Johann Bach: List of works

Johann Sebastian Bach is a famous German composer, one of the brightest representatives of the Baroque era in music. He became famous as a skilled writer and virtuoso performer of organ music. In addition, the musician was a talented teacher and directed the concert groups.

Briefly about the composer

During his lifetime Johann Sebastian did not receive recognition, and only after almost a century his works began to show interest. Perhaps, nothing from the music of the Baroque time now enjoys such popularity as the works of Bach. List by years of these compositions should be made in view of the main stages of the author's work. Subsequently, the work of the master entered the golden fund of the eternal classics and is still popular, firmly entering the repertoire of concert performances.

Beginning of creativity

Bach, whose list of works is the subject of an interesting review, was born in a musical family: his father, elder brother and sister were musicians. Since childhood, the future composer has shown an amazing talent for learning to play the violin. Even in his youth, he was seriously carried away by the works of famous composers, he did not miss the opportunity to listen to famous masters, he constantly studied, supplementing his knowledge.

Very soon he showed himself as a talented organist. He perfectly mastered the play on this instrument, so that the musicians even began to turn to him for advice. Bach, whose list of works can be discovered by mentioning works for the organ, imitated famous composers of his time, but at the same time supplemented the score with folk melodies, trying to give it a national sound.

The composer's first works were choruses, hymns and preludes for the organ. These works differ solemn, majestic character. However, the works of Bach, whose list was constantly replenished, were diverse in their processing: his early tokatas and fugues have a colorful, dramatic sound.

The Weimar period (1708-1717)

The flourishing of the composer's creative career began at a new place of his work, when he received the court post of organist and musician with one of the German dukes. Here for the author there were optimal conditions for creativity: he was free in the choice of subjects and worked with a very good orchestra.

It was during this period that he created his famous cycle of fugues, which formed the first volume of his well-known work "Well Tempered Clavier". None of the then musicians was such a virtuoso organ of art, which was Bach. The list of works of the composer was constantly expanded: he worked hard, composing choral preludes and processing concerts of Italian composers. After nine years, Johann left the place of the old work and went in search of a new one.

In Cotene

The patron of the composer was the prince, who loved music and valued the composer's talent. He gave him the post of conductor and gave him a lot of freedom. The works of Bach, whose list was supplemented by works of a secular nature, received approval and recognition. He composed clavier music, suites on French and English themes, more than two dozen preludes, and also fugues. By the same time, the creation of the famous Brandenburg concerts belongs. These days they are usually performed by chamber orchestras.

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

Religious music

At that time Johann Sebastian Bach had already become one of the most famous composers in Germany. The works, whose list now included religious music, grew rapidly. The author wrote several Masses on the Gospel stories that are considered one of the best in the composer's work. As music director of the city's churches, he created a series of cantatas for worship, which were based on Protestant chorals. Separately, mention should be made of "Mass in B minor", in which the author partly used excerpts from his best cantatas.

Secular melodies

However, the compositions of secular, entertaining nature continued to occupy a prominent place in his work: they were given special importance by Johann Sebastian Bach. The works, whose list quickly increased due to melodies composed specially for the author's musical assembly, entered the treasury of the world repertoire. They are admired to this day. Bach, whose list of works was constantly replenished with various works, at that time created his famous "Coffee Cantata", as well as a number of concerts for cello and harpsichord.

In the late 1740s, the composer wrote a new cycle consisting of a trio, ricercar and canons, which was donated 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 manifested. This work was not seen 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 the characteristic features of his melodies. The composer is deservedly recognized as a master of polyphony: his fugues, sonatas amaze with richness of sound, dramaticness, color and variety of sounds. He was still considered an unsurpassed master of the game on the organ. Then none of the composers could compare with him in this form of art.

Another feature of Bach's work is that he worked in all the famous musical genres of the 18th century, with the exception of opera. However, her motives are still present in a number of his choral works. The author skillfully combined the achievements of northern and southern composers in Western Europe. Great influence on him was the work of German, Italian and French musicians.

Bach skillfully combined their melodies, often reworking the works of other composers. Often he edited his own works, which later became so-called covers, independent and original. He also successfully composed clavier works. Many of them became a kind of guide for writing and playing polyphonic music: the experience of Bach acquainted the students with the technique and more accomplished techniques of working with musical instruments (clavier exercises).

The meaning of the composer's works

There is a fairly common point of view that after death Bach was forgotten. However, this is not so: his organ music and chorals continued to sound in the churches and have not lost their meaning to this day. But the fact is that the Baroque era was replaced by classicism, which was not based on polyphony, but on harmony. That's why many young composers began to consider Johann Sebastian's music obsolete.

But such famous authors as Beethoven and Mozart often admired the work of their great predecessor. Both studied in his works, which had a great influence on their work. Today the composer's compositions are an integral part of concert performances, and the same work can sound in different versions, since not all Johann's scores contain complete information about the instrumentation. The works of Bach, whose list in Russian language was presented in the article, represents only a brief list of the works of this outstanding composer and music teacher.