By: Melvin Gray

A Musical Genius is born

Johann Sebastian Bach was born March 21, 1685 in Eisenach, Germany

He was the youngest 10 children.

As a young boy Bach played many instruments which contributed to his success as an adult.

A Talented Composer

Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist.

Bach composed almost 1200 compositions.

A Tragic Loss

From 1693 to 1695 Bach attended Latienschule in Eisenach.

Between those years Bach lost his mother and father within a year of each other.

Immediately he was sent to live with his eldest brother Johann Christoph

The Gymnasium

From 1695 to 1700 Bach attended the Gymnasium (grammar school) of Ohrdruf.

He excelled greatly in Latin, Greek, and theology.

The scholars of the Gymnasium had high opinions of Bach’s voice and musical capabilities.

Welcomed with open arms

Later Bach went to a North-German musical center, he was welcomed because of his uncommonly beautiful soprano voice.

He was quickly appointed to a body of singers who formed the ‘Mettenchor’.

Unfortunately Bach lost his soprano voice but became a useful violinist in the orchestra and an accompanist at the harpsichord during choir rehearsal.

Wives and Children

Bach’s first wife was actually his own cousin Maria Barbara Bach.

She bore seven of his children, but only four them survived.

Unfortunately Maria died unexpectedly in 1720.

A year and a half later Bach married again to Anna Magdalena Wilcke

She bore 13 of Bach’s children.

Six of those children survived.

Works of Bach

Bach wrote almost 1200 compositions.

Three of his compositions are: Tocata & Fugue in

D Minor Jesu, Joy of Man’s

Desiring Air on A G String

Death of a Musical Genius

On the 28th of July in 1750, Johann Sebastian Bach had a stoke and suffered a severe fever.

At a quarter to nine Bach died.

Bach was 65 years of age.

Work Cited

www.hoasm.org www.baroquemusic.org www.lycos.com en.wikipedia.org