Johann Michael Bach

Baptized on 19 August 1648 in Arnstadt, Germany, Johann Michael Bach was younger brother to Johann Christoph. Of the Bach musical dynasty he is the second of eight to be addressed in this history. Christoph and Michael never worked together, but historically they announced the beginning of the end of Italian dominance in the baroque, that to shift to Germany as France rounded out its Continental flavors. Like Johann Cristoph, more is known about Michael's music than his life during which he is thought to have been a craftsman of musical instruments such as the harpsichord. As his father, Heinrich Bach, was an organist he likely studied music including composition as a youth. Aryeh Oron at Bach Cantatas has him replacing his brother, Johann Christoph, at organ at the Arnstadt castle chapel in Thuringia in 1665. In 1673 Johann Michael became employed as an organist and town clerk in Gehren where he remained the entirety of his life.

Works by Johann Michael Bach which are relatively few are collected into two main archives. The original is the Alt-Bachische Archiv (ABA numbers) which was gathered by members of the Bach family. The second is the Bach Digital Archive (BD numbers) launched in 2010. A third smaller collection is housed at the Berlin State Library (BNB numbers) which contains part of ABA. One piece for organ and several motets are stacked alphabetically below. Michael's works found their way into manuscripts or print posthumously. There is no way to date their composing here more accurately than to say it is all latter 17th century baroque. Texts in Deutsch for motets at CPDL.

'Der du bist drei in Einigkeit'   Piece for organ by J.M. Bach

'You are three in unity'

Organ: Franciscus Volckland

'Fürchtet euch nicht'   Motet for mixed chorus for Christmas Day by J.M. Bach

'Fear Not'   G major   ABA I, 11   BD 8752

Vox Luminis   Eglise St. Jean l'Evangeliste   Beaufays 2013

'Halt was du hast'   Motet for mixed chorus by J.M. Bach

'Hold what you have'   E minor   ABA I, 10   BD 8864

Vox Luminis   Eglise St. Jean l'Evangeliste   Beaufays 2013

'Ich weiβ, dass mein Erlöser lebt'   Motet for mixed chorus by J.M. Bach

'I know my Redeemer lives'   G major   ABA I, 7   BD 8748

The Academic Choir / Ivan Goran Kovacic   St. Catherine Church   Zagreb 2014

'Sei, lieber Tag, willkommen'   Motet for 6 voices by J.M. Bach

'Be, dear day, welcome'   ABA I, 8   BD 8749

Vilnius State Choir / Linas Balandis   2016

'Unser Leben währet siebenzig Jahr'   Motet for 5 voices by J.M. Bach

'Our life is seventy years'   Psalm 90:10   ABA I, 4   BD 8743

Vox Luminis   The Pieterskerk in Leuven   Belgium 2012

Johann Michael Bach died a quarter century short of seventy years, only 45 years of age and nearly a decade before his elder brother, Christoph, in Gehren, Germany, on 27 May 1694.