RCM 9 History Bach (T2)

Question 1

What was Bach?

Answer 1

Performer and composer for organ

Question 2

What did Bach advance and master?

Answer 2

Advanced and mastered counterpoint

Question 3

Where was Bach born?

Answer 3

Born in Eisenach, Germany

Question 4

Both parents died and brother took him in

Answer 4

Bach

Question 5

270 works for organ, many which were composed so he could showcase his virtuosity as an organist

Answer 5

Bach

Question 6

Two wives in total

Answer 6

Bach

Question 7

Dedicated all his works “To the Glory of God”

Answer 7

Bach

Question 8

Little Organ book was an unfinished collection of 46-chorale preludes

Answer 8

Bach

Question 9

Incorporated many different international styles into his compositions such as the English Suites, the French Suites and the Partitas

Answer 9

Bach

Question 10

Made the Art of Fugue which was a demonstration of his intricate use of counterpoint and contains eighteen canons and fugues.

Answer 10

Bach

Question 11

Died from stroke and suffered from vision problems and severe eye pain as well as poor heath overall during his last few years.

Answer 11

Bach

Question 12

Famous for his keyboard skills in general and for his organ playing in particular, and was also an organ virtuoso.

Answer 12

Bach

Question 13

He composed orchestral, chamber, keyboard, organ and vocal music

Answer 13

Bach

Question 14

Personal faith was a source of inspiration as demonstrated by his over 200 church cantatas

Answer 14

Bach

Question 15

Virtuoso organist, as reflected in his organ and keyboard works

Answer 15

Bach

Question 16

Was a master of the contrapuntal art, as demonstrated in the fugues of The Well-Tempered Clavier

Answer 16

Bach

Question 17

His music represents a high point in over one hundred years of Baroque musical practice and his personal style synthesised the leading musical developments of this era

Answer 17

Bach

Question 18

Bach assembled all 24 preludes and fugues into the first collection of the monumental work we know as the…

Answer 18

Well-Tempered Clavier

Question 19

Why was the book named Well-Tempered Clavier?

Answer 19

Clavier means any keyboard instrument that isn’t an organ.
Well-Tempered refers to a method of tuning keyboard instruments called equal temperament.
Before the establishment of equal temperament, many tuning methods existed, the most common tuning method was meantone temperament. This method of tuning made some keys pleasant to listen to, some that were tolerable and other keys that were unusable. This method of tuning would have made it impossible to compose his 24 pairs of Preludes and Fugues.