List of Bach's musical works. Bach's most famous work

The German composer Johann Sebastian Bach created more than 1000 musical works. He lived in the Baroque era and in his work summarized everything that was characteristic of the music of his time. Bach wrote in all genres available in the 18th century, with the exception of opera. Today the works of this master of polyphony and virtuoso organist are listened to in the most different situations- they are so diverse. In his music one can find simple-minded humor and deep sorrow, philosophical reflections and extreme drama.

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in 1685, he was the eighth and youngest child in the family. The father of the great composer Johann Ambrosius Bach was also a musician: the Bach family has been known for its musicality since the beginning of the 16th century. At that time, music creators enjoyed special honor in Saxony and Thuringia, they were supported by the authorities, aristocrats and representatives of the church.

By the age of 10, Bach lost both his parents, and his older brother, who worked as an organist, took over his upbringing. Johann Sebastian studied at the gymnasium, and at the same time received skills in playing the organ and clavier from his brother. At the age of 15, Bach entered a vocal school and began writing his first works. After leaving school, he briefly served as a court musician for the Duke of Weimar, and then became an organist in a church in the city of Arnstadt. It was then that the composer wrote a large number of organ works.

Soon, Bach began to have problems with the authorities: he expressed dissatisfaction with the level of training of the singers in the choir, and then went to another city for several months in order to get acquainted with the playing of the authoritative Danish-German organist Dietrich Buxtehude. Bach went to Mühlhausen, where he was invited to the same position - organist in the church. In 1707, the composer married his cousin, who bore him seven children, three of them died in infancy, and two later became famous composers.

Bach worked in Mühlhausen for only a year and moved to Weimar, where he became court organist and concert organizer. By this time he already enjoyed great recognition and received a high salary. It was in Weimar that the composer's talent reached its peak - he spent about 10 years continuously composing works for clavier, organ and orchestra.

By 1717, Bach had achieved all possible heights in Weimar and began to look for another place of work. At first his old employer did not want to let him go, and even put him under arrest for a month. However, Bach soon left him and headed to the city of Köthen. If earlier his music was largely composed for religious services, here, due to the special requirements of the employer, the composer began to write mainly secular works.

In 1720, Bach's wife suddenly died, but a year and a half later he married the young singer again.

In 1723, Johann Sebastian Bach became cantor of the choir at the Church of St. Thomas in Leipzig, and then was appointed “musical director” of all churches working in the city. Bach continued to write music until his death - even after losing his sight, he dictated it to his son-in-law. Died great composer in 1750, now his remains rest in the very Church of St. Thomas in Leipzig, where he worked for 27 years.

WITH early years Bach felt the organ field was his calling and tirelessly studied the art of organ improvisation, which was the basis of his compositional skills. As a child, in his native Eisenach, he listened to his uncle play the organ, and then, in Ohrdruf, his brother. In Arnstadt, Bach himself began to work as an organist, and undoubtedly, already there he tried to compose for the organ, although his choral arrangements, which confused the Arnstadt parishioners with their unusualness, have not reached us. The composer also served as an organist in Weimar, where his original organ style was fully formed. As you know, it was during the Weimar years that exceptional activity occurred in the field of Bach’s organ creativity - most of the organ works were created: Toccata and Fugue in d-moll, Toccata, adagio and fugue in C-dur, Prelude and Fugue in a-moll, Fantasia and Fugue in g-moll , Passacaglia c-moll and many others. Even when, due to circumstances, the composer switched to another job, he did not part with his portable organ. We must not forget that Bach’s oratorios, cantatas, and passions were played in the church, accompanied by an organ. It was through the organ that Bach was known to his contemporaries. He achieved the highest perfection in organ improvisations, stunning everyone who could hear him. The famous organist Jan Reincken, already in his declining years, heard Bach play and said: “I thought that this art had died long ago, but now I see that it lives in you!”

Main features of the organ style

In Bach's era, the organ was the “king of all instruments” - the most powerful, full-sounding and colorful. It sounded under the spacious vaults church councils with their spatial acoustics. Organ art was addressed to the broad masses of listeners, hence such qualities of organ music as oratorical pathos, monumentality, and concert performance. This style required extensive forms and virtuosity. Organ works are similar to monumental (fresco) painting, where everything is presented in close-up. It is not surprising that Bach created the most majestic instrumental works specifically for the organ: Passacaglia in C-moll, Toccata, adagio and fugue in C-dur, Fantasia and fugue in G-moll and others.

Traditions of German organ art. Chorale preludes.

Bach's organ art grew on rich soil, because it was German masters who played the most important role in the development of organ music. In Germany, organ art has reached an unprecedented scale, and a whole galaxy of wonderful organists has emerged. Bach had a chance to hear many of them: in Hamburg - J. Reincken, in Lubeck - D. Buxtehude, who was especially close to Bach. From his predecessors he adopted the main genres of German organ music - fugue, toccata, chorale prelude.

In Bach’s organ work, two genre varieties can be distinguished:

• chorale preludes , as predominantly small compositions;
• "small" polyphonic cycles , as works of large form. They consist of some kind of introductory piece and a fugue.

Bach wrote more than 150 chorale preludes, most of which are contained in 4 collections. A special place among them is occupied by the “Organ Book” - the earliest (1714-1716), consisting of 45 arrangements. Later, the collection “Keyboard Exercises” appeared, including 21 arrangements, some of which were designed for organ performance. The next collection - of 6 pieces - is known as the “Schubler chorales” (named after the publisher and organist Schubler, a student of Bach). The composer prepared the last collection of choral arrangements - “18 chorales” - for publication shortly before his death.

With all the diversity of Bach's chorale preludes, they are united by:

• small scale;
• dominance of the melodic beginning, since the genre of choral arrangement is associated with vocal melodies;
• chamber style. In the chorale preludes, Bach emphasized not the enormous resources of the powerful organ sound, but its colorfulness and timbre richness;
• widespread use of polyphonic techniques.

The range of images of chorale preludes is associated with the content of the underlying chorales. In general, these are examples of Bach's philosophical lyrics, reflections on man, his joys and sorrows.

Prelude in Es major

Her music has a majestic, calm, enlightened character, developing smoothly and leisurely. The theme of the chorale is quite monotonous in rhythmic and melodic terms. It is based on movement along stable steps of the scale with multiple repetitions of one sound. However, Bach begins his prelude not with a chorale melody, but with his own theme - more melodious, flexible and moving, and at the same time akin to the chorale.

As it develops, this theme is continuously enriched intonationally and rhythmically. Widely chanted phrases appear in it, and the range expands. Along with this, instability in it intensifies, the motif of a sigh is repeated sequentially, which becomes a means of intensifying expression.

The tonal plan of the prelude covers related flat keys. The tonal development is directed from light major colors to a darker minor color in the middle, and then to the return of the original light sound.

The sparse, clear texture of the prelude is based on two main melodic lines, far apart from each other (this creates a feeling of spatial breadth). The middle voices, where the theme of the chorale is stated, are included later and also have melodic independence.

Prelude in f minor

(“I call upon you, Lord”)

In this prelude, the melody of the chorale is placed in the upper voice; it dominates, determining the entire appearance of the work. Bach is responsible for harmonizing the melody and creating the texture of the accompaniment.

The theme of the chorale is songlike, based on smooth soft intonations. Rhythmic monotony, emphasized by the smooth movement of the bass, gives the music rigor and composure. The main mood is deep concentration, sublime sadness.

The texture clearly distinguishes three levels: the upper voice (the theme of the chorale itself, the sound of which in the middle register resembles singing), the bass line and the middle voice - intonationally very expressive and rhythmically mobile. 2-part form. The first section is clearly divided into sentences and ends with a clear cadence. The second develops more continuously.

Two-part polyphonic cycles

Two-part compositions, consisting of some kind of introductory piece (prelude, fantasy, toccata) and fugue, were already found among composers of the pre-Bakhov generation, but then they were the exception rather than the rule, a pattern. Either independent, unrelated fugues, toccatas, fantasies, or one-part compositions predominated mixed type. They freely combined prelude-improvisation and fugue episodes. Bach broke this tradition by distinguishing contrasting spheres in two individual, but organically interconnected parts of the polyphonic cycle. The first part concentrated a free, improvisational element, while the second - a fugue - was strictly organized. Musical development in a fugue always obeys the laws of logic and discipline and proceeds in a strictly defined “channel”. A well-thought-out system of compositional techniques for the fugue had already developed before Bach, in the work of his predecessors - German organists.

The introductory parts of the polyphonic cycle did not have such a “assignment”. They were developed in the practice of free foreplay on the organ, that is, they differed improvisational nature - complete freedom in expressing emotions. They are characterized by:

• “general forms” of movement - virtuosic passages, harmonic figurations, that is, movement according to the sounds of chords;
• sequential development of small melodic cells;
• free change of pace, episodes of different nature;
• bright dynamic contrasts.

Each polyphonic cycle of Bach has its own unique appearance, individual artistic decision. The general and mandatory principle is harmonious unity of its two constituent parts. This unity is not limited to the general tonality. So, for example, in the most popular Bach organ cycle - Toccata and Fugue d-moll- the unity of the composition follows from the multilateral internal connections of the toccata and fugue.

The music of the toccata gives the impression of powerful force and rebellion. The majestic pathos captivates from the very first sounds introductions- small, but very effective, setting the tone for everything that follows. The opening theme begins, as it were, immediately with the culmination (“top-source”), on ff, in a powerful organ unison. It is based on declamatory, oratorical, appealing intonations, which, thanks to strong sonority and meaningful pauses, sound very impressive.

The same intonations underlie fugue themes- descent along the scale of a minor mode from the V degree to the leading tone. Thanks to the non-stop ostinato running of 16th notes, fugue music has an active, energetic, motor character. Its theme also has a clear similarity with the second section of the toccata - the presence of hidden two-voices, repeated repetition of the sound “A”, and the same rhythmic pattern. Essentially, both themes are perceived as two variants of one thematic material (the fugue theme is like mirror reflection 2nd section of the toccata).

In more close-up the unity of toccata and fugue lies in the very cycle compositions. The culmination of the entire work is the final section of the fugue - a large coda of a pathetic nature. Here the images of the toccata return, and polyphonic techniques give way to homophonic-harmonic ones. Massive chords and virtuosic passages sound again. Thus, in the cycle there is a feeling of tripartiteness (toccata - fugue - toccata coda).

In addition, the d minor fugue has another feature that emphasizes its relationship with the toccata - the abundance of interludes. Interludes mainly consist of “broken” chords and their sequential development. Thanks to this, the polyphonic style of the fugue somewhat approaches the homophonic-harmonic style, echoing the improvisational style of the toccata.

The combination of two parts of a polyphonic cycle may not be based on kinship, but, on the contrary, on a bright contrasting comparison of them musical images. This is how, for example, the g-moll organ cycle is built.

Fantasia and fugue g-moll

Music fantasy its origins are connected with the harsh and majestic images of Bach’s choral works - his B minor Mass or passions. It compares two contrasting emotional spheres. The first is tragic. The combination of powerful chords with a single-voice recitative in a tense tessitura is similar to the alternation of a choir with a solo voice. Musical development takes place in an atmosphere of increasing tension. Thanks to the organ section, sharply unstable, dissonant chords arise, and recitative phrases gradually become more and more saturated with drama.

The second theme is the opposite of the first in all its components. Against the backdrop of measuredly calm moves of the lower voice, the upper voices imitate a small lyrical chant based on a diminished triad. Minor scales and soft sound give the music a touch of sublime detachment. It ends thoughtfully and sadly with a descending second intonation.

Almost the entire further continuation of the fantasy is occupied by the complex development of the first theme. The drama of the overall sound is aggravated by a brief reprise of the second theme, raised to a higher register.

The tragedy of fantasy is opposed by energy and activity fugues. It is distinguished by its dance character and obvious connections with everyday life. secular music. The closeness to the folk genre's origins is manifested, in particular, in the reprise structure of the theme, its completeness, and the periodicity of rhythmic accents. The theme highlights wide, “brisk” leaps of fifths and octave, which, in combination with a springy, elastic rhythm, create a very dynamic image. The energy of movement is also supported by modal tonal development: the tonic and dominant of the main key are compared with the tonic and dominant of the parallel major.

The fugue form is based on a reprise tripartite. The first part consists of exposition and counter-exposition, followed by a large middle development part and an abbreviated reprise. Each theme is preceded by extensive interludes.

A huge internal contrast also distinguishes the organ cycle in C major, the composition of which is expanded by including another, 3rd, movement.

Toccata, adagio and fugue in C major

Line imaginative development here moves from the majestic pathos of the toccata to the sublime lyricism of the Adagio, then to the powerful Grave (the final section of the Adagio) and, finally, to the dance dynamics of the fugue.

Basic principle of construction toccatas- improvisation. It consists of several relatively complete sections, which differ from each other in the type of melodic movement (these are either virtuoso passages, or sequential development of small melodic turns, or chord figuration - movement along the sounds of chords). At the same time, there is a clear unifying logic in the toccata: a steady increase from beginning to end - the final majestic peak. It is achieved by a gradual increase in overall sonority, thickening the texture (due to the branching of voices, their roll calls in different registers). At the last stage of this movement, the lowest sounds of the organ - the organ pedal - come into play.

IN Adagio everything is in contrast to the toccata: minor key (parallel A-moll), intimate sounding - in the spirit of choral preludes, the same type of texture throughout (leading voice and accompaniment), homogeneous thematic, lack of virtuoso brilliance, bright climaxes. Throughout the Adagio, a mood of deep concentration is maintained.

The final 10 bars of the Adagio are dramatically different from everything that came before. The character of the music here becomes majestic and solemn.

Large 4-voice fugue written written on a topic of wide extent. It is diatonic, based on dance rhythms, which, in combination with the 6/8 time signature, give the music a resemblance to a gigue. The theme is carried out 11 times: 7 times in exposition, 3 times in development and 1 time in reprise. Thus, most developments take interludes.

The free form of the toccata consists of several episodes, clearly demarcated from one another. Differing in texture, dynamic, register, they are related:

• a mood of majestic pathos;
• a steady increase in dramatic tension, reaching its highest intensity at the conclusion of the toccata;
• by the nature of the theme.

He became famous as a skilled composer and virtuoso performer of organ music. In addition, the musician was also a talented teacher and led concert groups.

Briefly about the composer

During his lifetime, Johann Sebastian did not receive recognition, and only almost a century later did people begin to show interest in his works. Perhaps none of the music of the Baroque era is now as popular as the works of Bach. A list of these works by year should be compiled taking into account the main stages of the author’s work. Subsequently, the master’s works were included in the golden fund of eternal classics and are still popular, having firmly entered the repertoire of concert performances.

The beginning of creativity

Bach, a list of whose works is the subject interesting review, was born in musical family: His father, older brother and sister were musicians. Since childhood, the future composer showed an amazing talent for learning to play the violin. Even in his youth, he became seriously interested in works famous composers, never missed a chance to listen famous masters, constantly studied, expanding my knowledge.

Very soon he proved himself to be a talented organist. He mastered playing this instrument perfectly, so that musicians even began to turn to him for advice. Bach, whose list of works can be opened with the mention of works for organ, imitated his time, but at the same time supplemented the scores folk melodies, trying to give it a national sound.

The composer's first works were chorales, hymns and preludes for organ. These works are distinguished by their solemn, majestic character. However, Bach's works, the list of which was constantly replenished, were diverse in their treatment: his early toccatas and fugues have a colorful, dramatic sound.

Weimar period (1708–1717)

Heyday creative career The composer's career began at his new place of work, when he received the court position of organist and musician under one of the German dukes. Here things worked out for the author optimal conditions for creativity: he was free to choose a theme and worked with a very good orchestra.

It was during this period that he created his famous cycle of fugues, which made up the first volume of his famous work"The Well-Tempered Clavier." None of the musicians of that time was such a virtuoso of organ art as Bach was. The list of the composer's works was constantly expanding: he worked a lot, composing and rearranging concertos of Italian composers. Nine years later, Johann leaves his old job and goes in search of a new one.

In Köthen

The composer's patron was the prince, who loved music and appreciated the composer's talent. He gave him the position of bandmaster and gave him greater freedom of action. Bach's works, the list of which was replenished with works of a secular nature, received approval and recognition. He composed keyboard music, suites in French and English themes, more than two dozen preludes, as well as fugues. The creation of the famous Brandenburg Concertos dates back to this time. These days they are usually performed by chamber orchestras.

He also composed several concertos. Bach, whose list of works at this time often consisted of works of an entertaining nature, created sonatas and solo performances for violin and flute that resembled cheerful songs. Despite this, in his concerts each instrument received an independent sound.

Religious music

At this time, Johann Sebastian Bach had already become one of the most famous composers in Germany. Works, the list of which now included religious music, grew rapidly. The author wrote several masses based on Gospel stories, which are considered one of the best in the composer’s work. As music director of the city's churches, he created a cycle of cantatas for worship, which were based on Protestant chorales. Special mention should be made of the “Mass in B Minor”, ​​in which the author partially used excerpts from his best cantatas.

Secular melodies

However, compositions of a secular, entertaining nature continued to occupy a prominent place in his work: Johann Sebastian Bach assigned special importance to them. The works, the list of which quickly increased due to melodies composed specifically for the author’s musical assembly, entered the treasury of the world repertoire. They are admired to this day. Bach, the list of whose works was constantly replenished with the most various jobs, at this time he created his famous “Coffee Cantata”, as well as a number of concerts for cello and harpsichord.

At the end of the 1740s, the composer wrote a new cycle consisting of trios, ricercars and canons, which he presented as a gift to the king under the title “Musical Offering”. At the same time, he composed a number of fugues, in which his art of creating polyphony was especially clearly demonstrated. This work did not see the light of day during the author's lifetime and was published after his death by the composer's sons.

Features of essays

The most famous works of Bach, the list of which was presented above, reflect character traits his melodies. The composer is deservedly recognized as a master of polyphony: his fugues and sonatas amaze with their richness of sound, drama, color and variety of sounds. Even during his lifetime he was considered unsurpassed master playing the organ. At that time, none of the composers could compare with him in this form of art.

Another feature is that he worked in all known musical genres of the 18th century, with the exception of opera. However, its motifs are still present in a number of his choral works. The author skillfully combined the achievements of northern and southern composers in Western Europe. He was greatly influenced by the work of German, Italian and French musicians.

Bach skillfully combined their melodies, often reworking the works of other composers. He often edited own works, which later became so-called covers, independent and original. He also successfully composed keyboard works. Many of them became a kind of guide for writing and performing polyphonic music: Bach’s experience introduced students to technique and more advanced techniques for working with musical instruments (keyboard exercises).

The significance of the composer's works

There is a fairly widespread point of view that Bach was forgotten after his death. However, this is not so: his organ music and chorales continued to be heard in churches and have not lost their significance to this day. But the fact is that classicism came to replace it, which focused not on polyphony, but on harmony. Therefore, indeed, many young composers began to consider the music of Johann Sebastian outdated.

But such famous authors as Beethoven and Mozart often admired the work of their great predecessor. Both learned from his work, which greatly influenced their work. Today, the composer's works are integral part concert performances, and the same work can be performed in different options, since not all Johann scores contain full information about instrumentation. The works of Bach, the list in Russian of which was presented in the article, represents only a short list of the works of this outstanding composer and music teacher.

Johann Sebastian Bach is the greatest figure of world culture. The work of the universal musician who lived in the 18th century is genre-inclusive: German composer connected and generalized the traditions of the Protestant chorale with the traditions music schools Austria, Italy and France.

200 years after the death of the musician and composer, interest in his work and biography has not cooled, and contemporaries use Bach’s works in the twentieth century, finding relevance and depth in them. The composer's chorale prelude sounds in Solaris. The music of Johann Bach, as the best creation of mankind, was recorded on the Voyager Golden Record, attached to the spacecraft launched from Earth in 1977. According to the New York Times, Johann Sebastian Bach is the first in the top ten world composers who created masterpieces that stand above time.

Childhood and youth

Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 31, 1685 in the Thuringian city of Eisenach, located between the hills of the Hainig National Park and the Thuringian Forest. The boy became the youngest and eighth child in the family professional musician Johann Ambrosius Bach.

There are five generations of musicians in the Bach family. Researchers counted fifty relatives of Johann Sebastian who connected their lives with music. Among them is the composer's great-great-grandfather, Faith Bach, a baker who carried a plucked zither everywhere. musical instrument in the form of a box.

The head of the family, Ambrosius Bach, played the violin in churches and organized social concerts, so the first music lessons youngest son he taught. Johann Bach sang in the choir from an early age and delighted his father with his abilities and greed for musical knowledge.

At the age of 9, Johann Sebastian’s mother, Elisabeth Lemmerhirt, died, and a year later the boy became an orphan. Younger brother was taken into the care of the elder, Johann Christoph, a church organist and music teacher in the neighboring town of Ohrdruf. Christophe sent Sebastian to the gymnasium, where he studied theology, Latin, and history.

The older brother taught the younger brother to play the clavier and organ, but these lessons were not enough for the inquisitive boy: secretly from Christophe, he took out from the closet a notebook with works of famous composers and on moonlit nights rewrote notes. But his brother discovered Sebastian doing something illegal and took away the notes.

At the age of 15, Johann Bach became independent: he got a job in Lüneburg and brilliantly graduated from the vocal gymnasium, opening his way to university. But poverty and the need to earn a living put an end to my studies.

In Lüneburg, curiosity pushed Bach to travel: he visited Hamburg, Celle and Lübeck, where he became acquainted with the work of famous musicians Reincken and Georg Böhm.

Music

In 1703, after graduating from the gymnasium in Lüneburg, Johann Bach got a job as a court musician in the chapel of the Weimar Duke Johann Ernst. Bach played the violin for six months and gained his first popularity as a performer. But soon Johann Sebastian got tired of pleasing the ears of gentlemen by playing the violin - he dreamed of developing and opening new horizons in art. Therefore, without hesitation, he agreed to take the vacant position of court organist in the Church of St. Boniface in Arnstadt, which is 200 kilometers from Weimar.

Johann Bach worked three days a week and received a high salary. Church organ tuned to new system, expanded the capabilities of the young performer and composer: in Arnstadt, Bach wrote three dozen organ works, capriccios, cantatas and suites. But tense relations with the authorities pushed Johann Bach to leave the city after three years.

The last straw that outweighed the patience of the church authorities was the long excommunication of the musician from Arnstadt. The inert churchmen, who already disliked the musician for his innovative approach to the performance of cult sacred works, gave Bach a humiliating trial for his trip to Lubeck.

The famous organist Dietrich Buxtehude lived and worked in the city, whose improvisations on the organ Bach dreamed of listening to since childhood. Without money for a carriage, Johann went to Lübeck on foot in the fall of 1705. The master's performance shocked the musician: instead of the allotted month, he stayed in the city for four.

After returning to Arnstadt and arguing with his superiors, Johann Bach left his “hometown” and went to the Thuringian city of Mühlhausen, where he found work as an organist in the Church of St. Blaise.

The city authorities and church authorities favored talented musician, his earnings turned out to be higher than in Arnstadt. Johann Bach proposed an economical plan for the restoration of the old organ, approved by the authorities, and wrote a festive cantata, “The Lord is My King,” dedicated to the inauguration of the new consul.

But a year later, the wind of wanderings “removed” Johann Sebastian from his place and transferred him to the previously abandoned Weimar. In 1708, Bach took the place of court organist and settled in a house next to the ducal palace.

The “Weimar period” of Johann Bach’s biography turned out to be fruitful: the composer composed dozens of keyboard and orchestral works, became acquainted with the work of Corelli, and learned to use dynamic rhythms and harmonic patterns. Communication with his employer, Crown Duke Johann Ernst, a composer and musician, influenced Bach’s work. In 1713, the Duke brought from Italy sheet music of musical works by local composers, which opened new horizons in art for Johann Bach.

In Weimar, Johann Bach began work on the “Organ Book,” a collection of choral preludes for the organ, and composed the majestic organ “Toccata and Fugue in D minor,” “Passacaglia in C minor,” and 20 spiritual cantatas.

By the end of his service in Weimar, Johann Sebastian Bach became widely famous master harpsichord and organist. In 1717, the famous French harpsichordist Louis Marchand arrived in Dresden. Concertmaster Volumier, having heard about Bach's talent, invited the musician to compete with Marchand. But on the day of the competition, Louis fled the city, afraid of failure.

The desire for change called Bach on the road in the fall of 1717. The Duke released his beloved musician “with disgrace.” The organist was hired as bandmaster by Prince Anhalt-Keten, who was well versed in music. But the prince’s commitment to Calvinism did not allow Bach to compose sophisticated music for worship, so Johann Sebastian wrote mainly secular works.

During the Köthen period, Johann Bach composed six suites for cello, the French and English keyboard suites, and three sonatas for violin solos. The famous “Brandenburg Concertos” and a cycle of works, including 48 preludes and fugues, called “The Well-Tempered Clavier” appeared in Köthen. At the same time, Bach wrote two- and three-voice inventions, which he called “symphonies.”

In 1723, Johann Bach took a job as cantor of the St. Thomas choir in the Leipzig church. In the same year, the public heard the composer’s work “St. John’s Passion.” Soon Bach took the position of “musical director” of all the city churches. In 6 years " Leipzig period» Johann Bach wrote 5 annual cycles of cantatas, two of which are lost.

The city council gave the composer 8 choral performers, but this number was extremely small, so Bach hired up to 20 musicians himself, which caused frequent clashes with the authorities.

In the 1720s, Johann Bach composed mainly cantatas for performance in the churches of Leipzig. Wanting to expand his repertoire, the composer wrote secular works. In the spring of 1729, the musician was appointed head of the College of Music, a secular ensemble founded by Bach's friend Georg Philipp Telemann. The ensemble performed two-hour concerts twice a week for a year at Zimmerman's Coffee House near the market square.

Most of the secular works composed by the composer from 1730 to 1750 were written by Johann Bach to be performed in coffee houses.

These include the humorous “Coffee Cantata”, the comic “Peasant Cantata”, keyboard pieces and concertos for cello and harpsichord. During these years, the famous “Mass in B minor” was written, which is called the best choral work of all time.

For spiritual performance, Bach created the High Mass in B minor and the St. Matthew Passion, receiving from the court the title of Royal Polish and Saxon court composer as a reward for his creativity.

In 1747, Johann Bach visited the court of King Frederick II of Prussia. The nobleman offered the composer musical theme and asked me to write an improvisation. Bach, a master of improvisation, immediately composed a three-part fugue. He soon supplemented it with a cycle of variations on this theme, called it a “Musical Offering” and sent it as a gift to Frederick II.

Another large cycle, called “The Art of Fugue,” was not completed by Johann Bach. The sons published the series after their father's death.

IN last decade the composer's glory faded: classicism flourished, contemporaries considered Bach's style old-fashioned. But young composers, brought up on the works of Johann Bach, revered him. The work of the great organist was also loved.

A surge of interest in the music of Johann Bach and a revival of the composer's fame began in 1829. In March, pianist and composer Felix Mendelssohn organized a concert in Berlin, where the work “St. Matthew Passion” was performed. An unexpectedly loud response followed, and the performance attracted thousands of spectators. Mendelssohn went with concerts to Dresden, Koenigsberg and Frankfurt.

Johann Bach’s work “A Musical Joke” is still one of the favorites of thousands of performers around the world. Perky, melodic, gentle music sounds in different variations, adapted for playing modern instruments.

Bach's music is popularized by Western and Russian musicians. The vocal ensemble The Swingle Singers released their debut album Jazz Sebastian Bach, which brought the group of eight vocalists world fame and a Grammy Award.

The music of Johann Bach was also arranged by jazz musicians Jacques Lussier and Joel Spiegelman. I tried to pay tribute to the genius Russian performer.

Personal life

In October 1707, Johann Sebastian Bach married his young cousin from Arnstadt, Maria Barbara. The couple had seven children, but three died in infancy. Three sons - Wilhelm Friedemann, Carl Philipp Emmanuel and Johann Christian - followed in their father's footsteps and became famous musicians and composers.

In the summer of 1720, when Johann Bach and the Prince of Anhalt-Köthen were abroad, Maria Barbara died, leaving four children.

The composer’s personal life improved a year later: at the Duke’s court, Bach met a young beauty and talented singer Anna Magdalena Wilke. Johann married Anna in December 1721. They had 13 children, but 9 outlived their father.

IN advanced years family turned out to be the only consolation for the composer. For his wife and children, Johann Bach composed vocal ensembles, organized chamber concerts, enjoying his wife’s songs (Anna Bach had beautiful soprano) and the play of grown-up sons.

The fate of Johann Bach's wife and youngest daughter was sad. Anna Magdalena died ten years later in a house of contempt for the poor, and youngest daughter Regina eked out a semi-beggarly existence. IN last years Ludwig van Beethoven helped the woman's life.

Death

In the last 5 years, Johann Bach's vision rapidly deteriorated, but the composer composed music, dictating works to his son-in-law.

In 1750, British ophthalmologist John Taylor arrived in Leipzig. The doctor’s reputation can hardly be called impeccable, but Bach grasped at straws and took a chance. After the operation, the musician’s vision did not return. Taylor operated on the composer a second time, but after a short-term return of vision, deterioration occurred. On July 18, 1750, there was a stroke, and on July 28, 65-year-old Johann Bach died.

The composer was buried in Leipzig in a church cemetery. The lost grave and remains were found in 1894 and reburied in a stone sarcophagus in the Church of St. John, where the musician served for 27 years. The temple was destroyed by bombing during World War II, but the ashes of Johann Bach were found and transferred in 1949, buried at the altar of the Church of St. Thomas.

In 1907, a museum was opened in Eisenach, where the composer was born, and in 1985 a museum appeared in Leipzig.

• Johann Bach's favorite pastime was visiting provincial churches dressed as a poor teacher.
• Thanks to the composer church choirs Both men and women sing. Johann Bach's wife became the first church choir member.
• Johann Bach did not take money for private lessons.
• The surname Bach is translated from German as “stream”.

• Johann Bach spent a month in prison for constantly asking for resignation.
• George Frideric Handel is a contemporary of Bach, but the composers did not meet. The fates of the two musicians are similar: both went blind as a result of an unsuccessful operation performed by the quack doctor Taylor.
• A complete catalog of Johann Bach's works was published 200 years after his death.
• A German nobleman ordered the composer to write a piece, after listening to which he would be able to fall into a deep sleep. Johann Bach fulfilled the request: the famous Goldberg Variations are still a good “sleeping pill”.

Aphorisms of Bach

• “To get a good night's sleep, you should go to bed on a different day than you need to wake up.”
• “Playing the keyboard is easy: you just need to know which keys to press.”
• “The purpose of music is to touch hearts.”

Discography

• "Ave Maria"
• "English Suite N3"
• "Brandenburg Concert N3"
• "Italian Influence"
• "Concert N5 F-Minor"
• "Concert N1"
• "Concerto for cello and orchestra D-Minor"
• "Concerto for flute, cello and harp"
• "Sonata N2"
• "Sonata N4"
• "Sonata N1"
• "Suite N2 B-Minor"
• "Suite N2"
• "Suite for Orchestra N3 D-Major"
• "Toccata and Fugue D-Minor"

Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 is a work for organ by Johann Sebastian Bach, one of his most popular works.

The work "Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565" is included in all editions of the authoritative BWV catalog and in the (most complete) new edition of Bach's works (Neue Bach-Ausgabe, known as NBA).

The work was supposedly written by Bach during his stay in Arnstadt between 1703 and 1707. In January 1703, after completing his studies, he received the position of court musician to the Weimar Duke Johann Ernst. It is not known exactly what his duties included, but most likely this position was not related to performing activities. During his seven months of service in Weimar, his fame as a performer spread. Bach was invited to the position of organ caretaker at the Church of St. Boniface in Arnstadt, located 180 km from Weimar. The Bach family had long-standing ties to this oldest German city.

In August, Bach took over as organist of the church. He had to work three days a week, and the salary was relatively high. In addition, the instrument was maintained in good condition and was tuned according to a new system that expanded the capabilities of the composer and performer. During this period, Bach created many organ works.

The peculiarity of this small polyphonic cycle is the continuity of development musical material(no break between toccata and fugue). The form consists of three parts: toccata, fugue and coda. The latter, echoing the toccata, forms a thematic arch.

Title page of BWV 565 in a handwritten copy by Johannes Ringk. Due to the fact that Bach's autograph was lost, this copy, as of 2012, is the only source close to the time of creation.

Toccata (in Italian toccata - touch, blow, from toccare - touch, touch) - virtuoso musical piece for keyboard instruments (clavier, organ).

Beginning of the toccata

Fugue (Italian fuga - running, flight, fast flow) is the most developed form of polyphonic music, which has absorbed all the richness of polyphonic means. The content range of a fugue is practically unlimited, but the intellectual element predominates or is always felt in it. Fugue is distinguished by emotional fullness and at the same time restraint of expression.

This work begins with an alarming but courageous strong-willed cry. It sounds three times, descending from one octave to another, and leads to a thunderous chordal boom in the lower register. Thus, at the beginning of the toccata, a gloomily shaded, grandiose sound space is outlined.

Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor BWV 565 played by organist Hans-André Stamm on the Trost-Organ of the Stadtkirche in Waltershausen, Germany.

Then powerful “swirling” virtuosic passages are heard. The contrast between fast and slow movement is reminiscent of cautious respites between fights with the violent elements. And after the freely, improvisationally constructed toccata, a fugue sounds, in which the volitional principle seems to curb elemental forces. And the last bars of the entire work are perceived as a stern and majestic victory of the unyielding human will.