SmugMug > keywords > bachjs > J.S. Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, in 1685 and died in 1750 (he was 65 when he died). He came from a long family history of professional muscicians including church organists and composers. Like his father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, J.S. (Johann Sebastian) would learn and surpass him in this art of classical music composing.

Bach's childhood wasn't that great as his father passed away when he was 9 and his mother also died when he was a young boy. Although he spent much time with his musically inclined uncles, he also spent time studying and learning from his older brother, Johann Christoph Bach.

Growing up, Bach learned much about organ building. Back in those days, the church organ was a highly complex instrument with many mechanical and moving parts/pedals and pipes. His early experience with repairing and talking with organ builders & performers would prove valuable as he mastered the musical craft.
SmugMug > keywords > bachjs > The world of Bach's concerti for various instruments is a complicated one. What survives is 2 concerti for solo violin (BWV 1041-1042), a concerto for two violins (BWV 1043), a triple concerto for flute, violin and harpsichord (BWV 1044), 6 other concerti for groups of solo instruments (The Brandenburg Concerti, BWV 1046-1051), and 14 concerti for one or more harpsichords (BWV 1052-1065).

 The difficulty begins with the fact that the harpsichord concerti were probably all originally written for other instruments, and transcribed by Bach for the harpsichord. Most of the originals are now lost, and only the harpsichord transcriptions survive.

 To confuse the issue, there have been many attempts to reconstruct the original concerti by musicians after Bach's death. So we now have “Bach's flute concerti” and “Bach's oboe concerti” (modern versions of the harpsichord concerti BWV 1053, 1055, 1056 and 1059) and even versions for the guitar.

 

Violin Concerto played by Arthur Grumieux
A minor, BWV 1041
Most of these concerti date from Bach's so-called Cöthen period from 1718-1723, a happy, productive time for Bach. His new employer, Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen seemed to be fond of the latest fad, the Italian-style Concerto, as typified by Vivaldi. The older German version had four movements, but Bach quickly adopted the Italian three-movement fast-slow-fast structure, the form that propelled it into the Classical period.

 In Mozart's time, and from then on, the concerto became a showcase for the virtuoso soloist, the orchestra often in just a supporting role. Bach's concerti are very different. His is more a intricate dialog between orchestra and soloist, the solo instrument is very much a primus inter pares, first among equals, often not taking the limelight but adding to the overall texture of the music.


Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No.1 in A minor, BWV 1041
 A spontaneous, infectious first movement, hurtling inevitably forwards, contrasting sharply with the pastoral slow movement, the violin truly singing. And ending with a rolling, jolly final gigue, famous for Bach's instruction to the soloist for bariolage, a bowing technique where a single note is played repeatedly alternating on stopped and open strings, producing a unique effect.
J.S. Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, in 1685 and died in 1750 (he was 65 when he died). He came from a long family history of professional muscicians including church organists and composers. Like his father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, J.S. (Johann Sebastian) would learn and surpass him in this art of classical music composing.

Bach's childhood wasn't that great as his father passed away when he was 9 and his mother also died when he was a young boy. Although he spent much time with his musically inclined uncles, he also spent time studying and learning from his older brother, Johann Christoph Bach.

Growing up, Bach learned much about organ building. Back in those days, the church organ was a highly complex instrument with many mechanical and moving parts/pedals and pipes. His early experience with repairing and talking with organ builders & performers would prove valuable as he mastered the musical craft.
 > J.S. Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, in 1685 and died in 1750 (he was 65 when he died). He came from a long family history of professional muscicians including church organists and composers. Like his father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, J.S. (Johann Sebastian) would learn and surpass him in this art of classical music composing.

Bach's childhood wasn't that great as his father passed away when he was 9 and his mother also died when he was a young boy. Although he spent much time with his musically inclined uncles, he also spent time studying and learning from his older brother, Johann Christoph Bach.

Growing up, Bach learned much about organ building. Back in those days, the church organ was a highly complex instrument with many mechanical and moving parts/pedals and pipes. His early experience with repairing and talking with organ builders & performers would prove valuable as he mastered the musical craft.
J.S. Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, in 1685 and died in 1750 (he was 65 when he died). He came from a long family history of professional muscicians including church organists and composers. Like his father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, J.S. (Johann Sebastian) would learn and surpass him in this art of classical music composing.

Bach's childhood wasn't that great as his father passed away when he was 9 and his mother also died when he was a young boy. Although he spent much time with his musically inclined uncles, he also spent time studying and learning from his older brother, Johann Christoph Bach.

Growing up, Bach learned much about organ building. Back in those days, the church organ was a highly complex instrument with many mechanical and moving parts/pedals and pipes. His early experience with repairing and talking with organ builders & performers would prove valuable as he mastered the musical craft.
Photo by: BOB • see photo in gallery

Comments

|

New comment:

Name: Email: Link:


To foil spammers, enter this code: copy this text in this box: Code unreadable?