Johann Sebastian Bach

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Born: 1685   Died: 1750   Country: Germany   Period: Baroque
Johann Sebastian Bach was better known as a virtuoso organist than as a composer in his day. His sacred music, organ and choral works, and other instrumental music had an enthusiasm and seeming freedom that concealed immense rigor. 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 Read more profound puzzle of special codes -- still amaze musicians today. Many consider him the greatest composer of all time.

Bach was born in Eisenach in 1685. He was taught to play the violin and harpsichord by his father, Johann Ambrosius, a court trumpeter in the service of the Duke of Eisenach. Young Johann was not yet ten when his father died, leaving him orphaned. He was taken in by his recently married oldest brother, Johann Christoph, who lived in Ohrdruf. Because of his excellent singing voice, Bach attained a position at the Michaelis monastery at Lüneberg in 1700. His voice changed a short while later, but he stayed on as an instrumentalist. After taking a short-lived post in Weimar in 1703 as a violinist, Bach became organist at the Neue Kirche in Arnstadt (1703-1707). His relationship with the church council was tenuous as the young musician often shirked his responsibilities, preferring to practice the organ. One account describes a four-month leave granted Bach, to travel to Lubeck where he would familiarize himself with the music of Dietrich Buxtehude. He returned to Arnstadt long after was expected and much to the dismay of the council. He then briefly served at St. Blasius in Mühlhausen as organist, beginning in June 1707, and married his cousin, Maria Barbara Bach, that fall. Bach composed his famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565) and his first cantatas while in Mühlhausen, but quickly outgrew the musical resources of the town. He next took a post for the Duke of Sachsen-Weimar in 1708, serving as court organist and playing in the orchestra, eventually becoming its leader in 1714. He wrote many organ compositions during this period, including his Orgel-Büchlein. Owing to politics between the Duke and his officials, Bach left Weimar and secured a post in December 1717 as Kapellmeister at Cöthen. In 1720, Bach's wife suddenly died, leaving him with four children (three others had died in infancy). A short while later, he met his second wife, soprano Anna Magdalena Wilcke, whom he married in December 1721. She would bear 13 children, though only five would survive childhood. The six Brandenburg Concertos (BWV 1046-51), among many other secular works, date from his Cöthen years. Bach became Kantor of the Thomas School in Leipzig in May 1723 and held the post until his death. It was in Leipzig that he composed the bulk of his religious and secular cantatas. Bach eventually became dissatisfied with this post, not only because of its meager financial rewards, but also because of onerous duties and inadequate facilities. Thus, he took on other projects, chief among which was the directorship of the city's Collegium Musicum, an ensemble of professional and amateur musicians who gave weekly concerts, in 1729. He also became music director at the Dresden Court in 1736, in the service of Frederick Augustus II; though his duties were vague and apparently few, they allowed him freedom to compose what he wanted. Bach began making trips to Berlin in the 1740s, not least because his son Carl Philipp Emanuel served as a court musician there. In May 1747, the composer was warmly received by King Frederick II of Prussia, for whom he wrote the gloriously abstruse Musical Offering (BWV 1079). Among Bach's last works was his 1749 Mass in B minor. Besieged by diabetes, he died on July 28, 1750. Read less

Featured Johann Sebastian Bach CDs & DVDs:

Bach: Complete Orchestral Works / Helmuth Rilling
Bach: Complete Orchestral Works / Helmuth Rilling
Release Date: 04/30/2013   Label: Hänssler Classic  
Catalog: 98009   Number of Discs: 11
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Lorraine - Bach: Mein Herze Schwimmt Im Blut / Hunt Lieberson, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Lorraine - Bach: Mein Herze Schwimmt Im Blut / Hunt Lieberson, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Release Date: 03/26/2013   Label: Yarlung Records  
Catalog: 96298   Number of Discs: 1
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Bach: Suites No 4, 5 & 6 / Hopkinson Smith
Bach: Suites No 4, 5 & 6 / Hopkinson Smith
Release Date: 02/26/2013   Label: Naive  
Catalog: 8938   Number of Discs: 1
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Bach: Cantatas Vol 28 / Gardiner, English Baroque Soloists
Bach: Cantatas Vol 28 / Gardiner, English Baroque Soloists
Release Date: 04/30/2013   Label: Soli Deo Gloria Records  
Catalog: 185   Number of Discs: 1
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Bach: The English Suites / Richard Egarr
Bach: The English Suites / Richard Egarr
Release Date: 02/12/2013   Label: Harmonia Mundi  
Catalog: 907591   Number of Discs: 2
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Work: Suite for Orchestra no 3 in D major, BWV 1068

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  • 1.
    Bach: Orchestral Suites No 1-4 / Akademie Fur Alte Musik Berlin
    Label: Harmonia Mundi   Catalog: 501578 Release Date: 06/11/2013   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Academy for Ancient Music Berlin
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  • 2.
    Bach, Rameau, Handel, Gluck, Haydn / Otto Klemperer [8-CD Set]
    Bach, Rameau, Handel, Gluck, Haydn / Otto Klemperer [8-CD Set]
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 484332 Release Date: 05/07/2013   Number of Discs: 8
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach,  Christoph W. Gluck,  George Frideric Handel,  Jean-Philippe Rameau  ... 
    Conductor:  Otto Klemperer
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  New Philharmonia Orchestra,  Philharmonia Orchestra
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  • 3.
    Bach: Complete Orchestral Works / Helmuth Rilling
    Bach: Complete Orchestral Works / Helmuth Rilling
    Label: Hänssler Classic   Catalog: 98009 Release Date: 04/30/2013   Number of Discs: 11
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer:  Carol Wincenc,  Christoph Poppen,  Isabelle Faust,  Robert Levin  ... 
    Conductor:  Helmuth Rilling
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra,  Oregon Bach Festival Chamber Orchestra,  Stuttgart Bach Collegium
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  • 4.
    The Complete J.S. Bach Edition - 32gb Usb Stick
    The Complete J.S. Bach Edition - 32gb Usb Stick
    Label: Teldec   Catalog: 4661127 Release Date: 04/30/2013   Number of Discs: Fla
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer:  Max van Egmond,  Kurt Equiluz,  Paul Esswood,  Walter Gampert  ... 
    Conductor:  Nikolaus Harnoncourt,  Gustav Leonhardt,  Ton Koopman,  Jaap Schröder  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Vienna Concentus Musicus,  Chorus Viennensis,  Vienna Boys' Choir  ... 
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  • 5.
    Bach: Complete Orchestral Suites / Clark, Consort Of London
    Bach: Complete Orchestral Suites / Clark, Consort Of London
    Label: Brilliant Classics   Catalog: 94413 Release Date: 09/25/2012   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Conductor:  Robert Haydon Clark
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Consort of London
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  • 6.
    Bach: Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 1-3
    Bach: Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 1-3
    Label: Deutsche Grammophon   Catalog: 001702702 Release Date: 07/24/2012   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer:  Alastair Mitchell,  Simon Standage,  Christian Rutherford,  David Reichenberg  ... 
    Conductor:  Trevor Pinnock
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  • 7.
    Avie Records - 10th Anniversary
    Avie Records - 10th Anniversary
    Label: Avie   Catalog: 2265 Release Date: 07/10/2012   Number of Discs: 10
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach,  George Enescu,  Gabriel Fauré,  George Frideric Handel  ... 
    Performer:  Monica Huggett,  Gonzalo Ruiz,  Luiza Borac,  Charles Owen  ... 
    Conductor:  Monica Huggett,  Harry Bicket,  Imogen Cooper,  Vasily Petrenko  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Ensemble Sonnerie,  Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment,  Northern Sinfonia  ... 
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  • 8.
    Karajan - 1960s [82 CD-Set]
    Karajan - 1960s [82 CD-Set]
    Label: Deutsche Grammophon   Catalog: 001684302 Release Date: 06/26/2012   Number of Discs: 82
    Composer:  Richard Strauss,  Johannes Brahms,  Antonín Dvorák,  Bedrich Smetana  ... 
    Performer:  Shura Cherkassky,  Hilde Rössl-Majdan,  Wilma Lipp,  Anton Dermota  ... 
    Conductor:  Herbert von Karajan,  Hans Priem-Bergrath
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra,  Vienna Singverein,  Vienna Symphony Orchestra  ... 
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  • 9.
    Bach: Les Quatre Ouvertures / Jordi Savall, Le Concert Des Nations
    Bach: Les Quatre Ouvertures / Jordi Savall, Le Concert Des Nations
    Label: Alia Vox   Catalog: 9890 Release Date: 06/12/2012   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Conductor:  Jordi Savall
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Le Concert des Nations
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  • 10.
    Brazilian Guitar Quartet
    Brazilian Guitar Quartet
    Label: Delos   Catalog: 6013 Release Date: 04/24/2012   Number of Discs: 5
    Composer:  Heitor Villa-Lobos,  Camargo Mozart Guarnieri,  Francisco Mignone,  Antonio Carlos Gomes  ... 
    Performer:  Paul Galbraith,  Edelton Gloeden,  Everton Gloeden,  Tadeu do Amaral
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Brazilian Guitar Quartet
    CD: $48.99
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  • 11.
    Great Baroque Masterpieces
    Great Baroque Masterpieces
    Label: Naxos   Catalog: 8501061 Release Date: 04/24/2012   Number of Discs: 10
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach,  George Frideric Handel,  Antonio Vivaldi,  Georg Philipp Telemann  ... 
    Performer:  Nadja Schubert,  Daniel Rothert,  Corinne Chapelle,  Karl Kaiser  ... 
    Conductor:  Helmut Müller-Brühl,  Kevin Mallon,  Bradley Creswick,  Jozef Kopelman  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Cologne Chamber Orchestra,  Aradia Ensemble,  Northern Sinfonia  ... 
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  • 12.
    The Complete Bach Edition
    The Complete Bach Edition
    Label: Teldec   Catalog: 664202 Release Date: 03/27/2012   Number of Discs: 154
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer:  Max van Egmond,  Kurt Equiluz,  Paul Esswood,  Walter Gampert  ... 
    Conductor:  Nikolaus Harnoncourt,  Gustav Leonhardt,  Ton Koopman,  Jaap Schröder  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Vienna Concentus Musicus,  Chorus Viennensis,  Vienna Boys' Choir  ... 
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  • 13.
    Baroque Masterpieces / Neville Marriner, Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
    Baroque Masterpieces / Neville Marriner, Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 85175 Release Date: 01/24/2012   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach,  Christoph W. Gluck,  George Frideric Handel,  Johann Pachelbel  ... 
    Conductor:  Sir Neville Marriner
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  • 14.
    Bach: Orchestral Suites / Rilling, Oregon Bach Festival Chamber Orchestra
    Bach: Orchestral Suites / Rilling, Oregon Bach Festival Chamber Orchestra
    Label: Hänssler Classic   Catalog: 94605 Release Date: 11/15/2011   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer:  Carol Wincenc
    Conductor:  Helmuth Rilling
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra
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  • 15.
    Bach - Earthly and Divine [6 CDs+Book]
    Bach - Earthly and Divine [6 CDs+Book]
    Label: Alpha Productions   Catalog: 889 Release Date: 11/08/2011   Number of Discs: 6
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach,  Raphaël Imbert,  Ferruccio Busoni
    Performer:  Bruno Cocset,  Dmitry Badiarov,  Bertrand Cuiller,  Helene Schmitt  ... 
    Conductor:  Gustav Leonhardt,  Raphaël Imbert,  Françoise Lasserre,  Benoit Haller  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Café Zimmermann,  Akademia Ensemble,  La Chapelle Royale  ... 
    CD: $89.99
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  • 16.
    Bach: Complete Orchestral Suites / Freiburger Barockorchester
    Bach: Complete Orchestral Suites / Freiburger Barockorchester
    Label: Harmonia Mundi   Catalog: 902113 Release Date: 11/08/2011   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Freiburg Baroque Orchestra
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  • 17.
    The Rough Guide To Classical Composers: Bach (With Bonus Cd: Angela Hewitt Plays Bach)
    The Rough Guide To Classical Composers: Bach (With Bonus Cd: Angela Hewitt Plays Bach)
    Label: Music Rough Guides   Catalog: 331241 Release Date: 11/01/2011   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer:  Steven Isserlis,  Angela Hewitt,  Johannette Zomer,  Thomas Schmogner
    Conductor:  Roy Goodman,  Harry Christophers
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Brandenburg Consort,  The Sixteen,  Purcell Quartet  ... 
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  • 18.
    Bach: Orchestral Suites Nos 2, 3 & 4 / Apollo Ensemble
    Bach: Orchestral Suites Nos 2, 3 & 4 / Apollo Ensemble
    Label: Centaur Records   Catalog: 3083 Release Date: 10/25/2011   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Apollo Ensemble
    CD: $17.99
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  • 19.
    Bach: Orchestral Suites, Violin Concertos / Spivakov, Moscow Virtuosi
    Bach: Orchestral Suites, Violin Concertos / Spivakov, Moscow Virtuosi
    Label: Newton Classics   Catalog: 8802086 Release Date: 10/25/2011   Number of Discs: 4
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer:  Vladimir Spivakov,  Alexei Utkin
    Conductor:  Vladimir Spivakov
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra
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  • 20.
    Bach: Orchestral Works Complete
    Bach: Orchestral Works Complete
    Label: Brilliant Classics   Catalog: 93578 Release Date: 08/30/2011   Number of Discs: 9
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer:  Remy Baudet,  Theunis Van der Zwart,  Erwin Wieringa,  Pieter-Jan Belder  ... 
    Conductor:  Pieter-Jan Belder
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Musica Amphion,  La Stravaganza Cologne,  Camerata Antonio Lucio  ... 
    CD: $44.49
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  • 21.
    Bach: 4 Orchestral Suites, Etc / Pickett, New London Consort
    Bach: 4 Orchestral Suites, Etc / Pickett, New London Consort
    Label: L'oiseau Lyre   Catalog: 452000 Release Date: 06/27/2011   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer:  Lisa Beznosiuk
    Conductor:  Philip Pickett
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  New London Consort
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  • 22.
    Il Giardino Armonico
    Il Giardino Armonico
    Label: Warner Classics   Catalog: 632642 Release Date: 05/31/2011   Number of Discs: 11
    Composer:  Claudio Monteverdi,  Dario Castello,  Ottavio Dantone,  Giovanni Battista Spadi  ... 
    Performer:  Ottavio Dantone,  Enrico Onofri,  Luca Pianca
    Conductor:  Giovanni Antonini
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Il Giardino Armonico,  Innsbruck Trumpet Consort
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  • 23.
    Johann Sebastian Bach: Magnificat In D Major
    Johann Sebastian Bach: Magnificat In D Major
    Label: Archipel   Catalog: 518 Release Date: 04/26/2011   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Conductor:  Günther Ramin,  Otto Klemperer
    CD: $11.99
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  • 24.
    Bach: Brandenburg Concertos, Orchestral Suites, Concertos / Pinnock [8-CD Collector's Edition]
    Bach: Brandenburg Concertos, Orchestral Suites, Concertos / Pinnock [8-CD Collector's Edition]
    Label: Archiv Produktion (Dg)   Catalog: 001538502 Release Date: 04/19/2011   Number of Discs: 8
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer:  Trevor Pinnock,  Lisa Beznosiuk,  Simon Standage,  Rachel Beckett  ... 
    Conductor:  Trevor Pinnock
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  English Concert
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  • 25.
    Bach Highlights
    Bach Highlights
    Label: Berlin Classics   Catalog: 300202 Release Date: 04/12/2011   Number of Discs: 3
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach,  Ferruccio Busoni
    Performer:  Christine Schornsheim,  Violetta Liebsch,  Armin Thalheim,  Mechtild Stark  ... 
    Conductor:  Helmut Koch,  Martin Flämig,  Burkhard Glaetzner,  Franz Konwitschny  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Neues Bachisches Collegium
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