High Baroque Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach

Painting: Elias Haussmann   1748

Source: Barokin Musiikki

Born on 31 March in Eisenach, in 1685, Johann Sebastian Bach represents the height of baroque not only in Germany but the whole of Europe as the key figure in the Bach musical dynasty. JS Bach is where music began for many a composer to follow including Mozart. Composing sacred and secular music, Bach has been most greatly hailed for concerti, choral works, and works for organ and harpsichord, his contrapuntal fugues in particular. He gave stellar performances as a clavier player, virtuosic improvisation a conspicuous factor in much of his oeuvre. His clavier works are commonly performed on piano. The piano took about one hundred years to develop from its invention in Italy in 1700 to when it began to replace the harpsichord in the region of 1800. Though it was developed enough for Bach to later promote the instrument it wasn't well enough along for him compose for it. In keeping with Bach works herein will feature harpsichord rather than piano with one exception by pianist, Edwin Fischer, of Book 2 of 'The Well-Tempered Clavier'.

Well to preface this study with the 'BWV' directory which begins at BWV 1 per 'Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern', a cantata in F major written in 1725, first published posthumously in 1851. 'BWV' numbering is per the thematic 'Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis' first published in 1950, edited by Wolfgang Schmieder. This directory now numbers above the 1,126 works catalogued during the 20th century. Search engine by Bach Digital. Among editions employed are the 'Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe' of the Bach Society published 1851-1899 and 1926, and the 'Neue Bach-Ausgabe' published by Bärenreiter from 1954 to 2007. Another numbering system is the 'BC' ('Bach Compendium') of H.J. Schulze and C. Wolff in 1985.

Johann Sebastian was a cousin once removed of earlier Johann Christoph Bach and Johann Michael Bach, they preceding him by a couple generations. Bach's father, Johann Ambrosius, was director of Eisenach's town musicians, he raising Bach in the study of violin and harpsichord. Bach learned clavichord from his elder brother, Johann Christoph. As all his uncles were musicians, he learned organ from one of them also named Johann Christoph. At age fourteen he attended St. Michael's School in Lüneburg for two years. Upon graduating in 1703 he was appointed court musician to the chapel of Duke Johann Ernst III in Weimar for several months, then became organist at St. Boniface's Church in Arnstadt. He began composing circa 1706.

In 1707 Bach acquired employment as organist at St. Blasius's Church in Mühlhausen where he married. He wasn't to work there long though, for in 1708 he responded to an invitation from the Duke of Weimar to become court organist there. Wikipedia suggests that Bach's 'Toccata in D minor' BWV 565 may have arrived as early as 1704, though it isn't known when Bach actually wrote this work, perhaps decades later. His other 'Toccata in D minor' BWV 538 is dated to sometime from 1708 to 1717 when he wrote most of his works for organ. BWV 538 has no defining key signature, D minor assumed. BWV 565 is here deposited as if it were among his earliest works:

'Toccata and Fugue in D minor'   BWV 565   Johann Sebastian Bach

Comp for organ date unidentified: perhaps as early as 1704? or perhaps in Weimar 1708-17?

Arranged by Leopold Stokowski w the Philadelphia Orchestra

From the animated film 'Fantasia' 1940

'Toccata and Fugue in D minor'   BWV 565   Johann Sebastian Bach

Comp for organ date unidentified: perhaps as early as 1704? or perhaps in Weimar 1708-17?

Organ: Sean Jackson   St. John's Episcopal Church   Stamford, Connecticut

It's during this period in Weimar that Bach began making his name, appointed konzertmeister (music director) in 1714. It was about that time, 1714-1717, that he composed his six 'English Suites' BWV 806–811. All agree that there is nothing particularly English about these suites with preludes more in a French tradition. They are distinguished as English because a copy of an early manuscript by Bach’s youngest son, Johann Christian, bears' "fait pour les Anglois" ("made for the English"). Biographer, Johann Nicolaus Forkel (1749-1818), believed they could have been written for an English nobleman left unidentified. Like many of Bach's works, these suites weren't published until after his death in 1805-13 by Trautwein in Berlin. Bach Cantatas has them individually published from 1812 to as late as 1841 by a French publisher.

'English Suites'   BWV 806-811   Johann Sebastian Bach

Comp c 1715 in Weimar to possibly as late as 1725 in Leipzig

Published 1805 by Trautwein in Berlin edited by Johann Nicolaus Forkel

Harpsichord: Peter Watchorn

On November 6 of 1717 Bach's career was interrupted by the Duke (Weimar) who had Johann arrested and jailed for a fit of anger upon one of multiple denials to leave his service to the Duke in order to take a new position at the court of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen. At Bach's time one didn't simply quit one job for another, especially not if you worked for a duke similar in position to the governor of a state in the United States. The Duke left Bach detained until 2 December when he released him from his court as well. While in jail Bach began his book 'The Well-Tempered Clavier' and upon release he became kapellmeister in service to Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen [Greenberg / Press Reader].

Bach commenced work on his six Cello Suites (violoncello) about 1717, the last written circa 1723:

'Cello Suites'   BWV 1007-1012   Johann Sebastian Bach

Comp 1717 to as late as 1723   Pub by Janet & Cotelle in Paris in 1824

Cello: Jaap ter Linden

It was 1721 that Bach compiled his six 'Brandenberg Concertos' BWV 1046-51 selected from concerti possibly begun as early as 1713 and completed 1718 to 1721. Dedicated to the Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt, BWV 1046 in F major was a revision of 'Sinfonia in F major' BWV 1046a composed in 1718. Bach Cantatas and IMSLP have these concerti eventually published in Leipzig in 1850-52.

'Brandenburg Concertos'   BWV 1046-1051   Johann Sebastian Bach

Compiled 1721   Pub in Leipzig 1850-52

Orchestra Mozart   Claudio Abaddo   Violin: Giuliano Carmignola

In 1722 Bach completed what he began in jail in Weimar in 1717, Book I BWV 846–869 of 'Das Wohltemeprierte Clavier' (‘The Well-Tempered Clavier’) BWV 846–893. Consisting of 24 preludes and fugues in all 24 keys, the significance of that book first published in 1801 in Wien concerns the tuning of instruments and requires a knowledge of temperament [refs below]. References to 'The Well-Tempered Clavier' generally combine Book 1 with Book 2 considered as one.

'Das Wohltemperirte Clavier'   BWV 846–893   Johann Sebastian Bach

Book 1 BWV 846–869 Köthen 1722   Book 2 BWV 870–893 Leipzig 1742

Harpsichord: Christine Schornsheim

In 1723, Bach was appointed Cantor of Thomasschule (boarding house and school) at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, a position he kept for the remaining twenty-seven years of his career.

St. Thomas Church

Bach's factory of high baroque in Leipzig

Source: Wikimedia Commons

It was 1723 when Bach composed his first version of settings for the 'Magnificat' in E-flat major BWV 243.1 previously catalogued as BWV 243.a:

'Magnificat'   E-flat major   BWV 243.a or 243.1   Johann Sebastian Bach

Premiere for Visitation in Leipzig 2 July 1723

Amsterdam Baroque / Ton Koopman

Bach composed or arranged Passions for each Gospel in the Bible, included in the 'Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis' as BWV 244-247. His 'St. John Passion' BWV 245 premiered on 7 April 1724 in Leipzig. Come his ''St. Matthew Passion' BWV 244 on 11 April 1727 at St. Thomas Church. Bach's 'St. Luke Passion' BWV 246 once ascribed to him is more probably a 1730 arrangement of music by an unidentified composer. His 'St. Mark Passion' BWV 247 is a lost work that had premiered in Leipzig on Good Friday of 23 March 1731.

'St. John Passion'   BWV 245   Johann Sebastian Bach

Premiere in Leipzig 7 April 1724

Netherlands Bach Society / Jos van Veldhoven   11 March 2017

'St. John Passion'   BWV 245   Johann Sebastian Bach

Premiere in Leipzig 7 April 1724

J.S. Bach Foundation / Rudolf Lutz / Leipzig Bach Festival 2022

'St. Matthew Passion'   BWV 244   Johann Sebastian Bach

Premiere in Leipzig 11 April 1727

Netherlands Bach Society / Jos van Veldhoven   April 2014

'St. Matthew Passion'   BWV 244   Johann Sebastian Bach

Premiere in Leipzig 11 April 1727

Collegium Vocale Gent / Philippe Herreweghe

It was 1722 that Bach began composing his six 'French Suites' BWV 812-817 completed in 1725. These were named "French" suites by Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg in 1762 because they contain a couple courantes after a French style, but are largely more Italian [Wikipedia]. They were popularized as "French" by Johann Nicolaus Forkel:

'French Suites'   BWV 812-817   Johann Sebastian Bach

Comp 1722-1725   Pub 1881 in Leipzig

Harpsichord: Pieter-Jan Belder

The earliest source of Bach's 'Orchestral Suites' BWV 1066-1069 is a manuscript estimated to 1724, though IMSLP has BWV 1066 composed possibly as early as 1718. The remaining three followed in 1725 (BWV 1069), 1731 (BWV 1068) and 1738–39 (BWV 1067). Bach called these 'Overtures':

'Overtures' ('Orchestral Suites')  BWV 1066-1069   Johann Sebastian Bach

Comp 1718?-1739   BWV 1066 in MS 1724

Viruosi Saxoniae / Ludwig Guttler

Bach's cantata, 'Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern', BWV 1, was first performed on 25 March 1725 in Leipzig. Text is by an unknown author:

'Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern'   BWV 1   Cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach

'How beautifully shines the Morning Star' (Venus)

Premiere 25 March 1725   Pub 1851

Münchener Bach-Orchester / Karl Richter

In 1733 Bach changed the key of his earlier 'Magnificat' from E-flat major to D major, producing a second version catalogued as BWV 243. If you come across a Magnificat by Bach and can't figure which one it is it is probably this latter version in D more commonly performed and preferred to the earlier.

'Magnificat'   D major   BWV 243   Johann Sebastian Bach

Premiere in Leipzig c 1733

Münchener Bach-Orchester / Karl Richter   1962

Bach's Keyboard Concertos composed for one to four harpsichords are catalogued BWV 1052–1065 composed circa 1730 to 1739. His No.4 in A major BWV 1055 of circa 1738 was for one:

'Harpsichord Concerto No. 4'   A major   BWV 1055   Johann Sebastian Bach

Comp 1738   Pub 1854

English Chamber Orchestra / Raymond Leppard   c 1972

Come Book II, BWV 870–893 of 'The Well-Tempered Clavier' within the range of 1739-44, first published in 1801:

'Das Wohltemperirte Clavier'   BWV 870–893   Johann Sebastian Bach

Book 2 BWV 870–893 Leipzig c 1742   Pub 1801

Piano: Edwin Fischer

Bach's 'Goldberg Variations' saw ink in 1741, the last of his four-part 'Clavier-Übung' ('Keyboard Exercises'). There are four 'Clavier-Übung' published by Bach. 'Clavier-Übung I' consists of 'Six Partitas' BWV 825-830 that had been published separately from 1726 to 1730, collectively in 1731. 'Clavier-Übung II' contains 'Italian Concerto' BWV 971 and 'Overture in the French style' BWV 831 published in 1735. 'Clavier-Übung III' holds 'Prelude and Fugue in E flat major' BWV 552, 21 'Choral Preludes' BWV 669-689 and 'Four Duets' BWV 802–805 published in 1739. 'Clavier-Übung IV' is Bach's 'Goldberg Variations' so named because he is thought to have written them for his virtuosic student, Johann Gottlieb Goldberg. These consist of one aria followed by 30 variations:

'Goldberg Variations'   BWV 988   Johann Sebastian Bach

Published 1741

Harpsichord: Jean Rondeau

Bach is thought to have written 'Die Kunst der Fuge' ('The Art of Fugue') BWV 1080 in 1742-46, revised 1748–50. This consists of fourteen fugues called 'Contrapuncti' and four canons. Bach left instrumentation unspecified, though assumed to be for harpsichord:

'Die Kunst der Fuge'   ('The Art of Fugue')  BWV 1080   Johann Sebastian Bach

Comp 1742-26   Revised 1748–50

Harpsichord: Pieter-Jan Belder

Bach completed his well-known 'Mass in B minor' BWV 232 in 1749:

'Mass in B minor'   BWV 232   Johann Sebastian Bach

Comp 1749   Pub complete by Simrock in Bonn 1845

Netherlands Bach Society / Jos van Veldhoven   15 Dec 2016

Bach passed away on 28 July 1750. Not one of those artists who die without a dime, Bach owned a library of 52 books, including Martin Luther and Josephus. Books weren't cheap in Bach's time. A book could cost the average laborer the majority of a week's salary, roughly the equivalent of a McDonald's employee purchasing a Chromebook today. Libraries were largely collections by the well-to-do until public libraries [libraries] were established so that people too poor to purchase books could read. Bach also owned at least seven harpsichords and several other string instruments.

Wikipedia

Clavier-Übung (Keyboard Exercises / 1731-41):