History of the Great Composers Part I

This is a 5 (five) part story of the Great Composers.

Part I: Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in 1685, and passed away in 1750. His parents died when he was only ten years old.

Bach's birth house still stands in Eisenach, Germany. It looks much the same to-day, as it did when Sebastian was a child. (Right: Bach's house these days)

All of the Bach's were very eager about music.

One of the Bach's, Viet Bach, was a miller and a baker. He was so fond of music, that he would play his guitar and sing, even whilst te corn was grinding. Viet's little boy, Hans, was just as eager about music, and although he grew up to be a weaver by trade, he was also known as "Hans the Player", because he went all over the country, playing his violin, at weddings, baptisms and fairs. Hans had a brother whose children were so musical that the reigning Duke of that time sent them to Italy to be trained.

The Bach family grew larger and larger, and spread all over Saxony and Thuringia where nearly all of them earned thir living as musicians.

At the time when bach were born, the piano as we know it today did not exist, but the clavier, harpsichord and the clavichord did. Bach played on a Clavier: (Right: a Clavier/ Clavichord)

Some facts about J. S. Bach:

1) He went to live with his brother, Johann Christoff.

2) He began to work for his living when he was fifteen years old.

3) As a boy he sang in the streets begging from door to door with his fellow choristers.

4) He was once kept prisoner for a month.

5) He was Capell Meister to Prince Leopold of Kothen for six years.

6) He was the greatist organist and clavier player the world as ever known.

7) He could play the violin and other stringed instruments.

8) He wrote pieces for the voice, solo and chorus, and for many instruments; and was considered the greatest of al the composers.

9) He had 20 children and some of these became fine musicians.

10) Bach was director of the St. Thomas' school for many years. It is here where he wrote the famous "Forty- Eight Preludes and Fugues", his first printed work.

11) Bach, like Handel, became blind in latter years.

This is just some facts and historical events about the great and much respected composer.

Some of these info came out of the book "The Illustrated Book of Great Composers Vol. 1 (1915) by Gertrude Azulay and Thomas Tapper. No copyright rule were ignored.