Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach is known as one of the
greatest musicians of all time. Bach was born on March 21, 1685, in
Germany. Bach's family was famous in Germany because of their music. Many
of Bach's aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers and sisters
sang or played musical instruments. Bach's father taught him to play the
violin at an early age.
When Bach was only ten years old,
his mother and father died. Bach went to live with an older brother. Bach's
brother taught him to play the harpsichord and the
clavichord, which were forerunners of the piano.
Bach also began to play the organ.
This became his favorite instrument. Sometimes he would walk over a hundred
miles to hear the music of Remken, the greatest organist
of the time.
Bach was becoming more and more
interested in music. He began composing music. He became famous as an organist
and a composer.
One day he was asked to compete
in a harpsichord contest. The contest was held in the court of King Ferdinand
Augustus. Bach was to compete with a famous French
musician, named Marchand, On the day of the contest, Marchand left Germany.
Many said he was afraid to perform with the great Bach. Bach played so well
that he was asked to stay as a court musician.
By this time, Bach was married and
had seven children. But in 1720, his wife, Maria, died. Bach later married
again and had thirteen more children.
Bach spent his later years as a
director of music for a large school. Here, he continued to compose music.
His compositions were famous for their style, called
baroque.
Baroque music is lively—it is played
in constant motion. Today, Bach is called the "genius of baroque music."
Bach's twenty children became musicians.
Two sons, C.P.E. Bach and Johann Christian Bach became well-known as
composers. But neither became as famous as their father, Johann Sebastian
Bach, who is remembered today as "The Father of Modern
Music."
