Johann Sebastian Bach (life, musical style and contributions)

Question 1

Where was Bach born?

Answer 1

Eisenach, Germany

Question 2

What was his family’s background in music?

Answer 2

Music was the family profession for five generations; father was a court trumpeter

Question 3

At what age was he orphaned?

Answer 3

Age 10. Musical training continued by oldest brother, Johann Christoph

Question 4

What did his academic studies include?

Answer 4

Latin, Greek, Theology

Question 5

Musical Education

Answer 5

Sang in choirs, became an accomplished violinist and virtuoso organist. Trained in instrument building and repair.

Question 6

Arnstadt, Muhlhausen

Answer 6

• 1703-1708
• held various positions: court violinist, chamber musician, and organist
• granted leave from his position at Arstadt to meet the famous organist Dietrich Buztehude in Lubbock
• Married Maria Barbara Bach (distant cousin) shortly after arriving in Mulhausen, two of their children, Carl Philipp Emanuel and Wilhelm Friedemann, became successful musicians

Question 7

Weimar

Answer 7

• 1708-1717
• court organist and chamber musician to Wilhelm Ernst, Duke of Weimar
• enjoyed increasing fame as an organist in this period; composed many organ works including the little organ book of chorale preludes
• composed music for lutheran church services
• accepted a salary advance for a new position at Cothen; this angered the Duke of Weimar which resulted in a month in jail.

Question 8

Cothen

Answer 8

• 1717-1723
• Kapellmeister (music director) to prince Leopold of cotton, avid supporter of the arts
• Calvinist views of the court influenced musical activities: no music performed in churches
• many solo and chamber works composed during this period-suites, concerts, sonatas, solo keyboard works, including the well tempered clavier book 1
• sudden death of Maria Barbara
• married Anna Magdalena Wilcke, a court singer, their sons Johann Christian and Johann Christoph became successful musicians

Question 9

Leipzig

Answer 9

• 1723-1750
• appointed Cantor of St. Thomas School
• many responsibilities: teaching composing, directing choirs, supervising musical activities in several churches
• became director of Collegium Musicum, a performing ensemble for university students
• important large-scale works written in this period: Goldberg Variations, Art of Fugue
• frequently traveled to test new keyboard instruments
• Composed The Musical Offering for Frederick the Great at Potsdam
• died July 28, 1750; likely cause was a stroke

Question 10

His music represents a ____________ in over one hundred years of Baroque musical practice

Answer 10

High point

Question 11

_________ synthesizes the leading musical developments of this era

Answer 11

personal style

Question 12

composed works in virtually every genre of his day except ______

Answer 12

opera

Question 13

__________ was a source of inspiration for his creative work; as a devout ______, Bach dedicated all his works to the glory of god

Answer 13

Personal faith, Lutheran

Question 14

great master of the ________ art, as demonstrated in the fugues of The Well Tempered Clavier

Answer 14

Contrapuntal

Question 15

absorbed influences of _____ styles-German (lutheran chorale tradition, counterpoint); French (dance rhythms, ornamentation); Italian (operatic lyricism, ritornello form, idioimatic string writing)

Answer 15

international

Question 16

virtuoso ______, as reflected in his ____ and keyboard works

Answer 16

organist, organ

Question 17

did he create new forms or perfect existing ones

Answer 17

perfect existing ones