukes. Then we move to the city of Köthen, where Bach was employed at the court of Prince Leopold. The royal court offered Bach exactly what he had been denied in Weimar – the chance to build a really exceptional instrument ensemble. We arrive in Leipzig, where Bach was a public servant again, having to satisfy a plethora of different bodies and individuals. Although his time there was peppered with disputes and discontent, it was his home for 27 years and it is where he composed the bulk of the work that lives on. Finally, Donald explores the afterlife of Bach’s music, including his propulsion into outer space aboard the Voyager spacecraft’s Golden Record. Music featured: Magnificat Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G major Concerto in C major for organ Partita No 1 for violin Widerstehe doch der Sunde Capriccio on the Departure of his Most Beloved Brother Komm, Jesu, Komm Toccata and Fugue in D minor for organ Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn The Art of Fugue Cello Suite No 1 in G Major Sonata for Violin and Piano No 3 Concerto No 2 in F major Well-Tempered Clavier, No 1 in C major Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring Violin Sonata No 1 in G minor Orchestral Suite No 4 in D major Musical Offering Mass in B minor Partita for Violin No 3 in E major Capriccio in E major St Matthew Passion Goldberg Variations Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Martin Williams for BBC Wales For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Johann Sebastian Bach https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002l9v And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z
Jackie Jouret is an automotive journalist who started working right after graduating from high school on the sports desk for the Oregon Journal. She continued writing through college and graduate school and was drawn to the world of motorsports and motorcycle racing. She became the Editor-in-Chief of City Bike and she continues to be a lifelong motorcyclist today. Jackie has worked at Forza, Bimmer, and Ross Periodicals magazines. In addition to editing magazines, she has written extensively for news reporting, car reviews, executive interviews, and history pieces. Today she writes for Vintage Motorsport magazine, Roundel and the BMW CCA Foundation. She authored the book ‘Heroes of Bavaria’ and she working on her next exhibit on the BMW 2002. Sitting next to Jackie in the photo above is Prince Leopold of Bavaria as they began their journey in the 2007 Mille Miglia.
Season 5, Episode 2: "Lady Victoria Ramsey and the King of Skull Island!" A Thrilling Adventure written and directed by Ryan Cassavaugh! Presumed dead, but merely avoiding her humdrum existence back in England, Lady Victoria Ramsey always seems to find adventure! Or, more to the point, adventure always seems to find her! The Royal Geographical Society has tracked her down and brought her a mission she cannot refuse: finding Prince Leopold, lost on an expedition to the fabled Skull Island! Soon, she and a ragtag group of adventurers are off to the deepest jungle to rescue the prince, and confront its ancient god king! Featuring: Sadie Cassavaugh as Lady Victoria Ramsey and Mrs. Jones; Richard Dunbar as Charles Marsden-Smythe, the Sailor, and Kong; Leyla Kirschner as Manjula, Nana, and the Announcer; and Ryan Lawrence Flynn as Tana, Prince Leopold, Demitri, the Beggar, and the Commercial Shopkeep! Live sound effects performed by Wren Goodman and Kyle Suta! Music written and performed by Deborah Schuerr! Recorded live at Bozeman, Montana's Verge Theater on June 13, 2015! What you hear is what the audience heard with no overdubs and minimal post-production on volume to try to make it comfortable to your ears! All sound effects were analog and executed live by our fantastic performers!
Once Upon a Time Fan Podcast | Reviews | Analysis | Discussion
Subscribe Now via; Itunes | RSS | Stitcher Shattered Sight First Thoughts Review Prerec Intro: Intro: By Eric Lange ( @MrEricLange ) that played Prince Leopold in the “Bleeding Through” episode. and Stuart Radzinsky in Lost Episode Name: In this episode, we feature our Shattered Sight First Thoughts Review Episode Number: 259 Show notes can […] The post Shattered Sight First Thoughts Review appeared first on Once Upon A Time Fan Blog/Podcast Site.
JS Bach's - Goldberg Variations #5Our version of JS Bach's - Goldberg Variations #5blessings,Shiloh Worship MusicThe Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, is a work for harpsichord by Johann Sebastian Bach, consisting of an aria and a set of 30 variations. First published in 1741, the work is considered to be one of the most important examples of variation form. The Variationsare named after Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, who may have been the first performer.Johann Sebastian Bach from WikipediaJohann Sebastian Bach[1] (31 March [O.S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist of the Baroque Period. He enriched many established German styles through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach wrote much music that was revered for its intellectual depth, technical command, and artistic beauty. Many of his works are still known today, such as the Brandenburg Concertos, the Mass in B minor, the Well-Tempered Clavier, and his cantatas, chorales, partitas, passions, and organ works.Bach was born in Eisenach, Saxe-Eisenach into a very musical family; his father, Johann Ambrosius Bach was the director of the town's musicians, and all of his uncles were professional musicians. His father taught him to play violin and harpsichord, and his brother, Johann Christoph Bach taught him the clavichord and exposed him to much contemporary music.[2][3] Bach also sang, and he went to the St Michael's School in Lüneburg because of his skill in voice. After graduating, he held several musical posts across Germany: he served as Kapellmeister (director of music) to Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen, Cantor of Thomasschule in Leipzig, and Royal Court Composer to August III.[4][5] Bach's health and vision declined in 1749, and he died on 28 July 1750. Modern historians believe that his death was caused by a combination of stroke and pneumonia.[6][7][8]Bach's abilities as an organist were highly respected throughout Europe during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognised as a great composer until a revival of interest and performances of his music in the first half of the 19th century. He is now generally regarded as one of the main composers of the Baroque period, and as one of the greatest composers of all time.[9]LifeChildhood (1685–1703)Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Saxe-Eisenach, on 21 March 1685 O.S. (31 March 1685 N.S.). He was the son of Johann Ambrosius Bach, the director of the town musicians, and Maria Elisabeth Lämmerhirt.[10] He was the eighth child of Johann Ambrosius; the eldest son in the family was 14 at the time of Bach's birth.[11] His father taught him violin and harpsichord.[12] His uncles were all professional musicians, whose posts included church organists, court chamber musicians, and composers. One uncle, Johann Christoph Bach (1645–93), introduced him to the organ, and an older second cousin, Johann Ludwig Bach (1677–1731), was a well-known composer and violinist. Bach drafted a genealogy around 1735, titled "Origin of the musical Bach family".[13]Bach's mother died in 1694, and his father died eight months later.[5] Bach, 10, moved in with his oldest brother, Johann Christoph Bach (1671–1721), the organist at the Michaeliskirche in Ohrdruf, Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.[14] There he studied, performed, and copied music, including his own brother's, despite being forbidden to do so because scores were so valuable and private and blank ledger paper of that type was costly.[15][16] He received valuable teaching from his brother, who instructed him on the clavichord. J.C. Bach exposed him to the works of great composers of the day, including South German composers such as Johann Pachelbel (under whom Johann Christoph had studied)[2] and Johann Jakob Froberger; North German composers;[3] Frenchmen, such as Jean-Baptiste Lully, Louis Marchand, Marin Marais; and the Italian clavierist Girolamo Frescobaldi. Also during this time, he was taught theology, Latin, Greek, French, and Italian at the local gymnasium.[17]At the age of 14, Bach, along with his older school friend George Erdmann, was awarded a choral scholarship to study at the prestigious St. Michael's School in Lüneburg in the Principality of Lüneburg.[18] Although it is not known for certain, the trip was likely taken mostly on foot.[17] His two years there were critical in exposing him to a wider facet of European culture. In addition to singing in the choir he played the School's three-manual organ and harpsichords.[17] He came into contact with sons of noblemen from northern Germany sent to the highly selective school to prepare for careers in other disciplines.Although little supporting historical evidence exists at this time, it is almost certain that while in Lüneburg, Bach visited the Johanniskirche (Church of St. John) and heard (and possibly played) the church's famous organ (built in 1549 by Jasper Johannsen, and played by Georg Böhm). Given his musical talent, Bach had significant contact with prominent organists of the day in Lüneburg, most notably Böhm, but also including organists in nearby Hamburg, such as Johann Adam Reincken.[19]Weimar, Arnstadt, and Mühlhausen (1703–08)In January 1703, shortly after graduating from St. Michael's and being turned down for the post of organist at Sangerhausen,[20] Bach was appointed court musician in the chapel of Duke Johann Ernst in Weimar. His role there is unclear, but likely included menial, non-musical duties. During his seven-month tenure at Weimar, his reputation as a keyboardist spread so much that he was invited to inspect the new organ, and give the inaugural recital, at St. Boniface's Church in Arnstadt, located about 40 km southwest of Weimar.[21] In August 1703, he became the organist at St Boniface's, with light duties, a relatively generous salary, and a fine new organ tuned in the modern tempered system that allowed a wide range of keys to be used.Despite strong family connections and a musically enthusiastic employer, tension built up between Bach and the authorities after several years in the post. Bach was dissatisfied with the standard of singers in the choir, while his employer was upset by his unauthorised absence from Arnstadt; Bach was gone for several months in 1705–06, to visit the great organist and composer Dieterich Buxtehude and his Abendmusiken at the Marienkirche in the northern city of Lübeck. The visit to Buxtehude involved a 400 kilometre (250 mi) journey on foot each way. The trip reinforced Buxtehude's style as a foundation for Bach's earlier works. Bach wanted to become amanuensis (assistant and successor) to Buxtehude, but did not want to marry his daughter, which was a condition for his appointment.[22]In 1706, Bach was offered a post as organist at St. Blasius's in Mühlhausen, which he took up the following year. It included significantly higher remuneration, improved conditions, and a better choir. Four months after arriving at Mühlhausen, Bach married Maria Barbara Bach, his second cousin. They had seven children, four of whom survived to adulthood, including Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach who both became important composers as well. Bach was able to convince the church and city government at Mühlhausen to fund an expensive renovation of the organ at St. Blasius's. Bach, in turn, wrote an elaborate, festive cantata—Gott ist mein König, BWV 71—for the inauguration of the new council in 1708. The council paid handsomely for its publication, and it was a major success.[17]Return to Weimar (1708–17)In 1708, Bach left Mühlhausen, returning to Weimar this time as organist and concertmaster at the ducal court, where he had an opportunity to work with a large, well-funded contingent of professional musicians.[17] Bach moved with his family into an apartment very close to the ducal palace. In the following year, their first child was born and Maria Barbara's elder, unmarried sister joined them. She remained to help run the household until her death in 1729.Bach's time in Weimar was the start of a sustained period of composing keyboard and orchestral works. He attained the proficiency and confidence to extend the prevailing structures and to include influences from abroad. He learned to write dramatic openings and employ the dynamic motor-rhythms and harmonic schemes found in the music of Italians such as Vivaldi, Corelli, and Torelli. Bach absorbed these stylistic aspects in part by transcribing Vivaldi's string and wind concertos for harpsichord and organ; many of these transcribed works are still played in concert often. Bach was particularly attracted to the Italian style in which one or more solo instruments alternate section-by-section with the full orchestra throughout a movement.[24]In Weimar, Bach continued to play and compose for the organ, and to perform concert music with the duke's ensemble.[17] He also began to write the preludes and fugues which were later assembled into his monumental work Das Wohltemperierte Clavier ("The Well-Tempered Clavier"—Clavier meaning clavichord or harpsichord),[25] consisting of two books, compiled in 1722 and 1744,[26] each containing a prelude and fugue in every major and minor key.Also in Weimar Bach started work on the Little Organ Book for his eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann, containing traditional Lutheran chorales (hymn tunes) set in complex textures to train organists. In 1713 Bach was offered a post in Halle when he advised the authorities during a renovation by Christoph Cuntzius of the main organ in the west gallery of the Marktkirche Unser Lieben Frauen. Johann Kuhnau and Bach played again when it was inaugurated in 1716.[27][28] Musicologists debate whether his first Christmas cantata Christen, ätzet diesen Tag, BWV 63, was premiered here in 1713[29], or if it was performed for the bicentennial of the Reformation in 1717.[30] Bach eventually fell out of favour in Weimar and was, according to a translation of the court secretary's report, jailed for almost a month before being unfavourably dismissed:“On November 6, [1717], the quondam concertmaster and organist Bach was confined to the County Judge's place of detention for too stubbornly forcing the issue of his dismissal and finally on December 2 was freed from arrest with notice of his unfavourable discharge.[31]”Köthen (1717–23)Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen hired Bach to serve as his Kapellmeister (director of music) in 1717. Prince Leopold, himself a musician, appreciated Bach's talents, paid him well, and gave him considerable latitude in composing and performing. The prince was Calvinist and did not use elaborate music in his worship; accordingly, most of Bach's work from this period was secular,[32] including the Orchestral Suites, the Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello, the Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, and the Brandenburg Concertos.[33] Bach also composed secular cantatas for the court such as the Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht, BWV 134a.Despite being born in the same year and only about 80 miles apart, Bach and Handel never met. In 1719 Bach made the 20 mile journey from Köthen to Halle with the intention of meeting Handel, however Handel had recently departed the city.[34] In 1730, Bach's son Friedmann travelled to Halle to invite Handel to visit the Bach family in Leipzig, however the visit did not eventuate.[35]On 7 July 1720, while Bach was abroad with Prince Leopold, Bach's first wife suddenly died. The following year, he met Anna Magdalena Wilcke, a young, highly gifted soprano 17 years younger than he was who performed at the court in Köthen; they married on 3 December 1721.[36] Together they had 13 more children, six of whom survived into adulthood: Gottfried Heinrich, Johann Christoph Friedrich, and Johann Christian, all of whom became significant musicians; Elisabeth Juliane Friederica (1726–81), who married Bach's pupil Johann Christoph Altnikol; Johanna Carolina (1737–81); and Regina Susanna (1742–1809).[37]Leipzig (1723–50)In 1723, Bach was appointed Cantor of the Thomasschule at Thomaskirche in Leipzig, and Director of Music in the principal churches in the town, namely the Nikolaikirche and the Paulinerkirche, the church of the University of Leipzig.[38] This was a prestigious post in the mercantile city in the Electorate of Saxony, which he held for 27 years until his death. It brought him into contact with the political machinations of his employer, Leipzig's city council.Bach was required to instruct the students of the Thomasschule in singing and to provide church music for the main churches in Leipzig. Bach was required to teach Latin, but he was allowed to employ a deputy to do this instead. A cantata was required for the church service on Sundays and additional church holidays during the liturgical year. He usually performed his own cantatas, most of which were composed during his first three years in Leipzig. The first of these was Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75, first performed in the Nikolaikirche on 30 May 1723, the first Sunday after Trinity. Bach collected his cantatas in annual cycles. Five are mentioned in obituaries, three are extant.[39] Most of these concerted works expound on the Gospel readings prescribed for every Sunday and feast day in the Lutheran year. Bach started a second annual cycle the first Sunday after Trinity of 1724, and composed only Chorale cantatas, each based on a single church hymn. These include O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, BWV 20, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61, and Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1.Bach drew the soprano and alto choristers from the School, and the tenors and basses from the School and elsewhere in Leipzig. Performing at weddings and funerals provided extra income for these groups; it was probably for this purpose, and for in-school training, that he wrote at least six motets, at least five of which are for double choir.[40] As part of his regular church work, he performed other composers' motets, which served as formal models for his own.[17]Bach broadened his composing and performing beyond the liturgy by taking over, in March 1729, the directorship of the Collegium Musicum, a secular performance ensemble started by the composer Georg Philipp Telemann. This was one of the dozens of private societies in the major German-speaking cities that was established by musically active university students; these societies had become increasingly important in public musical life and were typically led by the most prominent professionals in a city. In the words of Christoph Wolff, assuming the directorship was a shrewd move that "consolidated Bach's firm grip on Leipzig's principal musical institutions".[41] Year round, the Leipzig's Collegium Musicum performed regularly in venues such as the Zimmermannsches Caffeehaus, a Coffeehouse on Catherine Street off the main market square. Many of Bach's works during the 1730s and 1740s were written for and performed by the Collegium Musicum; among these were parts of his Clavier-Übung (Keyboard Practice) and many of his violin and harpsichord concertos.[17]In 1733, Bach composed the Kyrie and Gloria of the Mass in B minor. He presented the manuscript to the King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania and Elector of Saxony, August III in an eventually successful bid to persuade the monarch to appoint him as Royal Court Composer.[4] He later extended this work into a full Mass, by adding a Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei, the music for which was almost wholly taken from his own cantatas. Bach's appointment as court composer was part of his long-term struggle to achieve greater bargaining power with the Leipzig Council. Although the complete mass was probably never performed during the composer's lifetime,[42] it is considered to be among the greatest choral works of all time. Between 1737 and 1739, Bach's former pupil Carl Gotthelf Gerlach took over the directorship of the Collegium Musicum.In 1747, Bach visited the court of the King of Prussia in Potsdam. There the king played a theme for Bach and challenged him to improvise a fugue based on his theme. Bach improvised a three-part fugue on Frederick's pianoforte, then a novelty, and later presented the king with a Musical Offering which consists of fugues, canons and a trio based on this theme. Its six-part fugue includes a slightly altered subject more suitable for extensive elaboration. Bach wrote another fugue, The Art of Fugue, shortly before his death, but never completed the final fugue. It consists of 18 complex fugues and canons based on a simple theme.[43] It was only published posthumously in 1751.[44]The final work Bach completed was a chorale prelude for organ, entitled Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit (Before thy throne I now appear, BWV 668a) which he dictated to his son-in-law, Johann Altnikol, from his deathbed. When the notes on the three staves of the final cadence are counted and mapped onto the Roman alphabet, the initials "JSB" are found.[45]Death (1750)Bach's health declined in 1749; on 2 June, Heinrich von Brühl wrote to one of the Leipzig burgomasters to request that his music director, Gottlob Harrer, fill the Thomascantor and Director musices posts "upon the eventual ... decease of Mr. Bach."[29] Bach became increasingly blind, so the British eye surgeon John Taylor operated on Bach while visiting Leipzig in March or April of 1750.[46]On 28 July 1750 Bach died at the age of 65. A contemporary newspaper reported "the unhappy consequences of the very unsuccessful eye operation" as the cause of death.[47] Modern historians speculate that the cause of death was a stroke complicated by pneumonia.[6][7][8] His son Emanuel and his pupil Johann Friedrich Agricola wrote an obituary of Bach.[48]Bach's estate included five Clavecins, two lute-harpsichords, three violins, three violas, two cellos, a viola da gamba, a lute and a spinet, and 52 "sacred books", including books by Martin Luther and Josephus.[49] He was originally buried at Old St. John's Cemetery in Leipzig. His grave went unmarked for nearly 150 years. In 1894 his coffin was finally found and moved to a vault in St. John's Church. This building was destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II, so in 1950 Bach's remains were taken to their present grave at Leipzig's Church of St. Thomas.[17]LegacyA detailed obituary of Bach was published (without attribution) four years later in 1754 by Lorenz Christoph Mizler (a former student) in Musikalische Bibliothek, a music periodical. The obituary remains probably "the richest and most trustworthy"[50] early source document about Bach. After his death, Bach's reputation as a composer at first declined; his work was regarded as old-fashioned compared to the emerging classical style.[51] Initially he was remembered more as a player and teacher.During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, Bach was widely recognised for his keyboard work. Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Robert Schumann, and Felix Mendelssohn were among his most prominent admirers; they began writing in a more contrapuntal style after being exposed to Bach's music.[52] Beethoven described him as the "Urvater der Harmonie", "original father of harmony".[53]Bach's reputation among the wider public was enhanced in part by Johann Nikolaus Forkel's 1802 biography of Bach.[54] Felix Mendelssohn significantly contributed to the revival of Bach's reputation with his 1829 Berlin performance of the St Matthew Passion.[55] In 1850, the Bach Gesellschaft (Bach Society) was founded to promote the works; in 1899 the Society published a comprehensive edition of the composer's works with little editorial intervention.During the 20th century, the process of recognising the musical as well as the pedagogic value of some of the works continued, perhaps most notably in the promotion of the Cello Suites by Pablo Casals, the first major performer to record these suites.[56] Another development has been the growth of the "authentic" or "period performance" movement, which attempts to present music as the composer intended it. Examples include the playing of keyboard works on harpsichord rather than modern grand piano and the use of small choirs or single voices instead of the larger forces favoured by 19th- and early 20th-century performers.[57]Bach's music is frequently bracketed with the literature of William Shakespeare and the teachings of Isaac Newton.[58] In Germany, during the twentieth century, many streets were named and statues were erected in honour of Bach. His music features three times - more than any other composer - on the Voyager Golden Record, a phonograph record containing a broad sample of the images, common sounds, languages, and music of Earth, sent into outer space with the two Voyager probes.[59]WorksIn 1950, a thematic catalogue called Bach Werke Verzeichnis (Bach Works Catalogue) was compiled by Wolfgang Schmieder.[60] Schmieder largely followed the Bach Gesellschaft Ausgabe, a comprehensive edition of the composer's works that was produced between 1850 and 1905: BWV 1–224 are cantatas; BWV 225–249, large-scale choral works including his Passions; BWV 250–524, chorales and sacred songs; BWV 525–748, organ works; BWV 772–994, other keyboard works; BWV 995–1000, lute music; BWV 1001–40, chamber music; BWV 1041–71, orchestral music; and BWV 1072–1126, canons and fugues.[61]Organ worksBach was best known during his lifetime as an organist, organ consultant, and composer of organ works in both the traditional German free genres—such as preludes, fantasias, and toccatas—and stricter forms, such as chorale preludes and fugues.[17] At a young age, he established a reputation for his great creativity and ability to integrate foreign styles into his organ works. A decidedly North German influence was exerted by Georg Böhm, with whom Bach came into contact in Lüneburg, and Dieterich Buxtehude, whom the young organist visited in Lübeck in 1704 on an extended leave of absence from his job in Arnstadt. Around this time, Bach copied the works of numerous French and Italian composers to gain insights into their compositional languages, and later arranged violin concertos by Vivaldi and others for organ and harpsichord. During his most productive period (1708–14) he composed several pairs of preludes and fugues and toccatas and fugues, and the Orgelbüchlein ("Little organ book"), an unfinished collection of 46 short chorale preludes that demonstrates compositional techniques in the setting of chorale tunes. After leaving Weimar, Bach wrote less for organ, although his best-known works (the six trio sonatas, the "German Organ Mass" in Clavier-Übung III from 1739, and the "Great Eighteen" chorales, revised late in his life) were all composed after his leaving Weimar. Bach was extensively engaged later in his life in consulting on organ projects, testing newly built organs, and dedicating organs in afternoon recitals.[62][63]Other keyboard worksBach wrote many works for harpsichord, some of which may have been played on the clavichord. Many of his keyboard works are anthologies that encompass whole theoretical systems in an encyclopaedic fashion. • The Well-Tempered Clavier, Books 1 and 2 (BWV 846–893). Each book consists of a prelude and fugue in each of the 24 major and minor keys in chromatic order from C major to B minor (thus, the whole collection is often referred to as 'the 48'). "Well-tempered" in the title refers to the temperament (system of tuning); many temperaments before Bach's time were not flexible enough to allow compositions to utilise more than just a few keys.[64] • The 15 Inventions and 15 Sinfonias (BWV 772–801). These short two- and three-part contrapuntal works are arranged in the same chromatic order as the Well-Tempered Clavier, omitting some of the rarer keys. These pieces were intended by Bach for instructional purposes.[65] • Three collections of dance suites: the English Suites (BWV 806–811), the French Suites (BWV 812–817), and the Partitas for keyboard (BWV 825–830). Each collection contains six suites built on the standard model (Allemande–Courante–Sarabande–(optional movement)–Gigue). The English Suites closely follow the traditional model, adding a prelude before the allemande and including a single movement between the sarabande and the gigue.[66] The French Suites omit preludes, but have multiple movements between the sarabande and the gigue.[67] The partitas expand the model further with elaborate introductory movements and miscellaneous movements between the basic elements of the model.[68] • The Goldberg Variations (BWV 988), an aria with thirty variations. The collection has a complex and unconventional structure: the variations build on the bass line of the aria, rather than its melody, and musical canons are interpolated according to a grand plan. There are nine canons within the 30 variations, one every three variations between variations 3 and 27.[69] These variations move in order from canon at the unison to canon at the ninth. The first eight are in pairs (unison and octave, second and seventh, third and sixth, fourth and fifth). The ninth canon stands on its own due to compositional dissimilarities. • Miscellaneous pieces such as the Overture in the French Style (French Overture, BWV 831), Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue (BWV 903), and the Italian Concerto (BWV 971).Among Bach's lesser known keyboard works are seven toccatas (BWV 910–916), four duets (BWV 802–805), sonatas for keyboard (BWV 963–967), the Six Little Preludes (BWV 933–938), and the Aria variata alla maniera italiana (BWV 989).Orchestral and chamber musicBach wrote for single instruments, duets, and small ensembles. Many of his solo works, such as his six sonatas and partitas for violin (BWV 1001–1006), six cello suites (BWV 1007–1012) and Partita for solo flute (BWV 1013), are among the most profound works in the repertoire.[70] Bach composed a suite and several other works for solo lute. He wrote trio sonatas; solo sonatas (accompanied by continuo) for the flute and for the viola da gamba; and a large number of canons and ricercare, mostly with unspecified instrumentation. The most significant examples of the latter are contained in The Art of Fugue and The Musical Offering.Bach's best-known orchestral works are the Brandenburg Concertos, so named because he submitted them in the hope of gaining employment from Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg-Schwedt in 1721; his application was unsuccessful.[17] These works are examples of the concerto grosso genre. Other surviving works in the concerto form include two violin concertos (BWV 1041 and BWV 1042); a Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor (BWV 1043), often referred to as Bach's "double" concerto; and concertos for one to four harpsichords. It is widely accepted that many of the harpsichord concertos were not original works, but arrangements of his concertos for other instruments now lost.[71] A number of violin, oboe and flute concertos have been reconstructed from these. In addition to concertos, Bach wrote four orchestral suites, and a series of stylised dances for orchestra, each preceded by a French overture.[72]Vocal and choral worksCantatasAs the Thomaskantor, beginning mid of 1723, Bach performed a cantata each Sunday and feast day that corresponded to the lectionary readings of the week.[17] Although Bach performed cantatas by other composers, he composed at least three entire annual cycles of cantatas at Leipzig, in addition to those composed at Mühlhausen and Weimar.[17] In total he wrote more than 300 sacred cantatas, of which approximately 200 survive.[73]His cantatas vary greatly in form and instrumentation, including those for solo singers, single choruses, small instrumental groups, or grand orchestras. Many consist of a large opening chorus followed by one or more recitative-aria pairs for soloists (or duets) and a concluding chorale. The recitative is part of the corresponding Bible reading for the week and the aria is a contemporary reflection on it. The melody of the concluding chorale often appears as a cantus firmus in the opening movement. Among his best known cantatas are: • Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4 • Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV 21 • Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 80 • Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, BWV 106 (Actus Tragicus) • Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140 • Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147In addition, Bach wrote a number of secular cantatas, usually for civic events such as council inaugurations. These include wedding cantatas, the Wedding Quodlibet, the Peasant Cantata and the Coffee Cantata.[74]PassionsBach's large choral-orchestral works include the grand scale St Matthew Passion and St John Passion, both written for Good Friday vespers services at the Thomaskirche and the Nikolaikirche in alternate years, and the Christmas Oratorio (a set of six cantatas for use in the Liturgical season of Christmas).[75][76][77] The two versions of the Magnificat (one in E-flat major, with four interpolated Christmas-related movements, and the later and better-known version in D major), the Easter Oratorio, and the Ascension Oratorio are smaller and simpler than the Passions and the Christmas Oratorio.Mass in B minorMain article: Mass in B minorBach assembled his other large work, the Mass in B minor, near the end of his life, mostly from pieces composed earlier (such as the cantatas Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191 and Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12). The mass was never performed in full during Bach's lifetime.[78] All of these movements, unlike the six motets (Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied; Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf; Jesu, meine Freude; Fürchte dich nicht; Komm, Jesu, komm!; and Lobet den Herrn alle Heiden), have substantial solo parts as well as choruses.Musical styleBach's musical style arose from his skill in contrapuntal invention and motivic control, his flair for improvisation, his exposure to North and South German, Italian and French music, and his devotion to the Lutheran liturgy. His access to musicians, scores and instruments as a child and a young man and his emerging talent for writing tightly woven music of powerful sonority, allowed him to develop an eclectic, energetic musical style in which foreign influences were combined with an intensified version of the pre-existing German musical language. From the Period 1713-14 onward he learned much from the style of the Italians.[79]During the Baroque Period, many composers only wrote the framework, and performers embellished this framework with ornaments and other elaboration.[80] This practice varied considerably between the schools of European music; Bach notated most or all of the details of his melodic lines, leaving little for performers to interpolate. This accounted for his control over the dense contrapuntal textures that he favoured, and decreased leeway for spontaneous variation of musical lines. At the same time, Bach left the instrumentation of major works including The Art of Fugue open.[81]Bach's devout relationship with the Christian God in the Lutheran tradition[82] and the high demand for religious music of his times placed sacred music at the centre of his repertory. He taught Luther's Small Catechism as the Thomascantor in Leipzig,[83] and some of his pieces represent it;[84] the Lutheran chorale hymn tune was the basis of much of his work. He wrote more cogent, tightly integrated chorale preludes than most. The large-scale structure of some of Bach's sacred works is evidence of subtle, elaborate planning. For example, the St Matthew Passion illustrates the Passion with Bible text reflected in recitatives, arias, choruses, and chorales.[85] The structure of the Easter Oratorio, BWV 249, resembles The Crucifixion.[86]Bach's drive to display musical achievements was evident in his composition. He wrote much for the keyboard and led its elevation from continuo to solo instrument with harpsichord concertos and keyboard obbligato.[87] Virtuosity is a key element in other pieces, such as the Prelude and Fugue in E minor, BWV 548 for organ in which virtuosic passages are mapped onto alternating flute and reed solos within the fugal development.[88]Bach produced collections of movements that explored the range of artistic and technical possibilities inherent in various genres. The most famous example is the Well Tempered Clavier, in which each book presents a prelude and fugue in every major and minor key. Each fugue displays a variety of contrapuntal and fugal techniques.[89]PerformancesPresent-day Bach performers usually pursue one of two traditions: so-called "authentic performance practice", utilising historical techniques; or the use of modern instruments and playing techniques, often with larger ensembles. In Bach's time orchestras and choirs were usually smaller than those of later composers, and even Bach's most ambitious choral works, such as his Mass in B minor and Passions, were composed for relatively modest forces. Some of Bach's important chamber music does not indicate instrumentation, allows a greater variety of ensemble.Easy listening realisations of Bach's music and their use in advertising contributed greatly to Bach's popularisation in the second half of the twentieth century. Among these were the Swingle Singers' versions of Bach pieces that are now well-known (for instance, the Air on the G string, or the Wachet Auf chorale prelude) and Wendy Carlos's 1968 Switched-On Bach, which used the Moog electronic synthesiser. Jazz musicians have adopted Bach's music, with Jacques Loussier, Ian Anderson, Uri Caine and the Modern Jazz Quartet among those creating jazz versions of Bach works.[90]See also • List of fugal works by Johann Sebastian Bach • List of transcriptions of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach • List of students of Johann Sebastian BachReferences 1. German pronunciation: [joˈhan] or [ˈjoːhan zeˈbastjan ˈbax] 1. ^ a b Christoph Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 2000), 19. 2. ^ a b Wolff, Christoph (2000). Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 46. ISBN 0-393-04825-X. 3. ^ a b "BACH Mass in B Minor BWV 232" . www.baroquemusic.org. Retrieved 21 February 2012. 4. ^ a b Russell H. Miles, Johann Sebastian Bach: An Introduction to His Life and Works (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1962), 86–87. 5. ^ a b Breitenfeld, Tomislav; Solter, Vesna Vargek; Breitenfeld, Darko; Zavoreo, Iris; Demarin, Vida (3 Jan. 2006). "Johann Sebastian Bach's Strokes" (PDF). Acta Clinica Croatica (Sisters of Charity Hospital) 45 (1). Retrieved 20 May 2008. 6. ^ a b Baer, Ka. (1956). "Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) in medical history". Bulletin of the Medical Library Association (Medical Library Association) 39 (206). 7. ^ a b Breitenfeld, D.; Thaller V, Breitenfeld T, Golik-Gruber V, Pogorevc T, Zoričić Z, Grubišić F (2000). "The pathography of Bach's family". Alcoholism 36: 161–64. 8. Blanning, T. C. W.The triumph of music: the rise of composers, musicians and their art , 272: "And of course the greatest master of harmony and counterpoint of all time was Johann Sebastian Bach, 'the Homer of music' 9. Jones, Richard (2007). The Creative Development of Johann Sebastian Bach. Oxford University Press. p. 3. ISBN 0-19-816440-8. 1. "Lesson Plans" . Bach to School. The Bach Choir of Bethlehem. Retrieved 8 March 2012. 1. Malcolm Boyd, Bach (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 6 2. Printed in translation in The Bach Reader (ISBN 0-393-00259-4) 3. Malcolm Boyd, Bach (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 7–8. 4. Mendel et al (1998), 299 5. Wolff, Christoph (2000). Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 45. ISBN 0-393-04825-X. 1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Johann Sebastian Bach: a detailed informative biography" . baroquemusic.org. Retrieved 19 February 2012. 1. Wolff, Christoph (2000). Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician. W. W. Norton & Company
Andrew Parrott reconstructs the music to mourn the death of Prince Leopold, the man who brought Bach to Cöthen.
After his time working for Prince Leopold of Anhalt in Cöthen, Johann Sebastian Bach took a substantial drop in salary and public standing to work as Cantor in Leipzig. The role primarily involved teaching at St Thomas School, but also meant that Bach was responsible for the music in the German town's four churches. Lucie Skeaping takes a closer look at Bach's time in the German town, where Bach remained from 1723 until his death in 1750.
Catherine Bott talks to scholar, musicologist and conductor Andrew Parrott about the complex process of reconstructions, including his most recent project: the reconstruction of JS Bach's Trauer-Music (Funeral Music). This work was composed in 1728 when Bach's patron, Prince Leopold of Cöthen, suddenly died at the age of 33, but the score has almost completely disappeared. Andrew talks to Catherine about how he reconstructed this work through various clues in other of Bach's works, and plays music from his new recording with his Taverner Consort and Players.
Maestro Classical podcast - episode 006: Johann Sebastian Bach feat. Lara St. John & Trevor Pinnick Johann Sebastian Bach: (from Wikipedia.org) (31 March 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity. Although he introduced no new forms, he enriched the prevailing German style with a robust contrapuntal technique, an unrivalled control of harmonic and motivic organisation in composition for diverse musical forces, and the adaptation of rhythms and textures from abroad, particularly Italy and France. Lara St. John "Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo" (Ancalagon) ALBUM NOTES Sei Solo a Violino senza Basso accompagnato (Six Solos for Violin without accompanying Bass) Completed: Cöthen, 1720 According to the date he inscribed on the title page of the manuscript, Johann Sebastian Bach completed his Six Solos for Violin without accompanying Bass sometime in 1720. On 21 March of that year, he turned 35. Already a father of four, for the past two and a half years Bach had been harpsichordist and director of the elite chamber orchestra at the court of the Prince of Cöthen. Bach reportedly "dearly loved" his employer, the young Prince Leopold (1694-1728), who was not only a committed music-lover but himself a keen amateur performer, and even occasionally a composer, who, according to Bach, "loved and understood" the art. And, as one of Leopold's best-paid court functionaries, Bach was highly valued in return. In May of that year, when the prince set out for his annual summer "rest cure" in the Bohemian spa town of Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary), his harpsichordist Bach, went with him, along with five other leading members of the court band. Away from his home, young family, and usual court responsibilities for almost two months at a time, Bach evidently made good compositional use of such relatively carefree summers as that of 1720, as he did of his time at Cöthen. In the space of less than six years residence at the court (from December 1717 to May 1723), Bach rolled out a dazzling stream of masterpieces across a no less amazing range of instrumental genres. The six Brandenburg Concerti (BWV 1046-1051), the crème of his new orchestral compositions for the Cöthen band, were finished in fair copy on 24 March 1721. The first volume of the Well-Tempered Clavier (BWV 846-869) was probably largely completed during 1722. The parallel sets of 15 Inventions (BWV 772-786) and 15 Sinfonias (BWV 787-801) date, like the violin Solos, from the very middle of his Cöthen stay, flanked in the years on either side, respectively, by the six English Suites (BWV 806-811) and six French Suites (BWV 812-817). From Cöthen, too, came the only other set of instrumental pieces that challenges the violin Solos on the grounds of sheer oddity: the Six Suites for Solo Cello (BWV 1007-1012), likewise scored without accompanying Bass. 1. Lara St. John "Partita No. 1 in B minor BWV 1002 (Corrente/Double)" (mp3) from "Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo" (Ancalagon LLC) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album 2. Lara St. John "Partita No. 2 In D minor, BWV 1004 (Sarabanda)" (mp3) from "Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo" (Ancalagon LLC) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album 3. Lara St. John "Partita No. 3 In E Major, BWV 1006 (Preludio)" (mp3) from "Bach: The Six Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo" (Ancalagon LLC) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album Trevor Pinnick "Bach: Six Concertos for the Margrave of Brandenburg" ALBUM NOTES The Brandenburg Concertos While we know that Bach finished a sumptuous manuscript of six concertos (for 'plusieurs Instruments', as he titled it) in March 1721 for presentation to the Margrave of Brandenburg, it is not certain when Bach actually composed these works. Some might date from the weeks immediately preceding the dedication, but the existence of early versions of some pieces suggests that Bach may have compiled much of the set from a pool of existing works. His aims in revision and compilation seem to have been to present six entirely disparate solutions to the instrumental concerto genre, a genre which was by no means fixed and which could imply many instrumental combinations. This attitude of attempting an encyclopaedic survey of a musical genre and also of perfecting and refining the best of what he had already written became a major compositional concern for Bach over the last three decades of his life; the Brandenburg dedication may well mark the beginning of this process. 4. Trevor Pinnock "Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV 1046 (IV. Menuetto-Trio I-Polacca-Trio II)" (mp3) from "Bach: Six Concertos for the Margrave of Brandenburg" (AVIE Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Puretracks Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album 5. Trevor Pinnock "Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048 (I. [Allegro]" (mp3) from "Bach: Six Concertos for the Margrave of Brandenburg" (AVIE Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Puretracks Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album 6. Trevor Pinnock "Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047 (I. [Allegro]" (mp3) from "Bach: Six Concertos for the Margrave of Brandenburg" (AVIE Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Puretracks Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album