Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany into a very musical family. He was a significant composer and organist. His life can be divided into the period of Weimar, Köthen and Leipzig. At his young age, he was given a religious education which had deeply affected the development of his composing career.
In his lifetime, he composed many organ, keyboard, chamber and vocal works using religious theme, German style and his skill in counterpoint. Some of his masterpieces are The Brandenburg Concerto, The Mass in B minor and The Well-Tempered Clavier. Due to all of his big contributions to Classical music, especially for Sacred music, he was regarded as ‘The Father of Music’ .
The English Suite is the earliest set of dances written by Bach, which consists of an energetic Prelude, followed by Allemande ,Courante, Sarabande and Gigue. The progression of them are strict and the structure is well organized. It was originally written for harpsichord and was believed to be written to an English nobleman. And the Suite No.2 was written by Bach in the period of Weimar.
This prelude is written in counterpoint (two-part) which clearly shows the skill of Bach in counterpoint .It has a strict tempo likes other preludes. First, it starts with a vigorous theme in the right hand part and imitations of the theme often appear alternately in both parts. After the episode, it modulates to it’ s dominant. Before it came to the last part, some harmonious chords are used. Lastly, it repeats the first part and ends very straightforward. Throughout the piece, many sequences are played in and among both parts. Also, many semiquavers are used. Both of these factors enhance the rhythm, making the music full of energy and excitement
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
The first movement started with a lively and upbeat melody. A cadenza was featured in the first movement. The harpsichord is given a very important part as both a solo and the bass part. The harpsichord also seemed to be holding the piece together, supporting the other instruments. In the second part of the first movement, there are episodes whereby the other instruments gave their limelight to the harpsichord. At the end of the movement, the other soloists actually supported the free-flowing harpsichord line. The unique thing about this movement is the tension felt between all the solo instruments and the string ensemble.…
- 656 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
It is written for a five stringed cello. The Prelude of the D major prelude is the longest and grandest of the 6. It is an exuberant fast flowing introduction into D major. It is one of the only two movements Bach indicated dynamic. Bars are frequently written in repeated pairs, the first one strong, and the second one is an echo of the former one. The only other movement in the 6 cello Suites that has dynamic markings is the Sarabande in D minor. The Allemande is a German dance. The meter is 4/4, a calm walking dance without jumps. Courante is a French dance, was the favorite dance of King Lous XIV and he is said to have been very good at it. Allemande and Courante formed a pair, in which the Allemande is the calmer dance in 4, the courante the faster dance in 3. The Sarabande has its orgin in Spain. It is a slow majestic processional dance in ¾ or 3/2 with an accent on the 2nd beat and the first. In Suite 6 the Sarabande movement is in 3/2. All Sarabandes starts on the first beat. The Sarabande has two main accents, on beat one and on beat two and the third beat has no accent. The Gavottes are in 2/2 or 4/4 and all start with an upbeat of 2/4. The main accent is on beat one and the other accent is on beat three. Even if it is sometimes written in 4/4, the feeling is 2/2. Beat two and four have an upbeat character and no accent of their own. The micro-dynamic units are usually one bar. The first Gavotte is joyous…
- 1051 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Because of the influence on Bach from composers such as Corelli who helped cement the concerto grosso, it is evident in Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos that characteristic elements are stylistic of both composers. Some of these things that can be found in both Bach’s and Corelli’s compositions included: the cycle of 5ths chord progression, the resemblance between Bach’s concertino passages and Corelli’s trio sonatas, use of imitation and the strong sense of tonality through the use of sequences. However, The Brandenburg Concertos include many unique elements by Bach that separated his works from other composers such as Corelli and Handel and in a way separating himself from the restraints of Baroque style. Brandenburg No. 2 is more modern and sophisticated. In movement 1 Bach includes a trumpet. His addition of the trumpet contrasts to the instrumentation of concertos by other composers like Corelli who preferred strings. Bach also included six subjects, modulations in the episodes which convey the virtuosity of the concertino soloists, and the use of stretto (form of polyphony where voices overlap). In the 2nd movement he reduced the size of the orchestra by taking away the trumpet leaving three concertino instruments plus continuo. Bach’s complex construction of this movement sets him apart from other composers. There is not a set form however he utilises polyphony, imitation and call and response between instruments. The use of tierce de picardi gave a uniqueness to the 2nd…
- 1001 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
During the early years of his life, he wrote poetry and musical compositions without any formal instruction, and his first musical composition was published at the age of seven. He studied at the Warsaw Conservatory, where he began to receive great theory, melody, and harmony instruction. He would later move to Vienna, Austria, and performed many of his works at the Karntner Theater in 1829. Romanticism was predominantly a German aesthetic which spanned from 1800-1850, with characteristics that include; dynamics, big orchestras, more emotional, and technical virtuosity. The Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60 written by Chopin gained its popularity due to the 12/8 time instead of 6/8time. The left-hand plays the ostinato accompaniment with the melody in the A-major key, building up to the F-sharp major opening theme. Johann Sebastian Back was born in Germany in 1685 primarily a Baroque era composer, with many of his pieces and performances were written for harpsichord and organ. Many of his pieces were written for the church, coming from a long line of family musicians. The piece performed at the concert that was written by Bach was Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052 which is only one of seven that were originally written for harpsichord and later reworked for piano. In this song, his form mimics Vivaldi’s form of Exposition, Development, and Recapitulation, that he employed in many of his concertos. I think the best part about the performance of the seven that he wrote, is that they were written for young professional and student players to perform, at a local Collegium…
- 1206 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský, or the “Czech Bach”, was a renowned Bohemian composer and organist. He was born and died (1684 - 1742) during the late Baroque era (1680 - 1750), around the same time as Johann Sebastian Bach. Some of his most famous works are the Regina Coeli and Litaniae Lauretanae de Beatae Virginis Maria Victoriosa. He was also rebellious throughout his life and because of this he spent most of his life alone.…
- 785 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
This journal is all about one of the most famous and successful German composer of the Baroque period. Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach Germany in 1685 he had seven siblings which made him the youngest out of all his brothers and sisters. His father Johann Ambrosius Bach was the director of the town musicians and his uncles were professional musicians. Bach was surrounded by music and musicians his whole child hood, this influenced him to have a love for music. When both of his parents died in 1694 he went to live with his older brother Johann Christopher Bach who was the organist at St. Michael`s church. This is when the young Bach studied copied, and performed music. His brother taught him how to play the clavichord and introduced him to the works of many great composers of the time. By early 1700 Bach was enrolled in St. Michael`s school in Luneburg where he sang in the choir as well as played the organ and harpsicord. In 1706 Bach started his work as the organist at the Blasius church in Muhlhausen, but by t 1708 he left to go to Weimar this is where he started his period of sustained composing.…
- 499 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
A composer, organist, and musician during the Baroque era, J.S. Bach was a brilliant artist of his era. Known today for his polyphony style, masterpieces of church, and instrumental music, the works of the German composer are said to be the greatest of all time. Although he was known as an excellent organist than a composer during his life, his musical compositions would have stand the test of time and continue to demonstrate his innovative style of melody and harmony. Of the many 17th century composers, Johann Sebastian Bach notably paved the way towards the Classical music period; which would maintain a hold on composition for years to come.…
- 365 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
C. Bach exemplify adequate usage of Classical era techniques on the keyboard. J. C. Bach’s composition, “Concerto for Harpsichord or Piano and Strings in E-flat Major,” serves as an ample example of the use and stylistic techniques of the keyboard in the Classical era. The keyboard concerto was a popular genre throughout the classical era, and J. C. Bach was perhaps one of the most influential composers in this category, as he was among the first to compose this particular genre. Throughout this piece, there are three movements, a fast movement followed by a slow movement, and then another fast movement. This organization was extremely typical for solo concertos in the 1700s. The galant style is heard in this piece through the lush ornamentation and sophistication. For example, in measure 17, one can note the elegance in the recurring 32nd to dotted 8th notes. As this composition calls for either a harpsichord or a piano, one might contend that a piano would be better suited, due to the lack of dynamic contrast achievable on the…
- 1334 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Germany in the year of 1685, about 85 years after the Baroque era began. Bach passed away in 1750 at about the closing of the baroque era. Bach was born in a decently large family compared to today's standards. There were nine people in his family, seven other…
- 1011 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
During his lifetime, Johann Sebastian Bach was famous as a virtuoso organist rather than as a composer. His works conveyed a sense of beauty and creativity that few can rival. Bach's use of counterpoint was brilliant and innovative, and the immense complexities of his compositional style -- which often included religious and numerological symbols that seem to fit perfectly together in a profound puzzle of special codes -- still amaze musicians today. Many consider him the greatest composer of all time.…
- 615 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Burt Bacharach was born on May 12, 1928 in Kansas City, Missouri. Although being born in Kansas City, Bacharach did most of his growing up in New York. Bacharach never had any interest in music growing up, instead he wanted to be a football player but that was a dream he wasn't physically adapted to do. Bacharach's dreams were crushed, that was until his mother taught him to play the piano at the age of twelve. Bacharach enjoyed playing piano very much but he never really planned on making a musical career off of his abilities and it wasn't until he heard the fine flowing movements and melodies of Jazz that it would change his musical talent into a passion. Bacharach loved everything about jazz an would do anything to hear it, even going as…
- 1623 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
music with his father until his father's death in 1695, at which point he moved to Ohrdruf…
- 1352 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
Purpose: Acquire knowledge of an accomplished composer whose music is not represented in our listening assignments. Note: You cannot do a paper on a composer who is represented on the CDs accompanying the textbook. Appendix B lists many very good composers for you to select from for your paper. If you choose a composer who is not in this list, please check with me before you begin your research. If you have trouble deciding, try finding a composer from the country of your family's origin. I am also happy to make a suggest for you.…
- 427 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The first period of the piece lasts from measures 3-15 and contains two phrases. The piece starts in E major and modulates to B…
- 1405 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 31, 1685 in Eisenach, Saxe-Eisenach to the director of town musicians, Johann Ambrosius Bach, and his wife, Maria Elisabeth Lämmerhirt. He was the eighth child to be born in the family and was around music since he was a child. His uncles were all professional musicians and historians assume that his older brother taught him violin and basic musical theory when he was very young. Little did his family know, he would eventually become one of the most well known composers in history.…
- 865 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays