Content
The catalogue of Bach’s complete oeuvre made by Wolfgang Schmieder in 1959 (known by its abbreviation “BWV”) includes around 1100 works, while keeping in mind that a single number may refer to a large-scale work lasting up to three hours or to a prelude less than a minute long. His humility still touches us today: “I have had to work hard. Anyone who will work equally hard will be able to do as much.”
© Helmut Jasbar, ORF - Radio Österreich 1
Facts
- 1685-1695 - Childhood in Eisenach, attends school, death of his mother and father
- 1695-1700 - In Ohrdruf his elder brother takes over his education and training
- 1700-1702 - Bach becomes a choir singer at the Michaeliskloster in Lüneburg and earns his university entrance qualification
- 1703-1708 - Bach works as an organist in Arnstadt and Mühlhausen. Marries his cousin Maria Barbara Bach
- 1708-1717 - Court organist and chamber musician under the Duke of Saxe-Weimar, appointed Konzertmeister in 1714
- 1717 - Arrested and imprisoned in Weimar and “ungraciously” released
- 1717-1723 - Kapellmeister under Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen, his wife Maria Barbara dies, marries Anna Magdalena Wülken
- 1723-1750 - Thomaskantor in Leipzig, composes over 200 cantatas. Late contrapuntal works.
- 1750 - Blindness and eye operation. Bach dies and is buried on July 31.
Did you know?
- Although Bach enjoyed a reputation as the most outstanding organist of his era, many critics regarded his contrapuntal style as outdated. At the time, homophonic works in the pre-Classical style were in demand.
- Author Henning Mankell has one of his characters say, “I find that it has been a great blessing to live in an age after Bach. In my personal reckoning, I divide history into the world before and the world after Bach.”
- After his death, his works, which in any case had been known only to a few connoisseurs, are completely forgotten. Not until the arrival of the masters of Viennese classicism, and above all Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, did the composer experience a renaissance, which has continued to this day.
- Reading the few letters that have survived, we learn little about Bach as a person; even a letter to one of his childhood friends is signed, “Your highborn, most obedient and humble servant.”
- “Listening to music . . . for example Glenn Gould. And not Beethoven, but Bach.” - former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt upon being asked what activity gives him the greatest joy in life.
- "Bach is the beginning and end of all music." - Max Reger.
- “This is what I have to say about Bach’s life work: listen, play, love, revere - and keep your mouth shut.” - Albert Einstein.
Gallery

Recommendations

Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major BWV 1047
-
Nikolaus Harnoncourt
-
Concentus Musicus Wien

Bach, Brandenburg Concert No. 6 - Introduction
-
Nikolaus Harnoncourt
-
Johann Sebastian Bach
-
Concentus Musicus Wien
-
Klaus Lindemann

Bach, St John Passion, BWV 245
-
Nikolaus Harnoncourt
-
Concentus Musicus Wien
-
Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl, Thomas Moser, Anton Scharinger
-
Tölzer Sängerknaben

Bach, Mass in B Minor BWV 232
-
Raphaël Pichon
-
Joanne Lunn, Lea Desandre, Lucile Richardot
-
Pygmalion

Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 - Introduction
-
Nikolaus Harnoncourt
-
Johann Sebastian Bach
-
Concentus Musicus Wien
-
Klaus Lindemann

Young People's Concerts: What Is Classical Music?
-
Leonard Bernstein
-
Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven
-
New York Philharmonic
-
Leonard Bernstein

Great Talents. Tjeknavorian, Wagner, Sietzen
-
Emmanuel Tjeknavorian, Dominik Wagner

Bach to the Roots - von Leipzig nach Afrika
-
Bach Consort Wien
-
Bernarda Fink, Francisco Brito

Bach, St Matthew Passion, BWV 244
-
Thomas Guggeis
-
Orchester der Tiroler Festspiele Erl
-
Michael Porter, Domen Križaj, Florina Ilie, Patrik Reiter

Stars of Tomorrow - Episode 10
-
Elias Grandy
-
Junge Sinfonie Berlin
-
Rolando Villazón, Andrei Bondarenko
-
Alexandra Conunova-Dumortier, Céline Moinet