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Johann Sebastian Bach music biography continued...

than harmonic effects. The depth and brilliance of his method created over 1,000 works notably The Art of Fugue, the Brandenburg concertos, the St. Matthew Passion, The Musical Offering, and the Mass in B Minor.

Bach was born on March 21, 1685 in Eisenach, Germany to a family of musicians that produced influential performers and composers for more than 200 years. His father Johann Ambrosius Bach was a violinist and trumpeter. When the young Johann Sebastian was ten his father passed away leaving him an orphan as his mother had died the previous year. He moved in with his brother who earned a living as an organist in Ohrdruf. He studied and performed music as well as sung at the Michaelis monastery in Lüneberg on an awarded choral scholarship. After graduation in 1703 he began working as a court musician in Weimar at the chapel of Duke Johann Ernst. His reputation as a keyboardist grew and he eventually became an organist seven months later at the Neue Kirche in Arnstadt for four years. Around 1705, Bach fled from Arnstadt without permission for several months. He visited the great German organist Dietrich Buxtehude where he familiarized himself with his music. He returned to Arnstadt in 1706, however soon realized the need to further his career. He was given a lucrative offer as an organist at St. Blasius in Mühlhausen. Soon after his arrival, he married his second cousin Maria Barbara Bach. The two had seven children, four of which survived childhood.

While in Mühlhausen, he composed the infamous Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565) as well as several of his first cantatas. In 1708, he returned to Weimar where he accepted a post for the Duke of Sachsen playing in the orchestra and serving as a court organist. During this time, he composed many works most noteworthy Orgel-Büchlein. He was eventually appointed the leader of the orchestra in 1714. Three years later he moved to Cöthen where he served as Kappellmeister (director of music) for Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen. The works composed during this period included mostly secular compositions such as the Orchestral suites, the Six suites for solo cello, the Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, and the renowned Brandenburg concertos. His wife Barbara passed away in 1720 however a year later he married Anna Magdalena Wilcke, a young gifted soprano who also performed at the court in Cöthen. They had 13 children of which five survived.

In 1723, Johann Sebastian became Kantor or the Thomas School in Leipzig. This was his first government position as his previous posts involved serving the aristocracy. Although he held his position for 27 years, Bach was truly dissatisfied as he was not granted enough income and was working in deficient facilities. He took much interest and pride in other projects such as his directorship of the city's Collegium Musicum in 1729 and of the Dresden Court in 1736. In 1747, he worked for King Frederick II of Prussia composing the complex Musical Offering (BWV 1079). Bach, a diabetes sufferer, died a few years later on July 28, 1750 at the age of 65.