Johann Sebastian Bach is a German musician and composer

INTRODUCTION: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750)
The Great German composer of the 18th century.
More than two hundred years have passed since the day of Bach’s death, but interest to his music increases. While living the composer hasn’t got the well-earned confession.
Johann Bach was born in the family of a professional musician. The ancestors in the family were famous for their musical skills and musical talents. It is known that the composer’s great-great grandfather was a baker and played the zither. His ancestors were also flutists, trumpeters, organists and fiddlers. Finally each musician in Germany was called Bach and every member of the Bach’s family was called a musician.

The Baby years
Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 21, 1685 in a small German town Isenakh in Tyuringiya. Iogann’s father was Iogann Amvroiski, the town musician of Isenakh. When the boy was nine years old, he lost the father and at ten he lost his mother. He was sent to continue his further education to his elder brother organist in Ordruf. His brother sent the boy to study in the lyceum and the boy continued to study music. But that musician who taught music, was not keen. The musical lessons were boring and monotonous. It was very hard for the inquisitive ten-year old boy. That’s why the boy tried to go in for self-education. He had known that the brother was keeping the notebook with works by famous composers which were locked in the bookcase. The boy secretly took that notebook and rewrote those notes. He had been making that hard job for six months. It hurt his eyesight greatly. More than that, one day his brother saw him at that job and took all the rewritten notes away.

The Juvenile years
At fifteen years old Johann Sebastian made up his mind to live independently and he moved to Lunenburg. In 1703 he graduated from the lyceum and got the right to enter the university. But he hadn’t to use that right because he had to earn money for living. During all his life Bach had to move from town to town changing jobs. In 1703 Bah got the job of the fiddler in the private choir of the Prince Johann Ernest of Saxon in Veymar but he was there not long because later he got the place of the organist in Arnshtadt (1703-07).

But in spite of the fact that his life was not easy, Johann never left efforts to study, to get new information and new knowledge, to self-education and to improvement. With great efforts and constant energy Johann studied music not only by German composers but also music by the Italian and French ones. He didn’t miss the chance to get acquainted personally with great composers and to study their manner of performing music. Once he had no money for trip, young Bah started to another town on foot to listen to music performing by the famous organist D. Bukhstekhude. At that time D. Bukhstekhude was looking for a successor for himself who would be ready with getting the the place in Merienkirch, to marry his only daughter. Bach didn’t stay in Lubeck but the communication with D. Bukhstekhude influenced Bach’s further creativity.

In 1704 – 1707 Bah was a church organist in Arnshtadt and Mulgausen. In 1708 – 1717 he was an organist and composer in Veymar. Bach composed a lot of musical compositions for organ and for clavecin
In1717 in Dresden the performance of Bach with the well-known celebrity - French player the clavecin and organist L. Marshan was held.

Years of wandering (1703 - 08)
After finishing his study Bach was started to look for the job because it was necessary to earn for living, to have bread and to have the chance to create. From 1703 to 1708 he served in Veymar, Arnshtadt, Mulgausen. In 1707 he married his cousin Marie Barbara Bach. His creative interests were concentrated then, mainly, on music for organ and clavecin. The most famous composition of that time is "Kaprichcho devoted to the departure of the sweetheart brother" (1704).

The period in Veymar (1708-17)
Bach got the place of a musician at the court of Duke of Veymar and started living there. He had lived there for 9 years. During those years Bach created a lot. He composed a lot of musical pieces for organ, among them there were a lot of preludes. He also composed music for clavecin, there were about 20 of them. In Veymar Bach’s two sons were born, the two future famous composers Vilhelm Frideman and Karl Philip Emmanuil.

In Keten (1717-23)
In 1717 Bach adopted the invitation for the service by the Duke Ankhalt-Keten Leopold. At the beginning the life in Keten was very happy for the composer: the Duke was a well-educated person and he was a good musician himself. He didn’t interfere Bach’s creativity and valued him greatly, took Bach to his trips with him. In Keten Bach composed three sonatas, three scores for the violin solo, six suites for the violoncello solo, English and French suites for clavecin, six Brandenburg concertos for orchestra. This list of his musical works wasn’t endless because that period was very creative for Bach.

But that cloudless period in Bach’s life finished in 1720: Bach’s wife died and left four small children. In 1721 Johann married for the second time, he married Anna Magdalena Vilken. In 1723 the performing of his “Passions on Ioann” in the St. Foma Church in Leipzig took place. , and soon Bach got the post of the cantor in this church with the post of the school-teacher at the same church. He began teaching Latin and Singing.

In Leipzig (1723-50)
Bach became “musical director” of all churches. He “directed” the musicians and singers, looked after their education and learning. Bach fulfilled his duties very honestly and hard because he wasn’t a sly and a dishonest man. In spite of the hardships in the life, those years were the best and the top years in his creativity. Bach became a real artist in music, because he composed real masterpieces in music in all musical genres.

Last years of composer’s life were difficult because of serious eye illness. After unlucky operation Bach lost the eyesight. But he continued to compose dictating his compositions for writing. In 1750 in July 28 Johann Sebastian Bach died. His death was not noticed by the musical community. Soon he was forgotten. The life of Bach’s wife and the younger daughter was sad. Anna Magdalena died ten years later at the shelter for the poor. The life of his younger daughter Regina was very unhappy and miserable. L. van Beethoven helped her in her last hard years of life.

I attend musical school myself, I play the accordion. I am fond of Bach’s musical plays, his symphonies. This year I am going to finish musical school and I will take the exam in Musical Literature. I will learn the story of Bach’s life and creativity with great pleasure. I am fond of his music because his music is really great, tuneful, overwhelming. I admire this great composer, his life and his musical masterpieces.